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Posts Tagged ‘David Carradine Death’

David Carradine

According to Reuters the medical examiner who oversaw the second autopsy concluded that Carradine died of asphyxiation ruling out suicide as a cause of death.

The Carradine family hired forensic pathologist Dr. Michael Baden to conduct an investigation into the actor’s death. Baden told Reuters, “The cause of death was asphyxiation, an inability to breathe, now why that happened is still what we’re working on.”

Baden also said, “He didn’t die of natural causes, and he didn’t die of suicidal causes from the nature of the ligatures around the body, so that leaves some kind of accidental death.” The doctor also told Reuters he is waiting for additional information from Thai police in order to rule out the possibility that Carradine was killed by someone.

June 5, 2009 – First of all we would like to extend are condolences to the family of David Carradine. Whatever the circumstances of his death, we can all agree that it was untimely and a tragedy. According to the evidence presented thus far, it appears to either have been an accidental death or homicide. Until we are presented with all of the facts, we can only speculate for now.

Here are some of the facts as we know them:

The body of American actor David Carradine, best known for the 1970s TV series “Kung Fu,” was found in a hotel room closet with a rope tied to his neck and genitals. His death may have been caused by accidental suffocation, Thai police said Friday.

David was found in a sitting position in the closet with the cord wrapped around his neck and the closet rod. The authorities have said there doesn’t appear to have been any assault or forced entry to his room, that would indicate a crime. It appears for now that the authorities don’t suspect that he was murdered. Thai police officers investigating the death say he most likely died of asphyxiation, possibly when an autoerotic sex game went wrong. No news has been released about whether there was a suicide note or not. Some say it had to be an accident, those who know him say he would never commit suicide.

Carradine, 72, was found naked in a closet in an upscale Bangkok hotel on Thursday with cords around his neck and his genitals. The police are checking DNA found on the cords, but say they found no signs of a struggle, suggesting that Carradine might have either tied himself up or submitted voluntarily to his incapacitation.

“It is unclear whether he committed suicide or not or he died of suffocation or heart failure,” Lt. Gen. Worapong Chewprecha of the Royal Thai Police told reporters. The results of the autopsy are expected to be released on Saturday.

One of Carradine’s managers dismissed the idea of suicide.

“All we can say is, we know David would never have committed suicide,” said Tiffany Smith of Binder & Associates, his management company. “We’re just waiting for them to finish the investigation and find out what really happened. He really appreciated everything life has to give … and that’s not something David would ever do to himself.”

Pornthip Rojanasunand, director of Thailand’s Central Institute of Forensic Science, said Carradine may have died attempting a sex act known as auto-erotic asphyxiation that cuts off oxygen to the brain for sexual arousal.

The practice is said to result in a form of euphoria similar to alcohol or drug intoxication which enhances the sexual experience.

“If you hang yourself by the neck, you don’t need so much pressure to kill yourself. Those who get highly sexually aroused tend to forget this fact,” said Pornthip, who is considered the country’s top criminal forensics expert but who did not take part in the autopsy.

Carradine had flown to Thailand last week and began work on a film titled “Stretch” two days before his death, Smith said. He had several other projects lined up after the action film, which was being directed by Charles de Meaux.

Carradine was in good spirits when he left the U.S. for Thailand on May 29 to work on “Stretch,” Smith said.

“David was excited to do it and excited to be a part of it,” she said by phone from Beverly Hills.

Filming began Tuesday, she said, adding that the crew was devastated by Carradine’s death and did not wish to speak publicly about it for the time being.

Monica Donati, a spokesman for the French film company MK2, which was making “Stretch,” said in statement from Paris that the film crew in Bangkok was “clearly shocked” by Carradine’s death but would finish shooting. Carradine only had three more days of filming left in Bangkok, she said.

Aurelio Giraudo, the hotel’s general manager, said Carradine checked into the hotel May 31 and he last saw him June 3. He said Carradine chatted with staff and even played piano a few nights in the lobby as well as flute which the “guests really enjoyed.”

“I was a fan. I had a very nice talk with him when he checked in,” Giraudo told The Associated Press. “He was very much a person full of life. I mentioned to him that I had seen (the movie) “Crank” with my family and that was the last smile he gave me.”

Giraudo said a chambermaid discovered Carradine’s body, adding that she knocked and entered after there was no response. Police arrived shortly thereafter.

Somprasong said there was no evidence there was anyone else in the room at the time of Carradine’s death.