How did Leo Longevity die? The confusion surrounding his death

Leo Rex, the host of the YouTube channel Leo and Longevity, was found dead in an apartment in Pattaya, Thailand, on 30th January 2023. Authorities found Leo (real name: Laith Abdallah Algaz) in nothing but a black shirt lying face down in the apartment’s bathroom with blood leaking from his mouth and face. 

Leo was famous for providing non-conventional advice on subjects like experimental supplements, bodybuilding, and penis enlargement.

The YouTuber insisted he wasn’t a medical expert, launching his videos with the following disclaimer: “Leo Rex is not a medical doctor. Always consult with a licensed medical professional before making changes to your lifestyle, diet or medications.”

Police are investigating the likelihood that foul play was involved in Leo’s death

At the time of writing, Leo Rex’s cause of death is unclear. Police Captain Sombat Kawmulsuk cautioned people against drawing conclusions about Leo’s death as the investigation continues. “We urge the public not to jump to any conclusions until a complete examination is done,” he told The Daily Mail. 

Authorities took Laith’s body to the Institute of Forensic Medicine for an autopsy. They also collected various drugs in the apartment, including antidepressants, cannabis, sleeping pills, anxiety tablets, and steroids. 

A video of the apartment obtained by The Daily Mail shows a room in disarray: clothes are littered everywhere with most cabinets opened. It seems like someone ransacked the room. 

Police Captain Sombat said police are looking into the likelihood that foul play was involved in Leo’s death. He stated:

“We will be interrogating the victim’s friends, and a woman who had stayed with him before he died. The room looked like there had been a disturbance so it’s possible somebody else was with him before he died or the victim was distressed in some way.”

Leo’s friend Aicha Humera Rattanaphan said Leo lived alone. “He didn’t have many visitors,” Aicha said. The YouTuber reportedly spent most days smoking cannabis and using his computer. 

Tony Hughes, who found Leo’s body, denied that drugs caused Leo’s death

According to The Daily Beast, the police estimated that Leo died about five hours before they arrived. However, Tony Hughes, the body’s discoverer, speculated that Leo died about three days before he went to check on him.

Hughes visited that apartment after Leo failed to respond to calls. “The door was locked so they used the spare key to get inside before finding the body,” Leo’s friend Aicha Humera said. 

Hughes released a video following Leo’s death, stating that he assumed Leo had taken sleeping pills when the deceased YouTuber failed to answer calls. He said (per The U.S. Sun):  

“I didn’t check on him because I thought he either took a sleeping pill and was just sleeping for 24 hours, then I just got more suspicious as time went on. Then, I thought he went on a vacation because he’s done this before, gone on a weekend vacation with a girlfriend or something. “

Hughes stated that after accessing the house, he tried to open the bathroom door, but it wouldn’t budge. “The bathroom door wouldn’t open because his body was blocking the door,” he explained. 

The controversial bodybuilder cast doubt on the foul play theory. “There’s no possible way there was someone in the bathroom with him,” he said. Hughes also denied that an overdose or something sudden like a heart attack caused Leo’s death. 

While describing the situation as ‘confusing’, Hughes stated that it seemed Leo was looking for ‘something that went down the toilet’. “There were tools put in the toilet hole,” Hughes said. Hughes further speculated that Leo’s death resulted from a manic episode. 

Tony ‘Dr. Huge’ Hughes is a controversial member of the fitness community. The former champion bodybuilder has faced criticism for promoting dangerous, even deadly, bodybuilding methods.

In an appearance on Dave Palumbo’s RxMuscle YouTube channel, bodybuilding legend Lee Priest suggested that Tony’s experiments contributed to Leo’s death. Priest said:

“I’ve seen those other videos of Tony Huge… where they are doing these transformation things – and the amount of stuff he has people taking. Whatever experiments you’re doing, knock it off. Because it doesn’t look good now that someone actually died in your place.”

Leo’s ex-wife, Lucie Colomb, said Leo’s family had launched a probe into his death

Lucie Colomb, Leo’s ex-wife and the mother of their child, told The U.S. Sun that Leo’s family had launched a probe into his death. She said:

“I am in touch with the Embassy and the Thai Police, we have secured legal representation there in order to do our own investigation. I can’t disclose anything else now. We just want to get to the truth.”

Leo moved to Thailand from his native Colorado after Colomb divorced him in 2022. Colomb petitioned for a domestic violence restraining order against Leo, claiming that Leo abused drugs and alcohol. She described Leo as abusive towards her and their daughter. 

Colomb stated that the abuse escalated when Leo learned they were expecting a girl instead of a boy. Court documents accessed by The Daily Beast allege that Leo prevented Colomb from leaving their apartment unless she asked for permission. 

The court documents contain a series of unhinged texts Leo allegedly sent to Colomb, including: “You should have lived to serve me instead of feeling sorry for yourself 24/7,” and, “I am happy with the way I treated you and believe you deserve much worse treatment… You deserve much worse. MUCH.”