‘Looksmaxxer’ Connor Murphy drowns in Thailand after allegedly vandalising luxury house

A “looksmaxxer” with millions of followers has died while on holiday in Thailand after what has been described as a “psychotic episode”.

Connor Murphy, from the US, was staying at a luxury house worth about 22 million Thai baht ($A950,000) which had been destroyed the night before the incident which led to his death.

The Bangkok Post reported that the 32-year-old drowned on Tuesday night after jumping into a lake in Samut Prakan, just south of Bangkok.

The American man was a fitness influencer, bodybuilder, and “looksmaxxer” born in Texas, well-known for his enlarged and defined jawline.

His Youtube channel has more than 2.3 million subscribers.

Emergency services were contacted about reports of a man acting erratically in the area.

After returning to the neighbourhood, Murphy attempted to pay the driver 1,000 Thai baht ($A43), but the driver refused because of Murphy’s unusual behaviour.

He had knocked on car windows asking for a ride, shouted, became agitated, rolled around on the ground, and raised his hands in a prayer position.

When police arrived at the luxury housing estate, Murphy ran and jumped into the lake, prompting calls for backup assistance to rescue him.

He swam in the lake, which was more than 10 metres deep, until he appeared exhausted and disappeared under the surface.

It took about half an hour for rescue divers to locate Murphy’s body, which was found about 20 metres from shore.

Local outlet Thairath reported that police had found two unused syringes in Murphy’s car and unidentified white pills in his bag.

The house he was staying in had been extensively vandalised, with black and yellow paint splashed all throughout the property, including on electrical appliances.

The damage reportedly happened while his 22-year-old girlfriend of three years slept the night before Murphy’s death.

She told The Bankgok Post he had been behaving normal prior to the incident and had no known mental health issues.

She also said she had not seen him use drugs.

The pair were staying at the luxury home for three months, paying about 35,000 Thai baht ($A1,510) a month.

Friends paid tribute to him after news of his death spread, acknowledging his battle with mental health.

Online fitness influencer Jon Skywalker shared a touching post with his 709,000 followers on Instagram.

“Regardless of what anyone online says or even the character your controversial content may have portrayed you to be - I will always remember you as the young kid who came up in this industry at the same time as me; thrown into a toxic industry and into the unforgiving spotlight of social media with no guidance and no mentor,” he wrote.

“Only God knows the mental and emotional weight you carried throughout the years… the expectations and pressure placed on your shoulders by millions of people who only ever witnessed a facet of your life. “What saddens me the most is that the world will probably never know who you truly were behind the persona. Rest in peace my brother. May angels guide you to a better place.”

Online fitness coach Patrick Lyons shared a carousel of images, saying Murphy had “changed the course” of his life.

“Some people are only meant to be in your life for just a season of life, and that was the case with Connor,” he wrote.“Connor experimented with an illicit, extremely powerful drug in 2020 that unveiled a previously-unknown underlying mental illness. In effect, it caused a psychotic break that turned Connor into someone far different from the person I once knew.

“Among many delusions that arose, he believed he was God.”

Lyons said he had cut ties with Murphy about six years ago after their friendship became a “traumatic time” for him.

“Unfortunately, today Connor passed away. He was in a state of mania or psychosis, likely due to PEDs + mind-altering drugs, he continued.

“It’s a terribly sad thing to see someone pass away so young. Especially someone who had such an impact on my life and career and who inspired so many to get into fitness. Due to the circumstances of his death, I can only hope that it will serve as a further reason not to use drugs, whether PEDs or hallucinogens.”

Lifeline: 13 11 14.