US fitness influencer Connor Michael Murphy, who had nearly 3 million social media followers, has reportedly drowned in a lake in Bang Phli, Thailand, after allegedly behaving erratically and causing damage to his luxury rental home. Police were called to an upscale residential estate around 3pm on July 7 following reports of a man acting bizarrely before entering the water.
Body Recovered After Half-Hour Search
Divers located Murphy's body approximately 20 meters from the shore after a 30-minute search, according to local news outlets. There were no signs of assault on the 32-year-old's body, which has been sent for a post-mortem examination. His death is preliminarily believed to be due to drowning.
Prior to the incident, Murphy had returned to the estate by taxi, behaving unusually, according to a security guard. The guard reported that Murphy began yelling, rolling on the road, and raising his hands as if in prayer. He then allegedly sprinted into the estate, dove into the 10-meter-deep lake, swam until fatigued, and vanished beneath the surface. Onlookers did not enter the water due to its depth, as reported by NeedToKnow.
Relationship and Rental Property
Murphy and his 22-year-old girlfriend had been in a relationship for about three years. Although they previously lived separately, they moved into the 22 million THB (£493,000) rental property together about three months prior. The girlfriend stated it was the first time Murphy had acted in such a way and she was clueless as to what could have sparked the incident. She claimed it started the night before when he allegedly threw paint all over their rental property while she slept.
Discovery of Syringes and Pills
Officers reportedly discovered two unused syringes on the driver's seat of Murphy's vehicle and several unidentified white pills in his waist bag. His girlfriend stated she had never witnessed him using drugs. The property owner was left stunned after discovering paint splashed across the accommodation, including on furnishings and electrical equipment.
Murphy had built up nearly 3 million followers and subscribers on his social media channels, where he posted comedy, bodybuilding, fitness, and philosophy content.
