It's confirmed! David Carradine's death ruled "Accidental Asphyxiation"

It was concluded that the cause of David Carradine's death several weeks ago was due to "accidental asphyxiation", or the inability to breathe.

The medical examiner stated he was certain of his findings, but admitted they still had not figure out why: "[W]hy that happened is still what we're working on."

However, Dr. Michael Baden knows he can rule out suicide as the cause of Carradine's death.

"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," says the doc.

Though the doctors findings did rule out suicide, they do not rule out the possibility that the asphyxiation could have been "auto erotic", or brought on by sexual activity.

We're sure, for the family, on some level, it's nice to have some more information on his passing and know that he didn't take his own life.

Still...it's kinda of stupid to die that way.

Second autopsy confirms it; David Carradine's death not a suicide!

This confirms what we said last week...

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – A forensic pathologist who oversaw a second autopsy on "Kung Fu" star David Carradine's body at the direction of his family suggested on Friday that the death was not a suicide but declined to say why.
Dr. Michael Baden told Reuters that the actor's family wants to withhold details until a full investigation is completed.
"There are certain findings of the autopsy that would indicate that it's not a suicide, but I don't want to go beyond what's been said until we can review all the information coming in from Thailand and come to a final opinion as to the cause and manner of death," said Baden, host of cable channel HBO's "Autopsy" series.
Carradine, 72, was found hanging in the closet of his hotel suite in Bangkok on June 4. His body was flown to Los Angeles last weekend.
The media pointed to suicide or accidental autoerotic asphyxiation as possible causes of death. But Thai authorities have said it will be weeks before they reach a final conclusion based on toxicology and lab reports.
Dr. Jonathan Arden, a forensic pathologist who testifies in court, said Baden's comments raise "the question of how he can state it's not a suicide if he needs the tests and the results of the investigation to reach a conclusion."
Authorities in the United States classify death by autoerotic asphyxiation as accidental and not the result of suicide.
Carradine was most famous for his role in the 1970s television series "Kung Fu." He enjoyed a comeback earlier this decade as the titular star of Quentin Tarantino's "Kill Bill" movies.

AEA=Stupidity
Don't try this at home!

David Carradine's death mystery continues!

The plot thickens in the investigation into the bizarre circumstances behind the death of actor David Carradine.

By Ploy Chitsomboon and Bob Tourtellotte – Sat Jun 6, 9:13 pm ET
BANGKOK/LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – The family of actor David Carradine has asked U.S. authorities to help unravel the mystery of his death, amid conflicting reports about how his body was found hanging naked in a Bangkok hotel.
Mark Geragos, a Los Angeles attorney who represented Carradine's brother, Keith Carradine, said on Saturday the family has contacted the Federal Bureau of Investigation and filed a formal request to have the FBI contact authorities in Thailand for further information.
"They've done it because of the conflicting reports and the nature of those reports that have given the family great pause," Geragos told Reuters.
Speculation about the death of Carradine, 72, who starred in the 1970s-era U.S. television show "Kung Fu" and the more recent "Kill Bill" movies, has deepened since his body was discovered on Thursday by a maid in the Bangkok hotel suite where he was staying while filming the movie "Stretch."
With coroners awaiting results of toxicology tests, Thai media pointed to suicide or accidental autoerotic asphyxiation as possible causes of death. Some reports have said a cord was wrapped around Carradine's genitals and others that his hands were bound behind his back. None could be confirmed.
Geragos said Carradine's family had no more information than what had been written and said in the media, which was why they were seeking the FBI's help.
"I wish for them, and their sake, that they did (have more information), but it's the opposite," Geragos said. "They are getting reports that both seem conflicting and evolving."

Geragos said Thai authorities must invite the FBI into the investigation and he did not know how long that might take.
The family has hired forensic pathologist Dr. Michael Baden, a former chief medical examiner for New York City who appears on HBO cable TV show "Autopsy," to look into the death when Carradine's body returns to the U.S.
Thai television said the body was flown home to Los Angeles early on Saturday, which Geragos confirmed.
Representatives for the family in Los Angeles were not immediately available for further comment Saturday evening.
In Bangkok, police said it could take several weeks for coroners to confirm exactly how Carradine died.
"What we're doing right now is interviewing more witnesses," Police Colonel Somprasong Yentuam told Reuters.
"It should take roughly three weeks for the blood test result, then we can wrap this case up." Somprasong said he believed the likely cause of death was asphyxiation.
A maid found Carradine hanging in the closet of his hotel suite at Bangkok's Swissotel Nai Lert Park hotel. Initial reports indicated a possible suicide, but family representatives have repeatedly denied that possibility.
Carradine, the son of the late character actor John Carradine, enjoyed a long career on Broadway, TV and in films. But he was most famous for his role in "Kung Fu," playing Caine, a martial arts specialist who wandered through the American Old West seeking wisdom and beating up bad guys.
(Additional reporting by Bob Tourtellotte in Los Angeles; Writing by Martin Petty; Editing by Patricia Zengerle)

Carradine's death now ruled "Accidental"! WTF!

It looks that early reports of David Carradine's death as a suicide could have been wrong!

The star of the 1970s TV series Kung Fu was found hanged and naked in a wardrobe in his hotel room by a maid.

Chuck Binder, his personal spokesperson, described his death as 'accidental'.

'He was found hanging by a rope in the room's closet,' Lieutenant Colonel Pirom Jantrapirom of the Lumpini police station in Bangkok said.

He said Carradine's body was naked when it was found and there were no signs of any other people in the room. The rope was around his neck and parts of his body, police were quoted as saying.

The body has been transferred to a hospital for an autopsy.

Thai police told the BBC that Carradine had been found by a hotel maid.

It looks that David was a practicioner of a very bizarre sex act called Erotic Auto Axphysia, in which the person reaches orgasam by strangling him or herself. It is said that the lack of oxygen makes for a more profound experience.

Profound indeed!

Please don't try this at home kids!

New details emerge on David Carradine's death!

Police in Thailand is ruling out foul play in the death of actor David Carradine.

The following is from the Thai newspaper "The Nation"

His personal manager, Chuck Binder, was quoted by People Magazine as saying that the death was "shocking and sad. He was full of life, always wanting to work ... a great person."

American actor Carradine, 72, was in Bangkok to shoot his latest movie, "Stretch", and stayed at a Suite Room 352 of the Park Nai Lert Hotel on Wireless Road since June 2.

The film crew were aware of his absence when they went to dine out at a restaurant on Sathorn Road on June 3.

Carradine did not show up at the dinner and the team could not reach him. They assumed that he took a rest because of his age.

It was a hotel's maid who opened his suite on Thursday at 10 am after her repeated calls at the door were unanswered. She found Carradine in a closet. He was described as being half naked.

Police said evidence at the scene showed that he hung himself.

"It looks like a suicide," said Pol Col Somprasong Yentuam, chief of Lumpini police. "He was a big man and it would have been difficult for someone to move him in there and kill him in there."

Police said he was dead for not less than 12 hours and found no sign of fighting, or intrusion or assaults.

Somprasong said security at the hotel was very good. American Embassy officials had also been to the scene, police sources said.

Is really a sad loss for all of us fans of martial arts, tv and films. He will be missed!

Here's the opening for the original "Kung Fu"

Kung-fU - David Carradine KungFu
Cargado por unzip. - Todas las temporadas y episodios enteros online.

David Carradine - Kung Fu, Kill Bill - 1936 / 2009

We just recived word of this sad story...

BANGKOK – 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.

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.

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."

May he rest in Peace!