Florida guy commits suicide online for forum

[dirtydog]

19-year-old Abraham K Biggs commits suicide live on webcam

A TEENAGER has apparently committed suicide in front of a live webcam after being encouraged by people online.

19-year-old Florida resident Abraham K. Biggs, who went by the screen names "CandyJunkie" and “Mr Biggs”, told users on a bodybuilding forum he would be committing suicide that night and invited them to watch the live video.

The forum moderators allegedly ignored the post – assuming it was a prank – while other users posted insults and even egged him on.

Suicide help and advice is available from SANE Australia - Home The teen used the "lifecasting" website Justin.tv – designed to let users share the minutiae of their everyday lives – to stream footage from his bedroom.

Biggs was seen taking several pills before lying on the bed with his back to the camera.

He didn't move, and users claim they realised it was serious a few hours later when they saw he wasn't breathing. Moderators then traced Biggs's location and informed authorities.

The webcam was still streaming live footage of the teen's body as police entered the room. A laser-guided weapon was pointed at the body and an object was thrown at the bed.

Authorities then appeared on the video as they approached the teen's body, checked for a pulse, and covered up the webcam.

Biggs’s death was reportedly confirmed by the Broward County medical examiner.

Justin.tv chief executive officer Michael Seibel told online video news website NewTeeVee.com the service relied on users to report inappropriate content.

"As for the broadcaster incident last night, we don’t comment on individual videos, however, our policy prohibits inappropriate content on Justin.tv," he said.
"We rely on the community to flag videos that they feel are objectionable. Once a video is flagged, it is reviewed and quickly removed from the system if it violates our Terms of Use."

Some forum users allegedly began deleting their posts after the incident and an official thread – including Biggs' full name – was posted by moderators.

Biggs's friends have posted "RIP" messages on his MySpace page, with some still asking him to pick up his phone, and others changing their statuses to "devastated".
The teen described himself as a "good hearted guy" on his social networking profile.
"I care a lot about my friends and my family and I would do almost anything for them," he said.
"I am very goal oriented, I know what I want to do with my life and I am working towards it."

Biggs last posted on MySpace three days before he committed suicide in a wall post about taking sleeping pills. A week ago he left a message about closing a chapter in his life and apologised to his friends for his behaviour.

The circumstances of the teen's suicide are similar to another incident last year, when a man hung himself in front of a live webcam as internet users egged him on.

19-year-old Abraham K Biggs commits suicide live on webcam | News.com.au Top stories | News.com.au

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[watterinja]

Another candidate for the Darwin Awards?

[dirtydog]

Here is Abraham K. Biggs myspace web page.
MySpace.com - Mr. Biggsâ„¢ - 19 - Male - Living it up in, Florida - www.myspace.com/forgettingthepastagain

[November Rain]

Another candidate for the Darwin Awards?

What?

Shouldn't your jokes & contempt be reserved for the twats that egged him on & watched his body for a few hours until they realised he wasn't breathing & it wasn't a joke?
I would rather be wrong about a stunt pulled by 'someone in need' 99 times than be wrong about someone who actually was in need 1 time. Anyone who eggs on a suicide (whether they believe it or not) is scum. To delete incriminating posts afterward is scummy & cowardly. These people deserve nothing but contempt, IMO. Mr Biggs? I don't know enough about him. He was too young to die & I hope his family get closure or peace.

[dirtydog]

To delete incriminating posts afterward is scummy & cowardly.

They forget that google may already have cached it, it will come back to them

[November Rain]

^ Hope it does!

[kingwilly]

Shouldn't your jokes & contempt be reserved for the twats that egged him on & watched his body for a few hours until they realised he wasn't breathing & it wasn't a joke?

I think you're being a bit harsh, all sorts of shit gets slung about and trolled on forums. more often than not that's how most of us reply.

I feel sorry for them cos this dumb kid did do it.

I would rather be wrong about a stunt pulled by 'someone in need' 99 times than be wrong about someone who actually was in need 1 time.

Silly IMO - because then you become used and abused by 'needy' selfish people that like to draw others into their own little world dramas...

[November Rain]

I think you're being a bit harsh, all sorts of shit gets slung about and trolled on forums. more often than not that's how most of us reply. I feel sorry for them cos this dumb kid did do it.

Really? So you may egg someone on in the same circumstances?

Silly IMO - because then you become used and abused by 'needy' selfish people that like to draw others into their own little world dramas...

I can look at & live with myself every morning. If someone takes me for a scmuck, so be it. I can live with that. I couldn't live with being instrumental in somebody's death, or kicking them when they were down. That's not me. I'd rather be a fool 100 times than that.

[kingwilly]

Really? So you may egg someone on in the same circumstances?

Lets be serious. Not if I thought it was real, I dont think most of the others thought it was too.

But, possibly I could end up in a situation like that, some unliked wanker eg: wanderingwanker was casting spells on me to hurt me, I laffed at him, if he then threatened to kills himself, I probably would have said good, go ahead.

If he did it, i'd be mortified.

[November Rain]

But, possibly I could end up in a situation like that, some unliked wanker eg: wanderingwanker was casting spells on me to hurt me, I laffed at him, if he then threatened to kills himself, I probably would have said good, go ahead. If he did it, i'd be mortified

The difference between you & me KW is that my Dad did kill himself. Not meaning to be funny in any way, but if that's ever happened, you don't take the chance again.

[jandajoy]

If someone was desperate, lonely and depressed and had no one to turn too and, out of desperation turned to a forum such as this I wonder what the response would be.

I have been through the horrors of depression and have been all of the above. In this day and age I can see more and more people turning to the web for help, which will IMHO be rarely forthcoming.

What's the answer? Some kind of emergency button? It would just be abused by so called comedians.

The Samaritans. They're good and do a great deal of good but on-line anonymity provides too much scope for abuse.

I really don't know where DD or others running sites like this could go.

The world is becoming a very lonely place for many people.

[Nawty]

Well he should have thought it out and put it on a pay for view site, he could have made a fortune out of it.

[November Rain]

^ Shit. I must've greened you recently, because I couldn't red you for that. Not even remotely funny (though I'm aware of the irony)

[Nawty]

I just made a note to myself in my phone...if I get alzheimers to open such a website and get some cash in before I knock meself off.

That is if I can remember where I put me phone.

[jandajoy]

Well he should have thought it out and put it on a pay for view site, he could have made a fortune out of it.

Not funny.

[Marmite the Dog]

Well he should have thought it out and put it on a pay for view site, he could have made a fortune out of it.

Not funny.

Damn right.

Actually, it was really.

[DrivingForce]

I think you're being a bit harsh, all sorts of shit gets slung about and trolled on forums. more often than not that's how most of us reply. I feel sorry for them cos this dumb kid did do it.

Really? So you may egg someone on in the same circumstances?

Silly IMO - because then you become used and abused by 'needy' selfish people that like to draw others into their own little world dramas...

I can look at & live with myself every morning. If someone takes me for a scmuck, so be it. I can live with that. I couldn't live with being instrumental in somebody's death, or kicking them when they were down. That's not me. I'd rather be a fool 100 times than that.

lost cause I'm afraid NR, one would have to have an entire brain for you to be able to sway them with logic...

i'm referring to KW here of course, not this troubled poor young man..

[Thetyim]

out of desperation turned to a forum such as this I wonder what the response would be.

I think it has already happened on a thai based expat site.

[kingwilly]

lost cause I'm afraid NR, one would have to have an entire brain for you to be able to sway them with logic... i'm referring to KW here of course, not this troubled poor young man..

hahahaaaaa.

you make me laff, you are such a dick.

[Boon Mee]

out of desperation turned to a forum such as this I wonder what the response would be.

I think it has already happened on a thai based expat site.

Talking about 'reach-around' eh?

[Begbie]

out of desperation turned to a forum such as this I wonder what the response would be.

I think it has already happened on a thai based expat site.

ThaiVisa is very depressing.

Suicide has always been common among teenagers, can't really blame the internet.

[DrivingForce]

out of desperation turned to a forum such as this I wonder what the response would be.

I think it has already happened on a thai based expat site.

huh? which one is that? a suicide inspired by ignorant and discompassionate members? say it isn't so!

[Nawty]

Well he should have thought it out and put it on a pay for view site, he could have made a fortune out of it.

Not funny.

Damn right.

Actually, it was really.

.....

[jandajoy]

strange stuff.

[watterinja]

NR, I guess the comment regarding the Darwin Awards was perhaps a little too blunt.

It is easy to judge & deride something we would consider to be a totally idiotic act. Who knows what was going through this young man's mind? Perhaps he felt some level of solace in having his online 'friends' be there at his 'virtual bedside'.

This whole connected world has become rather weird. In the real world, they'd probably be accomplices to his death.