Carradine Family Wants FBI Investigation

Authorities say actor died of risky sex play; family wants FBI to handle case.

ByABC News
June 5, 2009, 10:50 AM

June 6, 2009— -- The family of American actor David Carradine, who Thai authorities say died of risky sex play in a hotel room this week, has asked for an FBI investigation.

The 72-year-old actor was found dead in a Thai hotel room closet in an intricate web of ropes.

"It was neither suicide nor murder, he died after he had an orgasm," said Thailand's top forensics doctor Porntip Rojanasunan. "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."

The Thai policeman running the inquiry into Carradine's death said surveillance footage at Bangkok's Swissotel Nai Lert Park Hotel shows no one entered the room before the actor died, ruling out foul play.

Carradine's body was headed for Los Angeles from Bangkok via Tokyo today. An autopsy report will not be available for three weeks.

Friends told CNN's "Larry King Live" Friday night that they do not believe he committed suicide and were troubled by conflicting reports about how Carradine died.

The actor flew into Thailand last Thursday to work on the film "Stretch" and was found dead two days later. Friends told Larry King that Carradine could not have committed suicide because he was happily married, recently bought a new car and was involved in several other film projects.

"They want an investigation," said Mark Geragos, an attorney for brother Keith Carradine. "I would think that the people in Bangkok would want to support an investigation and allow the FBI to go over there and assist in the investigation so we can get the answers to the questions."

No suicide note was found, and Thai police said the actor may have died from accidental suffocation or heart failure from engaging in sex play known as auto-erotic asphyxia (AEA).