Posted: 07 June 2009 1610 hrs
BANGKOK: Thai police have defended their handling of the investigation into the death of David Carradine, after the US actor's family urged the FBI to step in and assist the probe.
Police said they suspect the star of the 1970s television series "Kung Fu" died in a sex act that went wrong after his naked body was found on Thursday in his Bangkok hotel room with rope tied around his neck and genitals.
A lawyer for the brother of the 72-year-old actor said at the weekend that the actor's family had met US Federal Bureau of Investigation officials to ask for help to discover exactly how Carradine died.
"I am confident we are working on the right track. US embassy representatives saw every step of the investigation process in the hotel room," Police Colonel Somprasong Yenthaum, who is leading the probe, told AFP.
He said Carradine's relatives had the right to seek help from the FBI, but added that the bureau would have to contact Thailand's attorney general who would then decide whether to forward the request to the police.
"We can work with FBI if they request and their request is passed. But if they don't come, we can do our jobs," he added.
Police are still awaiting the results of laboratory tests which will take between three and four weeks to come through before they can make an official conclusion about the cause of death.
Carradine was in the Thai capital to shoot a film called "Stretch" when he was found dead in the wardrobe of his luxury hotel room last week. His body was repatriated on a United Airlines flight early Saturday.
An initial autopsy report revealed that the actor died from a sudden lack of oxygen and his body showed no signs of struggle.
Mark Geragos, a lawyer for Carradine's brother, Keith, told a CNN talkshow on Friday that the actor's family rejected early reports that the actor had committed suicide and had met with FBI officials.
"They're looking into it through the FBI and trying to get to the bottom of this," Geragos said. "The family and Keith specifically doesn't for a minute think he was suicidal."
The actor was best known for his role as the fugitive half-Chinese Shaolin monk Kwai Chang Caine in the 1970s TV drama "Kung Fu" and for playing the title character in Quentin Tarantino's "Kill Bill" movies.
The roles earned Carradine a fourth Golden Globe "Best Actor" nomination. He was married five times, most recently in 2004, and was the father of two daughters.
- AFP/so
From ChannelNewsAsia.com; see the source article here.
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