Kung Fu A Legend No More

David Carradine's death leaves many questions unanswered. No TV actor has died under circumstances as mysterious as those that surround David Carradine. He was best known for playing Kung Fu's Kwai Chang Caine from 1972 to 1975. Carradine was found hanging naked from a rope in the closet of a Bangkok hotel suite last Friday. The actor was in Thailand shooting a movie, 'Stretch'.From the intitial police reports, it appeared that Carradine had committed suicide.Later in the day, however, The Bangkok Post reported that the Kill Bill star had in fact been found curled up in the wardrobe with a shoelace tied around his genitals and neck in an apparent case of autoerotic asphyxiation gone wrong. Still other reports stated that Carradine was found with his hands tied behind his back.Then, photos in the Thai Rath newspaper taken at the scene indicated that Carradine's hands were bound together above his head.It's easy to understand why the actor's family feels that his death may have been the result of foul play. They've asked the FBI to launch an investigation.Adding to the air of mystery is this article from The New York Post that suggests that Carradine may have been killed by a secret society of kung fu assassins. According to his attorney, Mark Geragos, Carradine had been trying to uncover groups working in the martial arts underworld. In an interview on Larry King Live, the attorney noted, "David was very interested in investigating and disclosing secret societies."Over the past 200 years, many secret societies within kung fu once considered philanthropic have turned to criminal activities. According to his lawyer, Carradine sought to expose them.This accusation illustrates a striking parallel between Carradine, a student of martial arts since landing the lead role on Kung Fu, and Bruce Lee, whom many conspiracy theorists believe was killed in 1973 by the Triads, a Chinese secret society.Still, the possibility remains that Carradine did pass away during an act of autoerotic asphyxiation. During his 2003 divorce from third wife Marina Anderson, the actor was accused of enjoying "potentially deadly" sex acts.So what's the real truth behind David Carradine's mysterious death? We may never know.