A 32-year-old American fitness influencer drowned on Tuesday evening after he jumped into a lake at a housing estate in Samut Prakan province, where police also found he had vandalised his rented house.
The man reportedly became frenzied when he arrived at the estate in Bang Phli district, police said.
He was identified as Connor Michael Murphy, a Texas-born fitness influencer and bodybuilder. A YouTuber with more than 2.3 million followers, he was known for over-the-top stunts.
Murphy was also well known in the “looksmaxxing” community, made up of young men who go to extreme lengths to transform their physical appearance.
Witnesses, including a security guard and an employee at the housing estate, which was not named, recounted disturbing behaviour prior to the man’s frenzied dash into the water.
The guard told police that Murphy had returned to the neighbourhood in a hired vehicle. He reportedly tried to give the driver 1,000 baht, but the driver refused to accept the money after noticing his unusual behaviour.
The man then approached a resident’s passing car and knocked on the window, asking for a ride into the estate. The guard said he shouted to the driver not to pick him up.
The man then became agitated, the guard said. He shouted loudly, rolled around on the pavement and raised his hands as if praying.
When police officers arrived, Murphy suddenly ran and jumped into the lake, prompting police to request backup and rescue personnel.
A video recorded by the estate employee showed the American behaving erratically for unknown reasons. Murphy continued swimming until he appeared exhausted before disappearing beneath the water.
Rescue divers searched for about 30 minutes before recovering his body about 20 metres from the shore.
His body showed no signs of assault, police said, and was sent to Ramathibodi Chakri Naruebodindra Hospital for an autopsy.
Police investigating inside his rented house backing onto the lake found black and yellowish paint splashed throughout the property.
The house had been rented out for 35,000 baht a month, with the tenants — Mr Murphy and his 22-year-old girlfriend — occupying the house for only three months.
Murphy’s girlfriend, identified only as Bee, said the damage inside the house occurred overnight while she was asleep in her room, while he remained awake.
The deceased had appeared completely normal before the incident, his girlfriend said, and he had never shown similar behaviour or experienced any known mental health problems.
Investigators later searched the deceased’s vehicle and found two unused syringes and several unidentified white pills inside the man’s waist bag.
