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US Missionary David Drueding found dead in Phnom Penh

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It has been a bad week for expat deaths in Phnom Penh as news reaches us of yet another death, this time of US missionary Dr David Drueding, 66, who was found dead in his room at the Heng Pich Guest House on Street 84, directly opposite Calmette Hospital. He is believed to have died from natural causes.

Dr Drueding has been working as the Executive Montessori Program Director at Phnom Penh Montessori International Day Care and Pre-School since February 2013 where he was responsible for the development of two Montessori Schools.

He was also a priest / missionary attached to the Communion of Evangelical Episcopal Churches dedicated to ‘Bringing the Word to the Children of the Far East.’

He was a former US Marine and spent many years teaching English as a Second Language in places as diverse as Iraq, Japan, Korea, China, Malaysia and most recently Cambodia.

It has also come to light that Drueding has an extensive criminal record in the US, with various convictions for domestic violence, larceny and being drunk and disorderly. These convictions occurred after he had established his mission.

It is not immediately apparent why Drueding was staying in a small Guest House considering he lived here, but his last Facebook pages point to some recent financial problems brought about by a theft. On March 30th he posted:

“I am alive and well. I have been offline because of my computer going in for repairs here in Cambodia, and the charges to get it back kept changing higher and higher….if you are not a Cambodian the assumption is that you are a rich tourist which I am NOT, as well as being robbed by 2 men of my wallet, cash, ATM card, and IDs. It has been a stressful month, but God is good and everything will work out. The real problem is no access to $$$$ since my ATM card is taking 10 days to come by FED EXPRESS. So prayers are requested for God’s provision. I am eating on $5.00 a day so I am eating a lot of steamed white rice and little else, not the best diet to regain my strength. But I am thankful for what HE provides…HE is faithful!!!!!”

Dr Drueding seems to have been suffering from poor health recently. His body has been taken to a local pagoda.

9 thoughts on “US Missionary David Drueding found dead in Phnom Penh

  • HE apparently had enough.

    RIP

    Reply
  • P Smith

    Natural causes in a guest house, hmmmmmmmmmmmmm. An extensive criminal record but now reborn, haha, only on the outside. He was probably diddling children in all of the countries he taught in and is tired of running, at least from himself. Scum.

    Reply
  • BarangBuddha

    Priest missionary English teacher = pedophile. The world is better off without him.

    Reply
  • Marwood II

    It is beyond belief that 2 contributors here have the gall to assume that a man of whom they know nothing was “probably diddling children” and a “pedophile”

    Will Dr Drueding’s unquiet spirit return from the spirit world to haunt these unpleasant and mean-spirited people? One can only hope so!

    Reply
  • Lura martin

    Sorry. I cannot believe this rag of a paper would allow such hateful comments from a person who knows nothing about my son. Either get the facts correct or remove this terrible mess of untrue stories.

    Reply
  • Wirldpeas

    Why all the gloom this is a win win situation, The kind”Dr.” has moved on to be with his beloved Jezus, Win! And Cambodia is now rid of one more useless snake oil salesman, Win!

    Reply
  • david protasiewicz

    give him the benifit of doubt, he may well have been doing more good than you, it’s God’s bisness to judge . david

    Reply
  • Paul Duray

    I have a photo of a David Drueding in book produced by a church in Cleveland, TN. Photo is dated 1974—a group of United Christain Church, Cleveland, TN—- young people that went to the Bahamas. Is this the same David as described in this article ?

    Reply
  • Merlin Osepchook

    I knew David when we were from IU ends in High School. We surfed together, partied together. The went to vietnam Army grunt. David went in Marines no combat. Met again in college. Dont believe he was a child molester. However, from what I have seen through my 71 years, nothing shocks me.

    Reply

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