The death of looksmaxxing influencer Connor Murphy is under investigation in Thailand after the 32-year-old was found dead on July 8. As authorities work to determine how he died, friends have described a series of unusual experiments they say Murphy carried out before his death, including allegedly injecting gold into his body in pursuit of what he believed were extraordinary abilities.
Murphy built a following on YouTube and gained thousands of subscribers on TikTok through content linked to the looksmaxxing community. The internet subculture focuses on improving physical appearance, often through extreme or controversial methods.
Following news of his death, a video resurfaced in which Murphy said he “felt like he was dying everyday.” Friends have since shared their accounts of his behavior during the weeks leading up to his death.
In a YouTube video, Murphy’s friend Tony Huge claimed the influencer believed he had developed unusual abilities through his experiments.
“Up until his passing, he was discovering that he had achieved some superhuman abilities, and it’s no joke; he actually did achieve some superhuman abilities,” he said.
“He had tapped into a level of consciousness that most people never will.”
Another looksmaxxing influencer, Androgenic, offered additional claims during a livestream, saying Murphy became increasingly focused on gold.
“He started to get this fixation on gold. He started to believe that gold was some gatekept mineral by the higher-ups that basically gives you special powers if you ingest it,” he said.
According to Androgenic, Murphy later began injecting gold into his body.
“A few weeks later he started the experiment, he was injecting gold…He was just crazy. He was covered in discoloration from gold poisoning,” he added.
Police in Thailand were reportedly called to the rental property where Murphy had been staying after receiving complaints about a man screaming inside. Officers allegedly found him in an “agitated” state.
Reports say Murphy was involved in a confrontation before leaving the property. His body was later recovered from a lake about 32 feet deep near the residence.
Investigators reportedly found several substances at the rental property during their examination. Authorities allegedly recovered pills from Murphy’s bag, although his girlfriend, a 22-year-old woman identified as Bee, told investigators she had never seen him use drugs.
Reports also state that investigators found at least two boxes of the prescription-strength antidepressant Stablon, also known as tianeptine, near a sink. It remains unclear whether Murphy had been taking the medication.
Authorities also allegedly discovered several packets of Falim, a Turkish sugar-free chewing gum that some looksmaxxing influencers use in the belief it can help strengthen the jawline.
Looksmaxxing has drawn criticism because some influencers promote dangerous techniques to change their appearance, including striking or damaging their jawbones and other risky practices.
Before his death, it also emerged that Murphy had been working on a documentary focused on the looksmaxxing community.
Read More: Indiana Man Allegedly Cuts Off Penis, Sets It on Fire With Gasoline and Lighters, Police Say
