Police say body found could be missing 'Growing Pains' actor

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Kirk Cameron
Venice
The Associated Press

7:42 p.m. EST, February 25, 2010
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VANCOUVER - Vancouver police say a body has been discovered and that it could be that of missing "Growing Pains" actor Andrew Koenig.

Police said in a release Thursday that they would release more details at a news conference later, and say Koenig's family will be present.

Police have asked reporters to gather in downtown Vancouver, where the body was found at about noon Thursday.

Koenig, 41, was visiting friends in Vancouver when he went missing more than a week ago.

The Venice, California, native had a recurring role on the 1980s sitcom as Boner, a pal of star Kirk Cameron's character, Mike.
Copyright 2010 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.


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[Edited 2/25/10 17:09pm]
[Edited 2/25/10 17:11pm]

walter koenig just identified his son's body--suicide

press conference streaming live now on tmz.com

Fury said:

just terrible. the family pleas didn't matter

Live - Andrew Koenig News Conference
Posted Feb 25th 2010 7:55PM by TMZ Staff

UPDATE 5:11 PM PT: Andrew's father, Walter Koenig, said his son took his own life. He said his son was in a lot of pain. Walter said "what you can learn from this ... is that there are people out there who really, really care."

UPDATE 5:12 PM PT: Andrew's mother asked everyone to respect their privacy.

We're live from Vancouver, where cops are holding a news conference about the body they believe is that of Andrew Koenig.

The body was found at around noon in Stanley Park. Andrew has been missing since February 14.




Read more: http://www.tmz.com/#ixzz0gbILa8fy

Fury said:

since valentines day..... Hopefully this was not over some broad

awwwww RIP

Poor guy. May he RIP.

I saw that. Very unfortunate. Shame on the devil for taking another beautiful life.

Depression is no joke!

You can really tear your mind to pieces with stress/anxiety/fear/depression. It's a crazy world we live in. I personally think there are just too many people and that's why we have all this mental crap going on. First off it's just percentage. And second of all, all the people staring at you and judging you and making decisions that affet your life is just neurosis-inducing.

I have a friend and he always is like "relax".....seriously it is really not that easy.

I hope this man has found the peace he was looking for....and I'm sad he couldn't find it here on earth.

Its always sad when someone loses hope. RIP

Oh no!

I was just in Stanley Park a few days ago.

RIP Boner.

RIP BONER...

Poor guy...so sad for him and his family.

meow85 said:

.... when exactly?

Fury said:

.....Monday. Why?

Star Trek actor confirms his actor son committed suicide in Vancouver


at 22:38 on February 25, 2010, EDT.
By THE CANADIAN PRESS


Walter Koenig and his wife, Judith, speak to the media at a press conference at Stanley Park in Vancouver to discuss the discovery of their son Andrew Koenig's body on Thursday, February 25, 2010. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Roger Hallett


VANCOUVER, B.C. - The actor famous for playing the stoic Russian navigator in the original Star Trek struggled Thursday to keep his voice steady as he announced his son's body had been found in a park, dead from an apparent suicide.

Walter Koenig, who played Pavel Chekov in the 1960s cult hit, said he has received hundreds of emails since he and his wife held a news conference the day before to ask for help in finding their son, a man they said struggled with depression his whole life and who had been missing since Feb. 14.

Koenig implored those people to reach out.

"If you're one of those people and you feel you can't handle it anymore, you know, if you can learn anything from this, it's that there's people out there who really care," Koenig said, his voice shaking, his face haggard.

Andrew Koenig, 41, was best known for his role as Richard "Boner" Stabone in the 1980s sitcom "Growing Pains." His parents said Wednesday he had been off his medication when he vanished during a visit to Vancouver, a city he came to love after shooting a television episode here years ago.

He lived in Vancouver for three years and during that time, had little contact with his parents.

Koenig was supposed to be back in Los Angeles on Feb. 16, but never showed up.

His parents begged for their privacy Thursday, but Walter Koenig made it clear the emails he's received from people who have lost loved ones to suicide and from others who say they've considered it have impacted him.

He spoke emotionally to those people.

"Before you make that final, final decision, check it out again. Talk to somebody. And for families who have somebody who they fear are susceptible to this kind of behaviour, don't ignore it, don't rationalize it. Extend a hand."

Judy Koenig, Andrew's mother, said people need to familiarize themselves with the signs of suicidal behaviour. She said her son had many places to turn, but his condition meant he didn't know that.

"All the people up here, from the police to his friends, have shown love which he didn't realize was available to him," she said.

Koenig's parents said before their son vanished, he gave away and sold some of his possessions and even cleared out his apartment in Los Angeles.

He last spoke with his mother a few days before he disappeared, and she said he sounded "up but detached" during their conversation.

Walter Koenig received a letter from his son a few days later, although he didn't reveal what exactly was in the letter

Police canvassed Andrew's friends and searched sprawling Stanley Park, one of his favourite spots in the city.

Walter Koenig said Wednesday his son's depression had been a lifelong concern, but it hadn't stopped him from pursuing a career first as an actor and more recently as a video producer for Internet films and podcasts.

Andrew Koenig's other television credits include "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine," "G.I. Joe" and "My Two Dads," and he has appeared in several movies including "NonSeNse," "InAlienable" and "The Theory of Everything."

His father also noted his son's activism on environmental issues and, more recently, for the plight of refugees from Myanmar, formerly known as Burma.

He was arrested in 2008 during the Rose Bowl parade in California, while protesting China's support for the country's military junta government.


©The Canadian Press, 2010

my condolences to the family.

Damn. I was really hoping this would have a happier ending.

My heart goes out to his parents.

BklynBabe said:

Judgemental people can really tear up an already depressed person's self-esteem. It's crazy how some people in this world can be so harsh and insensitive as if they are perfect or something. This is really sad though. I can only imagine what the family is going through. First with him being missing, then to find that he took his own life

was he sick of being called boner?

Cuddles said:

....couldn't blame him if he was, that's for sure.
I mean dang....your eulogy is basically RIP Boner....like you're an erectile dysfunction ad.

BklynBabe said:

RIP