I have received two e-mails from the niece of a man who died under mysterious circumstances in Seoul.

The man's name was Matthew Sellers. He had been in Korea for 10 years but because of the anti-American sentiment here he had decided to leave. On the very day he was to leave Korea, he was detained by police. Hours later, he was dead in a nearby hospital.

There are a lot of question marks surrounding Matthew's death. If anyone has any information about this or knew Matthew Sellers, his family would appreciate any help you could give. If you e-mail me any information, I can pass it on to his niece and the lawyer they have hired.

Here is a link to the story that appeared in an American newspaper:

http://www.al.com/search/index.ssf?/base/news/1051608049128592.xml?

birminghamnews?nmet quasarsurfer@yahoo.com

Matthew Sellers' body arrived in Birmingham from South Korea on Monday as his family pressed on in their investigation of his death.

The 35-year-old Alabama native died April 20 in an ambulance en route from one Seoul hospital to another. He had been living in South Korea for 10 years teaching English.

His siblings have hired Birmingham lawyer Charles Salvagio to look into the circumstances around Sellers' death. They say they fear their gregarious, adventurous youngest brother may have been a victim of anti-American sentiment.

"This is a healthy American citizen who died over there," Salvagio said. "We want to know why."

So far details have come slowly. The U.S. Embassy in South Korea told the family that Sellers appeared at the embassy door Monday, April 14. He was barefoot and had a bloody nose, and said he had been mugged on a subway for being American.

South Korea has had an increasing anti-American element after an American army truck struck and killed two Korean teenagers last June. South Koreans have also demonstrated against the United States' presence in Iraq and in South Korea.

Sellers told his brothers April 14 that the mugging was the last straw and that he had bought a plane ticket to come home permanently on Saturday, April 19.

But the morning of April 19, he was picked up by police for climbing into the back seat of someone's car. Details about why Sellers was in the car, whose car it was and why police took him into custody have remained unclear because the police officer at the scene has been on vacation since the incident. But Sellers' brother, Oliver Sellers, said he wonders if his brother was being chased or threatened.

Police kept Sellers in their custody for the day, telling the embassy that they had a homeless, mentally ill man in their care. The embassy told the police to take him to the hospital or let him go. Police then took him to the hospital, where hospital workers sedated and restrained him.

Early Sunday hospital staff noted that Sellers' breathing was fast and his pulse was racing. He was sent to a different hospital for blood tests. He died en route to the second hospital.

Sellers may have been agitated from being in custody and missing his flight, but he was not homeless or mentally ill, his siblings said. Salvagio is filing a request for hospital documents that show what drug was used to sedate Sellers.

David and Oliver Sellers said they were frustrated that embassy officials did not try to visit their brother at the police station or the hospital. They have asked U.S. Sen. Richard Shelby, R-Tuscaloosa, for help to get answers as to what happened.

"They should have went and seen him," Oliver Sellers said. "He shouldn't be dead."

The family plans to get an independent autopsy in the next day or two. They are also waiting for results of the autopsy performed in Korea and police reports. They are also planning Matthew Sellers' funeral.

My wife made a posting yesterday and as Matt's friend I think I should as well.

To all the speculation about who Matt was, I just want to say that he was one of the most sensitive, and forthwith persons, that I had met while teaching in Korea, he also was extremely dedicated, not only to teaching but to the community he lived in. While most of us sat around and *beep* about Korean ways of life, or other things that irked us as expatriots, Matt would say something like:

"You know what guys, we are the one's who came here to their country to live and work, try to be understanding to their culture."

If there was an issue that he felt needed resolving he would attempt to address it in a useful and articulate way. An example being when preparations for the World Cup were being made, he joined a commitee that was looking at ways in which the subway could be improved to help the influx of foreign spectators get around Seoul. Matt was a person who was very interested in Korean culture and the language and could speak very well - in fact he had little trouble carrying a conversation with Koreans on the street. He loved to pass on knowledge, and loved to learn. He was kind and motivated his students to love one another and to find knowledge within them selves. He was truely a scholar and a gentleman.

Matthew was one of the most understanding persons that I met as well. As my wife mentioned in her post, when ever we had trouble, Matt was the one we likely talked to. He always gave sound, and brotherly advice, and that is something that I really miss. He gave very heartfelt and sane advice, there is no way that my friend was mentally ill.

With all the specualtion going around, people seem to forget that a man is dead. A man with family, friends, and loved ones. Regardless of whether anti-American sentiment was involved, or whether it involved any other variables, the fact is my friend died while in the custody of police and medical officials - whose roles are to protect the well being of a person, not to have a completely healthy 35 year old man die in their "care".

And where were the embassy officials? They had been informed of Matt's position, and did nothing to help him. If an official had been sent to intervene, of just as a moderator, things may have been different. Being forcefully confined and strapped down, while people around you inject you with something you have no idea is, must have been frightening and stressful. I can not get it out of my head that my friend died stressfully, possibly painfully, he died afraid, and he died alone. No one should ever die alone without someone who loves them there.

I just wanted everyone on this site to know that above all there speculation about mental illness, and SARS, and their quasi-intellectual banter about who is right or wrong, a man died, my friend, someone I loved very much.

Too Matt, the altruist, the humanitarian, I am saying be happy and always searching for the "truth" as you did in life.

Nate

My name is Gerry and I have been one of Matt's friends for the past five years. I remember the first time I met Matt it was in an old apartment in Non Hyun Dong. The first that I noticed about him was his laugh. Those of you that knew him know what I'm talking about; it was loud, boisterous, and contagious. Matt and I shared many good times together, as well as helping each other through the low times. Over the years our relationship developed into one of comfort, trust, and maturity. He and I were like old high school buddies talking about old times, things to come, and every thing in the middle. Always finding pleasure in one another's company, I know Matt was a friend I could always count on. Matt would often come over to my house and play with my little baby and talk with my wife. He was very kind and gentle and well liked by all. I'll miss our walks at night, our talks, and all the good times we will not have. And I'll miss what he said to me, almost on a daily basis, Gerry your CRAZY?

Now to address some of the questions many of you seem to have about his death. I do not wish to discuss Matt's behavior prior to the 19th of April, the day he was taken into custody by the police. He was taken into custody that morning, held for a few hours, and then transferred to another hospital. We, and I mean his close friends, do know the names of the hospitals, the detectives, and everyone else involved. Some friends went to visit him that day and reported that he was sleeping. He was sedated. The embassy knew where he was but did not bother to send someone out to check on him. The next day, April 20th, he was complaining about chest pains and they decided to transfer him to a university hospital. On route he passed away, roughly 5:30 on the 20th. About twenty of us were at the hospital shortly thereafter. He had many Korean friends there so the language barrier was not a problem. All of the information we had was given to the police, the embassy, and his family. An autopsy was performed the next day and the results are still pending. Matthew's body was flown back to Alabama on Monday and the funeral will be on Friday, May 02, 2003.

With regards to the media, which some people criticized for not reporting the story. They came around looking for a story a day after he died. The family had not been contacted at that time so nobody (his friends) said anything to the reporter.

Those are the facts. The only reason I am writing all of this is because I don't want people to be speculating, coming up with conspiracy theories, and trying to make Matt's death into something that it's not. On some of your postings I have seen false information. My point; there are a lot of questions about why he died and no solid answers as of yet. Until we know please keep the guessing to a minimum. I don't believe an open forum like this is the place to be trying to play detective. I think it's disrespectful to Matt's memory. I have been talking with Matt's family a few times and they have a lot of questions and are determined to get them answered. On this end we are trying to do what we can to find out what really happened. There are many people who will not rest until we have a clear, truthful picture of what caused Matt's death.

As Nate said before we have to remember that a man has died. My friend is gone and that makes me weep. I would just like to ask all of you to have some respect for Matt and his family when you post a response in this thread. I's sure Matt would do the same for you.

Gerry Robinson gerbhere@hotmail.com

WASHINGTON Secretary of State Colin Powell said Wednesday that he was aware of Matthew Sellers' unexplained death April 20 in South Korea and that his office would investigate.

"We're trying to get an answer. I'll look into it when I get back to the department," Powell said during a congressional hearing. While clear explanations in such cases are not always possible, "we should do everything we can to try to find an answer," he said.

Sellers, 35, of Birmingham, had been in South Korea teaching English for the past 10 years. He died while in custody of the Seoul Police Department, who told the U.S. Embassy in Seoul that they picked him up for getting into the back of someone else's vehicle.

Powell's statement was in response to questioning by Sen. Richard Shelby, R-Ala., in a Senate subcommittee hearing about 2004 funding for foreign operations.

Shelby said Sellers' Alabama family asked him to get involved.

"They continue to feel very strongly that not enough information has been shared with them about their brother's death and that a full investigation is necessary," Shelby said.

Powell said he knew that Sellers' family had contacted Thomas Hubbard, the U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of Korea, about the mysterious case.

Powell did not address whether it might be linked to anti-American sentiment that has been developing in the area since an American army truck struck and killed two Korean teenagers last year.

Sellers' brothers and sisters said they were happy that Powell would be involved.

"It's a relief, to say the least, that (Powell) is actually going to be so involved," said David Sellers, of Birmingham. "His profile and influence is greatly helpful to us."

Wednesday, the siblings obtained an independent autopsy in Birmingham in an attempt to discover more details about the death, which occurred while Sellers was en route from one hospital in Seoul to another. They still are waiting for results of a Korean autopsy and for a police report.

The funeral will be Friday at Jefferson Memorial Gardens in Trussville, said Sellers' sister, Lee Love. Visitation will be at 1 p.m. and the service at 2 p.m.

A coroner's report classifies Matthew Sellers' cause of death as unknown, fueling speculation about the Birmingham native's death April 20 in South Korea.

Sellers, 35, died while in custody of the Seoul police.

His six brothers and sisters have been working with a Birmingham lawyer and U.S. Sen. Richard Shelby to get answers to the cause of death.

"I've encouraged Secretary (Colin) Powell to move forward with a full investigation into his death, and to keep me and my office informed of any developments," Shelby said last week.

In the meantime, a family has said good-bye to a beloved youngest brother.

Sellers' coffin was draped May 2 with an American flag, a testament to his time as a photojournalist with the Army. About 50 people attended the funeral at Jefferson Memorial Gardens in Trussville.

"Matthew really wouldn't want us to be sad," said his brother, Oliver Sellers, 36. "I feel blessed he was my brother."

Matthew Sellers had lived in South Korea for 10 years teaching English. The day he was to return home, he got into the back seat of someone's car and would not leave, according to the U.S. Embassy. The person drove him to the Seoul police station.

Saying he was mentally ill and homeless, the police took him to a psychiatric hospital, where he was restrained and sedated using anti-psychotic drugs. The hospital noted traces of marijuana in a urine sample. The next day, according to hospital records, Sellers had rapid breathing and pulse. En route to another hospital in an ambulance, he died.

While the official cause of death is "unknown," Sellers' family is having the full coroner's report translated from Korean to English. They also are hoping to have his organs sent from Seoul so a local medical examiner can examine them.

Seoul police told the U.S. Embassy they never pressed charges and Sellers would have been free to leave at any time.

Relatives want to know why embassy officials did not go to see their brother on the day he was in custody of the police and the hospital.

"In retrospect, it would have been better if we had seen him at the police station," Chris Bendsen, American Citizen Services chief for the embassy, said in an e-mail to oldest brother David Sellers. "But I continue to believe that your brother's most urgent need was to see a medical professional."

Bendsen wrote that Matthew Sellers was uncommunicative on the phone with the embassy while in police custody.

Family members have said that although their brother had been distraught and wanted to return home, he was not homeless and his mental state seemed fine. A week before he died, he said he was attacked on a subway for being American.

Anti-American sentiment:

His death has brought to the forefront issues of anti-Americanism in South Korea.

A "Korean Media Watch" message board on msn.com has an "Anti-Americanism" forum that has attracted more than 300 posts, including almost 30 on Sellers' death.

Some Americans who teach English in Korea say they are in danger and believe the Korean government does little or nothing to help. They say the Korean media emphasize negative stories about the United States. And they point to Sellers' death as an example of what they say is unfair treatment of Americans by police and hospitals.

Incidents of American soldiers or civilians being attacked or harassed go underreported and unpunished, said Andrew Weber, a former Seoul resident who lives in New York. He cited cases of soldiers who have been kidnapped and stabbed.

"The whole country has this strange sense that the U.S. is the worst country in the world," said Jay Vermilli, an American who teaches English in South Korea. "I have been refused entry to restaurants, spit at, cursed."

Treated politely:

Others say it isn't so bad.

Stuart Patt, a spokesman for the U.S. Embassy, said the embassy is unaware of any reported attack against an American that was not handled according to Korean law.

Brandon Butler, a Cahaba Heights native who teaches at a university in Seoul, said much of the anti-American sentiment comes from frustration about American troops stationed there. It peaked last summer when an American Army vehicle struck and killed two Korean teens, and mostly manifests itself in rallies at city hall, he said.

"Most (protesters) would be happy to buy you a drink after the demonstration or take English lessons from you," he said. "They would certainly treat you politely if they ran into you on the street."

Butler said barring some cries of "Yankee go home," his experience has been friendly.

Nathan Wright, a Canadian friend of Sellers in Seoul, said Sellers had many Korean friends.

"Matthew was extremely interested in Korean culture and was always trying to better his understanding of the society in which he lived," Wright said.

Wright said Sellers was far from mentally ill. "He was always there to give good constructive advice," Wright said. "He was the person who grounded me, and kept me from being brash when I was angered or depressed."

hello All, My daughter directed me to this forum and I wanted to personally thank you all for your concern about what happened to Matt. I am one of Matthew's sisters. I intended to link the new article today but I see you all have it already.Unfortunately we still have very little information about Matthew's death and alot of it is conflicting.

Matthew was a good man. He loved people,his life in Korea, and he was proud to be an American even though recently he had taken heat for it even from acquaintances. I can only assume that was feedback from the American policy on Iraq. The anti-American sentiment had become a real issue for Matt. I'm sure you are all aware he was attacked less than a week before he died. The fact that he emphatically told us he was returning home for good after having lived there for ten years meant to us something had drastically changed for him.

I also want to thank his friends that posted here.Your post made me cry Nate:) not a bad cry but it was so good to know his friends half way around the world knew him and loved him as we do.Things you said he would say I can hear him saying it.

We shall keep you informed as we receive the hard facts.I can assure you this, we will not stop until we have answers,we owe that to Matt. Thank you

On April 19, Matthew Sellers, an English teacher in Seoul, was scheduled to fly home to Birmingham, Alabama. At 35, Mr. Sellers had been teaching in Korea for 10 years. He was, by many accounts, free-spirited, happy-go-lucky and fond of the young children he frequently taught. Though he seemed to relish Korea, on April 10 he bought a one-way ticket back to the United States, vowing not to return to the peninsula.

Mr. Sellers never made it home. He died unexpectedly in Seoul on April 20 from causes that his family in Alabama says never should have happened. A former swim coach and lifeguard back home, in Korea he liked to inline skate along the Han River. He was healthy and full of life, his sister Lee Sellers Love says. David Sellers, Matthew's older brother, says the last anyone in Alabama heard from Matthew was a phone call on April 17, around 7 p.m. He was looking forward to seeing his newborn niece, family members said, and he was complaining about all the anti-Americanism going on in Korea.

Anti-Americanism in South Korea is acknowledged to have hit a peak late last year following the trial in the fall of two American soldiers charged and then acquitted in the vehicular deaths of two teenage girls in June 2002. Since the beginning of this year, anti-American demonstrations have fallen off considerably, thus Matthew Sellers' complaints now seem curious. But Lee Sellers Love says, “For about the three weeks before he died he had been saying that anti-American sentiment was very prevalent. For the first time in a decade, he feared for his safety."

His friend, Brian Mandville, an English teacher from Canada, says, Matthew had become disillusioned and angry about Korea."

During his final weeks in Korea, on an Internet bulletin board run by by the Seoul city government, Mr. Sellers went public with his anger. On April 10 he wrote, As an American, I cannot stop thinking of reasons why no Americans would want to spend ANY time in this country. Of course, the most obvious is the anti-American sentiment that pervades my every waking experience in a land that Koreans so wrongly call a polite Asian country. The anti-American sentiment is fueled and perpetuated by every aspect of Korean life "from cradle to grave. The most popular words in Korean language are: Pucking USA, pucking GI pucking Americans and I don't like America."

On April 14, Mr. Sellers allegedly engaged in a heated argument in a Seoul subway train with a group of anti-American Koreans. Afterward, says one of Mr. Sellers' friends, Mr. Sellers showed up at the U.S. Embassy in Gwanghwamun, central Seoul, reportedly barefoot and with a bloody nose, claiming he had been attacked. The U.S. Embassy, the friend says, did little to help him. The embassy will not comment on the incident, except to confirm that he showed up that night.

Five days later, on April 19, at 7:30 a.m., when he should have been on his way to Incheon International Airport to fly home, Mr. Sellers was in southern Seoul, breaking into a stranger's automobile. The driver had been parking the car in the neighborhood when he turned around and noticed that Mr. Sellers, shaking and jittery, had managed to open the car's back door and was climbing in. The driver reported the incident to a nearby patrolman. Because he didn't understand English, the patrolman took Mr. Sellers to Shin Young-keun, an officer at the nearby Gangnam Police Station. Mr. Shin, who speaks English, at first glance took Mr. Sellers for a homeless man. Mr. Sellers, the officer wrote down in his report, had with him just a pack of cigarettes, no wallet, no identification, no shoes. He was acting very strange, like a drunk, noted the officer.

Mr. Shin asked Mr. Sellers where he had spent the night.

"Under the bridge," said Mr. Sellers.

Which bridge??"

"The one in Alabama."

Mr. Shin reported that Mr. Sellers mumbled a lot. Then the officer gave Mr. Sellers a piece of paper so that he could write his name, which Mr. Sellers did in a quivering hand, and in fact, ended up writing an entire personal history. At one point in the interrogation, Mr. Sellers supposedly told Mr. Shin that he hated George W. Bush. Mr. Sellers, said the officer, then lay down on a sofa at the police station, quickly stood up and marched about, his eyes unfocused, his concentration wavering.

Mr. Shin contacted the U.S. Embassy in Seoul, but being a Saturday he was unable to get much help. One U.S. Embassy official supposedly told the policeman that he doubted Mr. Sellers was an American citizen.

Mr. Shin finally hung up and put Mr. Sellers in a police car and took him to the emergency room at a nearby hospital. But the hospital rejected Mr. Sellers, for he did not have a traumatic injury. Next, Mr. Shin drove to a mental hospital in Cheongnyangni, northeastern Seoul. That institution rejected him as well, for the hospital was for women only. Mr. Shin next stopped at the Seoul Immigration Office, but no one there could assist him, either. Finally, Mr. Shin escorted the young American to the northwest part of the capital, to Seoul Metropolitan Eunpyeong Hospital, another mental hospital.

Was Matthew Sellers mentally ill? Shin Young-keun definitely thinks so. Mr. Sellers' sister and brother strongly disagree. David Sellers says, I've never would have said, "I hate Bush." The anti-American sentiment that Matthew experienced came because he admired and supported President Bush and the United States."

Others suggest that something besides anti-Americanism was bothering Matthew Sellers before he died. Gerry Robinson, another friend of Matthews', also an English teacher from Canada, says, “For a few weeks before his death, he was pretty much out of contact. He did not own a cell phone, so it was really hard to track him down. He seemed to be missing.?"

Still, Mr. Robinson says, "I know Matthew really wanted to go back home." Mr. Mandville says, Matthew was not himself during those last few weeks. He used to always be part of a conversation, and suddenly he was not talkative; he seemed agitated. I think he needed help from a professional."

Mr. Mandville says that a few years ago Mr. Sellers, while on vacation in Thailand, received treatment for a mental problem. No further details are known. Three weeks before Mr. Sellers' death, Mr. Robinson and Mr. Mandville went to Mr. Sellers' tiny apartment in Cheongdam-dong, where he lived alone. They saw him put a small decorative penguin sculpture in the freezer. When they asked why he was doing that, Mr. Sellers said, Where else should I put it??"

Matthew Justin Sellers first came to Korea in 1991 as a photojournalist with the U.S. Army, serving in Daegu. At 1.8 meters (5 feet, 11 inches) and 86 kilograms (190 pounds), he was a strapping, curly-haired young man who spoke with a slight Southern accent. He had graduated from Birmingham-Southern College, as a philosophy major. Earlier, he attended Berea College in Berea, Kentucky, where he was president of the student body. After college, he entered the military.

He seemingly joined the army on a whim, says an Alabama friend, Gina Pearson. He was not interested in wealth or material possessions. He just wanted to seek out rich experiences and travel the world. His world soon became Korea. He fell in love with the country and its people, and when his tour ended the following year, he returned to the United States, received a discharge and immediately headed back to Korea.

Initially he taught at a university in Gwangju, South Jeolla province, but soon decided he liked hagwon that targeted small children, and came to Seoul. He loved Korean kids,?says his sister. Indeed, in the months before his death, Mr. Sellers was working on a childrens' book based on his teaching experiences, titled Mark T. Parks' Adventure, inspired by Mark Twain. The book's protagonist was a Korean boy who flew across the world on a magic dolphin. Mr. Sellers wrote and illustrated the manuscript.

The last hagwon where he taught, the Phillip School in Cheongdam-dong, southern Seoul, specializes in toddlers, the sort of kids Matthew Sellers appreciated. The Phillip School refuses to discuss Mr. Sellers.

In time, Korea consumed Mr. Sellers. His sister, who visited the peninsula in 1995, says, Matthew learned about Korean pop culture so he could speak to his students about their favorite soap operas or singing groups, coaxing them into conversations in English.

He liked to have a good time, at least before his final weeks in Korea. “When I met him five years ago,?says Gerry Robinson, “the first thing I noticed was his laugh ?loud, boisterous and contagious. Matthew was a friend I could always count on. We were like high school buddies. He was always saying, Gerry, you're crazy!

Like many English teachers, away from his hagwon he wore jeans and a T-shirt, most often a gray shirt that had on the back philosophic sayings of Socrates and Descartes. He liked to hang out at the bars near the Gangnam subway station and at the Starbucks in Apgujeong-dong. His last phone call home on April 17 was made from a pay phone in front of that Starbucks.

He had a serious side, particularly where Korea's future was concerned. He attended graduate school at Yonsei University, where he studied Korean history and culture. In October 2000, Mr. Sellers received a silver medal from the Seoul Metropolitan Government for suggesting the implementation of a “renaissance campaign. Mr. Sellers in his writing borrowed the idea of a Renaissance man, who has vast intellectual interests and is accomplished in both the arts and sciences. In his essay, Mr. Sellers showed strong affection for the city, suggesting the city government revitalize areas of Seoul around interesting themes, build a cultural recreation center near Insa-dong and improve adult education in Seoul.

Though few of his family or friends from the United States came to Korea, he wrote and e-mailed them often. Gina Pearson, who knew Mr. Sellers from college, says, Matthew had only good things to say about Korea; the food, the culture and the people. Gerry Robinson describes Mr. Sellers as Koreanized. He was just happy to be in Seoul.

In 2001, Mr. Sellers was invited to join Seoul Cyber Discussion, an online talk program organized by the city government. Kim Hyun-sook, a staffer in charge of the Cyber Monitoring Congress at Seoul Metropolitan Government, says, Mr. Sellers was very impressive with his active engagement as the speaker of the group. Unlike those who are just too self-centered to care about others, he was always trying to be of service, by sharing his ideas to make a better world.?Ms. Kim had met Mr. Sellers several times in offline discussion groups, until he paid a visit to his Alabama home to help his sister manage an art gallery in early 2002. After five months there, Ms. Love sold the gallery and Mr. Sellers returned to Korea. Ms. Love says, Matthew went back to Korea to do what he liked best 'teaching English to children'.

When Lee Love dropped her brother off at the Birmingham airport in June 2002, it was the last time anyone from back home saw Matthew.

It was about 1:45 p.m on April 19, when Mr. Sellers arrived at Eunpyeong hospital. Park Jong-ik, the psychiatrist in charge of Mr. Sellers at the hospital, says, Mr. Sellers did not have any external injuries. His death seems to have nothing to do with such a thing as anti-American sentiment.?After being injected with sedatives, Mr. Sellers reportedly was tranquilized. Mr. Robinson says that another friend who saw Mr. Sellers lying on the bed in the hospital said that he was sleeping and looked all right.

The next day, at approximately 3 p.m., Dr. Park noticed that Mr. Sellers' condition was turning unstable. Mr. Sellers vital signs started to dip, it was something other than a psychiatric symptom. Mr. Sellers started to complain of a breathing problem. We needed to run tests to determine what was happening, which was not possible at this hospital because it specializes in mental problems. About 5 p.m., Dr. Park transferred Mr. Sellers to Kangbuk Samsung Medical Center, a general hospital in central Seoul. While he was en route to that hospital in an ambulance, at about 5:20 p.m. on April 20, Mr. Sellers' heart stopped beating.

An autopsy was performed April 22 by the National Institute of Scientific Investigation, and though the final results have not officially been released, its known that the cause of death is listed as unknown. Choi Yeong-geun, a detective in charge at the Gangnam precinct, says, one thing's for sure: He did not have a traumatic injury. The lack of an external wound is a sign that there is no suspicion of murder, which brings the case to the end, when confirmed.

Ms. Love received word from the U.S. Embassy that her brother was given an injection of a mixture of Valium and Haldol against his will at Eunpyeong hospital. Valium is used to treat mildly anxious patients, as well as to help control epilepsy and alcohol addiction. Haldol, or haloperidol, is a prescription medicine indicated for use in management of psychotic disorders. A spokeswoman at the U.S. Embassy says, We've got preliminary reports of the autopsy, and we're still working on the case.

Dr. Park says, Mr. Sellers did not have a heart attack. In this case, the only possible explanation for his sudden death is suffocation. But I learned from the autopsy team that there were no sign of being choked. This is absolutely strange, but there is no way to know what exactly caused the death.

When Matthew Sellers' body arrived in Birmingham on April 29, the family requested another autopsy be performed. Ms. Love says, the news of Matthews' death was a complete shock. He was in very good health and was to come back home. We had eagerly made arrangements for his arrival, like buying extra food and making transportation preparations. We were and still are stunned by this.

The report of the U.S. autopsy is to be released in about two months, Ms. Love says. They took slides and tissue samples of Matthews' body. The cause of his death is still not clear.

Angry and confused, the Sellers family hired an attorney, Charles Salvagio, to deal with the case. Thus far Mr. Salvagio has no plans to come to Korea. According to The Birmingham News, Colin Powell, U.S. Secretary of State, expressed his concern about Mr. Sellers death. At a congressional hearing May 1, Mr. Powell said, We've trying to get an answer. I'll look into it when I get back to the department. Ms. Love says she has not heard directly from the State Department yet. She added, “We are confident Mr. Powell and his staff are working diligently to help us resolve the circumstances surrounding Matthews' senseless death.

Until then, few answers are available. Some of Mr. Sellers' friends say the Seoul hospital is at fault, but others indicate something unexplainable was troubling Matthew Sellers. His death stirred up a controversy online. Many postings complained that the death was not being covered in the local press. The discussions also target anti-Americanism to be the cause of death. Gerry Robinson says, “This was not a political issue. He was fine until he went into the hospital. Matthew was forced to the hospital against his will. I've never seen him complaining about pain. Maybe the hospital did not properly check the personal medical history and it can be something drug-related. A man died in a hospital, when a medical system is supposed to help people.

Mr. Shin says, “We in the police force are sorry, but we did our very best.

Mr. Shins' superior, who says he's pro-American, adds, people are upset about this case because it turned out badly.?

‘Matthew was the beacon of our family that always shone brightly, keeping hope alive for the rest of us,?says his sister, Lee Sellers Love, one of Matthew’s six siblings. “He was an eternal optimist. He always believed in us more than we did ourselves. He could have achieved anything.

The funeral took place May 2 at Jefferson Memorial Gardens in Trussville, Alabama. Several dozen people attended the service, some coming from hundreds of miles away. The casket was draped with an American flag.

by Chun Su-jin

Hello all,

I just wanted to make a few comments about the article. First the penguin. That came up in the conversation with the reporter because she asked about Matt's personality. Matt had a great sense of humor, a lot wittier than most but in a quiet way and I was trying to convey this to the reporter. One day about three months ago I looked in his freezer and saw the penguin in there and asked why it was in there, he looked at me with a straight face and said “where else is he going to go. We both had a little chuckle. The reporter totally used the story in the wrong way and I'm sorry that she thought Matt was mentally ill because he put a penguin in his freezer, but when you think about it where else is he supposed to go.

Another thing she misquoted was about the time. Every time she said weeks in connection with myself and Brians' quotes it should have been days. We seen Matt, or talked to him almost every day for the past 4 months up until the 4 days prior to his death. Brian lives in the apartment building next to his and I live about a 10-minute walk from both of them. So that last week when we couldn't find him we were very concerned as most friends would be.

I think the reporter did a good job with the article. I believe she was fair and unbiased for the most part. She can only report what people tell her. I know a lot of people are saying its a cover up and the article is trying to conceal the truth and bury and further questions. I'll let you in on a little secret, all Koreans are not out to get you and they don't collaborate on every event. I see some people on this board and you're the same type to walk out and see that its raining, raise your fist in the sky, and say F@$$ing Koreans.

At a time like this Matt would say "Gerry don't say that to those people, it's true, but don't say it.?"

SEOUL ?The family of Matthew Sellers, a former U.S. servicemember who died suddenly here last month, has ordered a second autopsy in hopes of finding definitively what caused the 35-year-old's death.

Matthew was a really good person, said Oliver Sellers, his brother. “He deserves answers. We deserve answers.

By his family's accounts, Matthew Justin Sellers was a strong, bright and healthy man who loved South Korea enough to stay and teach after a two-year U.S. Army stint there.

But the Birmingham, Ala., native had recently told relatives the country's demonstrations of anti-American sentiment made him fear for his safety. He purchased a ticket home April 19, said his sister, Lee Love, who lives in Birmingham.

He died one day later after behavior Seoul officials characterized as indicating mental illness.

But his family said accounts of his bizarre behavior were counter to the Matthew Sellers they knew. He so liked Korea, they said, he stayed there for 10 years after a 1991-92 tour in Taegu as a U.S. Army photojournalist.

I've became disenchanted the last three weeks of his life, Love said. He felt more and more he had to defend himself for being an American.?

On the morning of April 19, Sellers inexplicably climbed into the back of a taxi, said Song Jin-ho of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency's foreign affairs division. The driver took him to the Kangnam Police Station, where, Love said, police did not charge him with any crime but did detain him from about 7:30 a.m. until about 3:30 p.m. After Sellers exhibited strange behavior, Song said, police transferred him to the Seoul Metropolitan Eunpyong Hospital, a psychiatric hospital.

The police also called the U.S. Embassy, said Consul General Bernie Alter. They communicated there was a problem with Sellers, Alter said.

The embassy had no jurisdiction in the matter, Alter said, but encouraged The police take him to a hospital for a trained doctor to have a look.

Kangnam police called the embassy when Sellers was transferred to the hospital. He spent the night there, said Park Chong-ik, head of the hospital's psychiatry division, and exhibited behavior indicating a mental problem: He shouted, said he heard voices and said someone was trying to kill him.

Sellers had no mental problems, family members said.

The next day, Sellers showed problems breathing, apparently unrelated to any behavior problems, Park said. Sellers died while being transferred to Kangbuk Samsung Hospital, Love said.

His cause of death was unknown although heart failure was suspected, said Lee Won-tae, chief medical examiner for the National Institute of Scientific Investigation, which conducts all autopsies in Seoul.

The family is upset the U.S. Embassy sent no one to check on Sellers, Oliver Sellers said.

Alter said embassy personnel talked with Sellers?friends and doctors during the two days but a representative didn't meet Sellers. He knew he was medicated and the idea was we would wait to see him until the situation had calmed, and his condition was clearer, Alter said.