David Carradine's family seeks FBI and forensics help

The family of actor David Carradine, found dead Thursday morning in a Bangkok hotel room with rope tied around his neck and genitals, have called on the FBI to investigate the death.

Carradine's brother Keith met Friday with the FBI and filed reports that could lead to the agency opening its own investigation. The family has sought a private autopsy by famed forensic pathologist Dr. Michael Baden to determine whether another person could have been involved. Thai police say surveillance footage indicated no one had entered Carradine's hotel room before he died.

The family intervened because of conflicting information about Carradine's death and a lack of direct information from Thai authorities.

The FBI has checked with the FBI's legal attache at the U.S. Embassy in Bangkok to see if Thai authorities would welcome FBI assistance. The FBI usually only gets involved in death investigations overseas if a crime is suspected.

David Carradine's body was discovered Thursday morning in his luxury suite by a chambermaid at Bankok's Swissotel Nai Lert Park Hotel. Carradine's family, friends and representatives say they doubt very much that the 72-year-old actor killed himself.

Police intially said Carradine's body was found "naked, hanging in a closet," causing them to suspect he had taken his own life. On Friday, however, police said the actor may have died from accidental suffocation or heart failure after revealing that he was found with a rope tied around his wrist, neck and genitals - leading to speculation that Carradine may have engaged in a dangerous form of sex play known as auto-erotic asphyxiation. There were no signs of a struggle according to police.

The results of an autopsy performed Friday in Bangkok is not expected for at least three weeks, which is normal considering the unusual circumstances of the death.

Col. Somprasong Yenthuam, who is leading the investigation, said police have interviewed all staff at the hotel where Carradine was staying and reviewed video surveillance footage outside his room and have found no evidence that anyone was in Carradine's room before he died which they said all but ruled out foul play.

The investigation continued Saturday, with police interviewing the crew of the film that Carradine was shooting in Bangkok. Carradine had been in the capital city to shoot a film called "Stretch."

Dr. Baden is a celebrity among forensic pathologists, appearing on a series of HBO specials highlighting some of the more than 20,000 autopsies he has performed. He frequently consults on high profile cases, including conducting an autopsy on Drew Peterson's third wife and as a defense witness for Phil Spector during his murder trial.

Baden is the chief forensic pathologist for the New York State Police and his examination is expected to clear up many unanswered questions.

Carradine flew to Thailand a week earlier and began work on the film two days before his death. His friends and associates say he had a happy marriage, recently bought a new car, and had several films lined up after he finished work in Bangkok.

Carradine, a martial arts practitioner, was best known for the U.S. TV series Kung Fu, which aired from 1972-75. He played Kwai Chang Caine, an orphan who was raised by Shaolin monks and fled China for the American West after killing the emperor's nephew in retaliation for the muder of his kung fu master.

Some people called Carradine "Grasshopper" because in Kung Fu Carradine's character Caine had frequent flashbacks recalling specific lessons during his childhood training by his teachers, the blind Master Po and Master Kan. In these flashbacks, Master Po calls his young student "Grasshopper."

Carradine also appeared in over 100 feature films with such directors as Martin Scorsese, Ingmar Bergman and Hal Ashby. He returned to the top in recent years as the title character in Quentin Tarantino's two-part saga Kill Bill.

Carradine was married five times, most recently in 2004, and was the father of two daughters. Funeral arrangements have not been announced.

Grasshopper will be missed by many.

D. Brian Blackwell