Carradine family takes action on probe, photos
(Agencies)
2009-06-07 15:29
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"The family wants it understood that, per attorney Mark Geragos, any persons, publications or media outlets will be fully prosecuted for invasion of privacy and causing severe emotional distress if the photos are published," the statement read.
The actor's family hopes the body will arrive in Los Angeles by Monday, Geragos said, but he did not give specifics.
Geragos said the family decided to intervene because of conflicting information about Carradine's death and a lack of direct information from Thai authorities.
"All we really know is not much more than what the public knows, and that's disturbing," Geragos said.
Agents were checking with the FBI's legal attache at the U.S. Embassy in Bangkok to see if Thai authorities "are requesting or would welcome FBI assistance in this matter." FBI spokeswoman Laura Eimiller said the agency generally only gets involved in death investigations overseas if a crime is suspected.
Investigators initially said Carradine's body was found "naked, hanging in a closet," causing them to suspect he had taken his own life. But his family, friends and representatives have said they doubt the 72-year-old actor would have killed himself.
Police later 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.
But Geragos said he expects the examination by the New York-based Baden, a celebrity among forensic pathologists who frequently consults on high-profile cases, will clear up many unanswered questions.
"It's an amazing thing what a good pathologist can accomplish," Geragos said.
Carradine flew to Thailand last week and began work on a film titled "Stretch" two days before his death. His friends and associates told CNN's Larry King he had a happy marriage, recently bought a new car, and had several films lined up after he finished work in Bangkok.
A martial arts practitioner himself, Carradine 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 murder of his kung fu master.
Carradine also appeared in more than 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."
Funeral arrangements have not been announced.