From Andrew Drummond, Bangkok. June 5 2009
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Thai police today withdrew their suicide theory on the death of Hollywood star David Carradine and admitted that he may have died accidentally during a sex act.
After a night of confusion Thai Police General said the possibility that Carradine died while indulging in an auto-erotic sex had to be considered and that the death was accidental.
“There was a rope tied around his neck and another rope tied to his genitals, and the two ropes were tied together and they hung in the closet,” Lieutenant General Worapong Siewpreecha told reporters.
“Under these circumstances we cannot be sure that he committed suicide. He may have died while masturbating.”
The comments drew criticism from the US Embassy where an official described the police comments as a ‘violation of privacy”.
But as tributes came in for the 72-yr-old Hollywood star who rose to fame as Kwai Chang Caine or ‘Grasshopper’ in the seventies TV series the examination being carried out in Chulalongkorn Hospital, Bangkok, is likely only to reveal the cause of death , and that he died of heart failure brought on by asphyxia.
Tiffany Smith of his management company insisted: “David would not have committed suicide’ and his manager Chuck Bender sa id: “He was always full of life, always wanting to work”
Thai police say the body of Carradine, the lead in ‘Kill Bill’ and a star with over 100 Hollywood film credits was found naked in a cupboard by a maid around at around 11 a.m. in the Swisshotel Nailert Park, in Bangkok on Thursday.
When she entered the room she noticed that the beiges drapes were closed and the beige and cushions on the bed were still in their ‘day order’ at the head of the bed which had not bee n slept in.
Hotel records show that Carradine had had a couple of drinks in the lobby ‘Syn’ bar – ‘ a place to have a few wicked drinks’ and had retired at 9 pm. Records showed that he had used his keycard shortly after 9 pm and not used it again that night.
Police initially said yesterday that they believed Carradine had committed suicide. But later they amended their reaction to saying: “It looks like suicide.”
At Lumpini Polices station Bangkok Police Commander Somprasong Yenthuam ruled out any other person being involved: “All I can really say is that nobody else was involved. It looks like he killed himself. We have checked the CCTV’s and nobody else came in and out of his room.
“The room was also in perfect order. Nothing else seems to have been touched. There was some money lying around on a table and a bottle of drinking water and some water in a glass.
“His body has been taken to Chulalongkorn Hospital for a forensic examination but we expect they will find he died of asphyxiation. That is all I really can say on the matter. I do not wish to speculate.”
He said there was a foot print on the bed which did not match any of Carradine’s shoes but it probably was not relevant to the enquiry.”
Police estimated his time of death at between 11 pm on Wednesday and 1 am Thursday morning.
Carradine in Thailand to film a movie called ‘Stretch’ had failed to attend a dinner the night before with members of the production crew.
His death brought in many tributes from Hollywood including from director Martin Scorcese who said: “I am deeply saddened. I have fond memories of our time together.”
The Nail Lert Park hotel, next to the British Embassy in Bangkok is famous for its penis shrine, a tribute to penis power. The shrine is associated with fertility and visitors make offerings to the female Spirit of Tubtim who hovers around a nearby canal.
The offerings come in the form of phalluses in all shapes and sizes.