David Carradine found dead in Thailand hotel

[AC]

David Carradine found dead in Thailand hotel

72-year-old ‘Kung Fu,’ ‘Kill Bill’ actor reportedly hanged himself

David Carradine appeared in more than 200 films and TV shows during his career.

Actor David Carradine, star of the 1970s TV series “Kung Fu” who also had a wide-ranging career in the movies, has been found dead in the Thai capital, Bangkok. A news report said he was found hanged in his hotel room and was believed to have committed suicide.

A spokesman for the U.S. Embassy, Michael Turner, confirmed the death of the 72-year-old actor. He said the embassy was informed by Thai authorities that Carradine died either late Wednesday or early Thursday, but he could not provide further details out of consideration for his family.

The Web site of the Thai newspaper The Nation cited unidentified police sources as saying Carradine was found Thursday hanged in his luxury hotel room.
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It said Carradine was in Bangkok to shoot a movie and had been staying at the hotel since Tuesday.

The newspaper said Carradine could not be contacted after he failed to appear for a meal with the rest of the film crew on Wednesday, and that his body was found by a hotel maid at 10 a.m. Thursday morning. The name of the movie was not immediately available.

It said a preliminary police investigation found that he had hanged himself with a cord used with the room’s curtains. It cited police as saying he had been dead at least 12 hours and there was no sign that he had been assaulted.

A police officer at Bangkok’s Lumpini precinct station would not confirm the identity of the dead man to The Associated Press, but said the luxury Swissotel Nai Lert Park hotel had reported that a male guest killed himself there.

David Carradine starred as Caine in the television series "Kung Fu" from 1972-75.
Carradine was a leading member of a venerable Hollywood acting family that included his father, character actor John Carradine, and brother Keith.

In all, he appeared in more than 100 feature films with such directors as Martin Scorsese, Ingmar Bergman and Hal Ashby.

But he was best known for his role as Kwai Chang Caine, a Shaolin priest traveling the 1800s American frontier West in the TV series “Kung Fu,” which aired in 1972-75.

He reprised the role in a mid-1980s TV movie and played Caine’s grandson in the 1990s syndicated series “Kung Fu: The Legend Continues.”

He returned to the top in recent years as the title character in Quentin Tarantino’s two-part saga “Kill Bill.”

This story is still developing. Please return to msnbc.com for updates.
© 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

[Hannie]

Sad to hear he's dead. Despite the circumstances, I have great memories of him when I was a child and loved to watch his Kung Fu series!

The articles I've read don't see it as suicide, but more as and auto erotic game gone wrong since his testicles were also bound with rope..

[gwen]

Sad. It will be interesting to see what the autopsy reveals...

[Hannie]

Bill from Kill Bill killed by thrill

KILL Bill star David Carradine was found dead in a Bangkok hotel wardrobe yesterday - sparking fears that he accidentally killed himself in a sex act.

A horrified maid discovered the 72-year-old actor's half-naked body hanging from a curtain rope inside the closet.

One cop said the cord was attached to the neck and genitals of the star - also famed for his role in the hit 1970s TV series Kung Fu.


Thai police would neither confirm nor deny suggestions that Carradine, who played Bill in two Kill Bill films, was attempting a practice designed to boost sexual pleasure.

A spokesman said: "We've nothing to add at this stage, apart from the fact that we do not believe anyone else was involved."


Some reports claimed the star died of natural causes or suicide.


But his manager Chuck Binder said he believed it was an "accidental death" and called the news "shocking".


He said: "He was always full of life, always wanting to work - a great person."


....

http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/ne ... drobe.html

[Arubalover]

Foxnews.com

The death of American actor David Carradine may have been accidental suffocation, Thai police said Friday.

The 72-year-old actor's body was discovered Thursday in his luxury suite at Bangkok's Swissotel Nai Lert Park Hotel. Police initially said they suspected suicide, though Carradine's associates had questioned that theory.

Police Lt. Gen. Worapong Chewprecha told reporters that Carradine was found with a rope "tied around his penis and another rope around his neck."

"The two ropes were tied together," he said. "It is unclear whether he committed suicide or not or he died of suffocation or heart failure due to an orgasm."

Thai police completed an autopsy on Carradine Friday but so far have not released the results.

Dr. Nanthana Sirisap, director of Chulalongkorn Hospital's Autopsy Center, told reporters that the autopsy was conducted because of the "unusual circumstances surrounding Carradine's death," but he did not elaborate.

Police Lt. Teerapop Luanseng had said on Thursday that Carradine's body was found "naked, hanging in a closet," and that police at the time suspected suicide.

But one of Carradine's managers, Tiffany Smith of Binder & Associates, dismissed the theory.

"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."

Chuck Binder, Carradine's manager, said the actor was staying in the Thai capital while shooting a movie called "Stretch." When a producer went to his luxury hotel room, he learned that the actor was dead, Binder said.

Related StoriesActor David Carradine Dead After Apparent Suicide
According to Thai Newspaper, The Nation, Carradine had been staying at the hotel since Tuesday but could not be contacted after he failed to appear for a meal with the rest of the film crew on Wednesday.

It said a preliminary police investigation found that he had hanged himself with a cord used with the room's curtains. It cited police as saying he had been dead at least 12 hours and there was no sign that he had been assaulted.

Police said Carradine's body was taken to a hospital for an autopsy which would be carried out Friday.

A statement on behalf of his family has yet to be released, but Binder called the death "shocking and sad ... He was full of life, always wanting to work ... a great person."

But despite an enthusiasm for his work, the actor had openly discussed his battle with suicidal thoughts. In a 2004 interview, Carradine said: "I remember one time sitting at the window of the third or fourth floor of the Plaza Hotel for about an hour, thinking about just tipping off."

He also said he had considered shooting himself.

"Look, there was a period in my life when I had a single action Colt 45, loaded, in my desk drawer. And every night I'd take it out and think about blowing my head off, and then decide not to and go on with my life. Put it back in the drawer and open the laptop and continue writing my autobiography or whatever. But it was just to see."

The actor is survived by his wife Annie Bierman and three children.

Sorry, but I have never heard of this method of achieving an orgasm. It doesn't sound very pleasurable to me.

[SavannahStar]

I wonder if the autopsy will be able to prove one way or the other?

[Hannie]

The earliest reports seem right. I doubt he would have committed suicide like this if he wanted to do that...It's a pity he's been found like that by strangers in a hotel...

[Arubalover]

This is going to be either something that is whispered about at the funeral or joked about. All I can say is the old man still had that need.

[SavannahStar]

I'm not convinced yet one way or the other if it was suicide or the other.

[Hannie]

If you were committing suicide, you don't do it in a closet naked with your balls bound to your neck in a strange hotel thousands of miles away from home....but that's me... :

[Hannie]

This is going to be either something that is whispered about at the funeral or joked about. All I can say is the old man still had that need.

That's for sure! I hope he had a great orgasm atleast! It's still sad he's gone either way, great guy and actor.

[prolific]

Foxnews.com



Sorry, but I have never heard of this method of achieving an orgasm. It doesn't sound very pleasurable to me.

Just snipped to respond to your last comment. I don't know if it's the same thing but I've read a few stories in the past of teens that have died/suffocated using a belt around their necks and I can't remember what around their genitals...something about it giving a heightened orgasm.

Don't know if this is what happened but I don't believe it was a suicide if the story is true that that's how he was found, I would think foul play before intentional suicide.

I think it's too bad though that the way he was found is being so widely reported, geez let the man have some dignity, now this will be how he's remembered....that's too bad.

[Hannie]

It has something do do with your oxygen being cut off and that seems to give you a great orgasm...Mostly you hear about it when 2 people are doing that together. I believe there were a couple of guys convicted because of that kind of play and their wife died after that...

[Hannie]

Just snipped to respond to your last comment. I don't know if it's the same thing but I've read a few stories in the past of teens that have died/suffocated using a belt around their necks and I can't remember what around their genitals...something about it giving a heightened orgasm.

Don't know if this is what happened but I don't believe it was a suicide if the story is true that that's how he was found, I would think foul play before intentional suicide.

I think it's too bad though that the way he was found is being so widely reported, geez let the man have some dignity, now this will be how he's remembered....that's too bad.

That's the sad part indeed, and at the same time he took the risk to do it in a hotel so I think it's logical there are a lot of reports about that...

if he would have been found at home, they could have said he died of an accident and keep quiet about the specifics...

[SavannahStar]

Auto-Erotic Asphyxia's Deadly Thrill

Expert Says Actor David Carradine Likely Practiced Secretively For a Lifetime
By SUSAN DONALDSON JAMES
June 5, 2009—


The mysterious death of actor David Carradine -- perhaps by auto-erotic asphyxia -- focused renewed attention on a practice that is one of the greatest and most dangerous sexual taboos.

The 72-year-old actor was found dead in a Thai hotel room closet in an intricate web of ropes -- one around his neck, another around his genitals and the two tied together, according to Thai authorities.

Sex experts say that Carradine's advanced age suggests that he may have been a lifelong practitioner of the secretive and dangerous practice, one that can go fatally awry.

Los Angeles Superior Court documents of Carradine's divorce put online by The Smoking Gun show that his most recent ex-wife, Marina Anderson, accused the actor of "deviant sexual behavior which was potentially deadly." The alleged behavior wasn't described in the court documents.

Also known as hypoxyphilia, the practice is a sub-category of sexual masochism that involves reducing the oxygen supply to the brain while masturbating to achieve a heightened orgasm.


'Fine Line' Between Euphoria and Death
"There's a fine line between the state of hypoxia [lack of oxygen in the brain] and death, and it's in that state that a person becomes highly aroused and it's what allows them to orgasm," said Eli Coleman, chair of the sexual health department at the University of Minnesota.

"People usually have safety nets and no intention to die, but something often goes wrong in their calculation," he told ABCNews.com. "Maybe a stool or something they are standing on somehow slips away."

The Federal Bureau of Investigation estimates there are between 500 and 1,000 such deaths in the United States annually, mostly among young men. Many more may be falsely ruled as homicides or suicides.

Auto-erotic asphyxia often starts in adolescence, which is why many of the deaths associated with the practice are among young adults. But, the practice is not unknown among girls, according to Coleman.

Because it is practiced alone, AEA is particularly dangerous. It is a compulsive activity that can also escalate, as may have been the case with Carradine, said Coleman.

"We know very little about the people who practice this," he said. "Most of what we know is from those have accidentally died."


Auto Erotic Asphyxia Often Ruled Suicide
Forensic experts often rule these deaths as suicides, but the evidence often suggests otherwise: the body is naked, there are pornographic materials and perhaps even semen present.

"It's tragic for families because no one has any suspicion of what is going on," said Coleman. "Usually it's a carefully guarded secret."

Such was the case with Michael Hutchence, the late lead singer of the superstar Australian band INXS, whose death in 1997 was ruled a suicide.

The singer was found naked, hanging from his leather belt in a Sydney hotel room with pornographic literature at his feet and no suicide note.

Hutchence's wife spoke publicly of their kinky sex life and his desire to try AEA, and a British documentary eventually concluded that was the case.

According to research by Stephen Hucker, forensic psychiatrist from the University of Toronto who is one of the foremost experts in the field, the practice is not entirely modern.


Sexual Practice Dates Back Centuries
Stone statues dating back to 1,000 AD suggest it was known to the ancient Mayans in Mexico. The Marquis de Sade, whose name was given to the practice of sado-masochism, described it in his 1791 novel, "Justine."

The more common ways of carrying out the practice are self-hanging, strangulation, choking, suffocation and techniques to restrict breathing movements. Self-hanging is the most common method observed among fatal cases, according to Hucker's Web site, Forensic Psychiatry

"Fatalities resulting from AEA practices occur with a frequency of about one per million of the population per year in North America though it is important to note that this figure is based on studies of cases that have been recognized as AEA or Hypoxyphilia," said Hucker.

Usually a rope or ligature is the method used to strangulate the oxygen supply, but others may be present as part of the person's own sexual ritual. Plastic bags and more complicated apparatuses may also be used.

Sex therapists regard this as a paraphilias -- or a socially unacceptable sexual practice. It is often associated with forms of anxiety and depression, though not suicidal thoughts.


Auto Erotic Asphyxia Evokes Shame
Few who seek help because of the shame, which fuels a cycle of guilt, anxiety and then release.

"Many look pretty normal underneath but when they are accelerating this need for a very intense high, what they are doing in medicating some state of dysphoria or unease," said Coleman. "And because it is rather unusual and there is a lot of stigma around masturbation to begin with, the guilt and shame become part of a repetitive cycle of obsession and compulsion."

Teens often discover the practice on their own, rather than learning it from others. Its sensations are similar to the "choking game" played by young children, who get a thrill from the dizziness created by holding their breath.

Divers have also reported a "high" from oxygen deprivation, according to Coleman. "For some people that may be pleasant or something associated with sexual arousal."

"This has been around long before the Internet.We have no idea how they would discover this," said Coleman. "It's not something they learned. It was a puzzlement and we concluded they were learning it on their own."

"We can only start to piece this together from people who have actually survived," he said.


Carradine May Have Practiced for Years
Coleman, who did not consult in the Carradine case, speculates that many, like the actor, have practiced AEA for years.

"It becomes for them a fetish kind of thing and that is what it really takes for them," he said. But often their activities escalate in risk for the thrill, resulting in accidents.

But in the case of teens, accidental death often happens because they are inexperienced in the practice. "For those who have done it a long time, they know the limits and are pretty careful."

Coleman said people, particularly young teens, need to learn about the dangers of AEA.

"There are a lot of things on the Internet and we have no idea how this is impacting people," he said. "We are certainly concerned that [the Carradine case] might lead to an increase."

"We need to educate people about the risks rather than shield people from the information," he said. "A lot of people are engaged in this activity and they don't know the risk."

Carradine's ex-wife Anderson also said in divorce documents that her "pleas for him to get counseling" were ignored.

Attempts by ABC News to reach Anderson for comment were unsuccessful.

http://abcnews.go.com/Health/Story?id=7764618&page=1

[Hannie]

Thanks Savannah! Interesting article.

[SavannahStar]

Thanks Savannah! Interesting article.

YW.

Probably more than any of us wanted to know. It's really sick!

[gwen]

YW.

Probably more than any of us wanted to know. It's really sick!

Sick is right!

[Hannie]

Why sick? That he was found like this, or that he practiced this AEA?

[prolific]

To each his own....

It is really sad though that teens try this and lose their lives over it...well anyone to lose their life over it is sad but especially teens who are most likely just experimenting with something they heard about somewhere.

[SavannahStar]

Why sick? That he was found like this, or that he practiced this AEA?

I just think it's a sick (AND VERY DANGEROUS!!!) practice. But....like Pro said, to each his own. If he did indeed practice it his whole life, and if that was truly the way he died, I just feel sad he was found like that.

[gwen]

It would not be something I would try, but you are right to each his own...

It just seems very sad to me that a 72 year old man died alone naked tied up in a closet with a rope around his neck and penis!

[Hannie]

Ok, yes it is dangerous, and indeed to each his own.

Maybe he died with a big smile on his face, who knows...

[gwen]

Ok, yes it is dangerous, and indeed to each his own.

Maybe he died with a big smile on his face, who knows...

Ohhh Hannie!

[Hannie]

It would not be something I would try, but you are right to each his own...

It just seems very sad to me that a 72 year old man died alone naked tied up in a closet with a rope around his neck and penis!

I had a boyfriend once who tried to 'choke me a little' while were 'at it' , I gave him an uppercut and he never did it again...