Carradine's Family, Friends Dispute Suicide Theory

Mother-in-law and publicist don't believe Kung Fu star would take his own life, despite evidence to contrary

Now that he no longer walks the Earth, David Carradine is genuinely missed.

Friends, family and fans are reeling from the news of the sudden, mysterious death today of the star of Kung Fu and Kill Bill.

"My Uncle David was a brilliantly talented, fiercely intelligent and generous man. He was the nexus of our family in so many ways, and drew us together and kept us connected. I adored him as a child, and as an adult I admired and respected him," actress and Carradine niece Martha Plimpton says in a statement to E! News. "We will all miss him terribly, and are so grateful for everyone's condolences."

Celebrity fans like Kirstie Alley and The Office's Rainn Wilson took to Twitter to celebrate the late actor's legacy.

Thai police say a maid discovered the 72-year-old Carradine's naked body hanging in a wardrobe in his luxury Bangkok hotel suite. There was no sign of foul play, and so far authorities believe the death to be a suicide.

But that theory is being disputed by those who knew him best.

"He was a very strong person, and I don't think it's likely at all that it was a suicide," mother-in-law Betty Fraser exclusively tells E! News.

Despite police statements to the contrary, Fraser says, "I think it was either an accident or a break-in because it was a large hotel and [he was] American."

Fraser says her daughter, Carradine's widow, Anne, was informed of the bad news early this morning and is understandably in a very "fragile" state.

"Anne called us last night in the middle of the night," she says. "She wasn't with him. This was a very short shoot, with a French film company. We only heard that he was going just a week or two before he left."

The family has gathered at the couple's Los Angeles-area home and is in touch with the U.S. Embassy and investigators.

Fraser says Carradine had been in good spirits a month ago, when the family got together for the San Luis Obispo Film Festival in central California. "He was great," she recalls. "He loved riding horses. Anne and David came up with the kids and it was really a very nice affair. They put us up in a nice hotel there."

Carradine's rep, Chuck Binder, also flatly rejected the notion that the actor took his life.

"It's all under police investigation. We definitely don't believe it was a suicide," says Binder, adding that Carradine "was a great guy and a great client and a great friend."

And Kill Bill costar Vivica Fox tells PopEater, "I would have never, ever thought that he would kill himself. I find that to be almost unbelievable that he hung himself. He did not seem like the person that would take his own life. It just seems so out of character."

But Carradine did suffer from depression, ex-wife Marina Anderson tells RadarOnline, and the actor himself admitted to having dark thoughts, according to Britain's Telegraph.

The newspaper's website reprinted a 2004 interview with the martial-arts enthusiast in which he said he had grappled with thoughts of killing himself.

"Look, there was a period in my life when I had a single action Colt 45, loaded, in my desk drawer. And every night I'd take it out and think about blowing my head off, and then decide not to and go on with my life. Put it back in the drawer and open up the laptop and continue writing my autobiography or whatever," he was quoted as saying. "But it was just to see."

(Originally published June 4, 2009, at 1:55 p.m. PT)

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