The incident occurred on July 7 in Bang Phli district, located in Samut Prakan province on the southeastern outskirts of Bangkok. Thai law enforcement officials said officers responded after receiving reports of unusual behavior involving Murphy in a residential neighborhood.
According to police, a village worker recorded video showing Murphy exhibiting erratic behavior before authorities arrived. Investigators said the video appeared to show him rolling on a roadway, shouting, making praying gestures, and attempting to hand money to a passing driver.
Authorities said Murphy fled farther into the residential community when officers attempted to intervene. According to police, he entered a backyard lake and swam away from shore before disappearing beneath the surface.
Rescue personnel searched the lake after Murphy failed to resurface. Authorities said rescue divers recovered his body approximately 30 minutes later from about 20 meters offshore at a depth of more than 10 meters.
Police said there were no immediately visible signs of foul play during their initial examination of the scene.
Investigators reported that Murphy had been renting a home within a residential golf community in the Bangkok metropolitan area. Police said they found paint smeared across furniture and appliances inside the residence during their investigation.
Authorities also reported locating two unused syringes and unidentified pills inside Murphy’s vehicle. Police have not publicly identified the substances, and no determination has been made regarding whether they were connected to the incident.
According to investigators, Murphy’s 22-year-old girlfriend told officers she had never known him to use recreational drugs and could not explain what she described as his sudden change in behavior.
Thai authorities said a forensic autopsy and toxicology examination have been ordered to determine the official cause and manner of Murphy’s death. Officials also confirmed that the U.S. Embassy in Thailand has been notified.
No statement had been released by Murphy’s immediate family as of Tuesday.
Murphy built a large online following through fitness content, bodybuilding videos, and lifestyle posts shared across YouTube and other social media platforms.
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