Body found by Barrie police may be teen in video-game dispute A body found northeast of Barrie, Ont., on Wednesday may be 15-year-old Brandon Crisp, who disappeared from his home last month after a dispute with his parents over a video game. A teenage male's body was found on Wednesday morning by hunters, said Sgt. Dave Goodbrand of the Barrie Police Service. Police are not yet confirming the body is Crisp's, but it was found in the Shanty Bay-area where they had been searching since Oct. 20. The Crisp family has been informed that a body was discovered and an autopsy will be conducted to determine the identity, Goodbrand said. Crisp's parents, who have urged the police do to more to access records on their son's Xbox and online gaming accounts to try to find the teen, were "obviously distraught" to be told a body had been found, Goodbrand said. "At this point we believe it to be Brandon, and we're still obviously in the early stages of our investigation," he said. "It's not confirmed because nothing's confirmed until we have pathology, but we believe it to be Brandon." The Barrie police will be co-ordinating their pathology investigation with the Ontario Provincial Police. The teen disappeared on Oct. 13 after arguing with his parents over a favourite Xbox video game, Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare. They had taken the game away from him because they felt he had become obsessed with it and his many connections in the online gaming community. Officers have been searching cornfields and the bush in the Shanty Bay-area around Barrie where Crisp was last reported seen walking on the Oro-Medonte Rail Trail with his bicycle. Crisp was sighted twice on the day he disappeared. His bicycle was found on Oct. 20.
The happiness of a man in this life does not consist in the absence but in the mastery of his passions.
-Alfred Lord Tennyson
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I hate that we have to add this boy's name to the Dedication page. It makes me sick inside.
The happiness of a man in this life does not consist in the absence but in the mastery of his passions.
-Alfred Lord Tennyson
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So very very sad indeed. My heart goes out to his family.
"Be the change you want to see in the world" -------Mahatma Gandhi.
Oh boy, this is truly disturbing news. I wonder if they will ever get to the bottom of this whole story. Boy, this kid's poor parents. What a disaster. Jane
I haven't weighed in before since this one really struck a chord with me. As many of you know, we had a long, rough struggle which included every possible means we could think of to stop our son from gaming. We also had the additional challenge of facing a very powerful, physical force and he was often enraged. So many times we backed off because we saw no other recourse; we didn't want to force a physical confrontation that would necessitate a call to the authorities since we knew that (to the real person) it would be permanently life-altering. However, I remember well the times he'd keep his car keys on his person and refuse to give them to us. We would fear for him and for ourselves when he left in a rage; the police clearly told us that they could not stop him from driving unless he was caught committing a traffic violation. We knew he was incapable of taking care of himself. My heart bleeds for Brandon's parents. We could easily have faced the same consequences if our son had been the same age. We were also fortunate to have good friends who would give him shelter and a place to release yet not enable him to game. Additionally, they always coaxed him to come home and kept us informed. I sincerely hope that no blame is placed on Brandon's family for this; I wish I could put my arms around them right now and tell them how sorry I am and that I really do understand. The pain they are experiencing must be indescribable. I hope they are not blaming themselves but know in my heart that they most likely are.
So very sad.
The question is....will you be able/courageous/adult enough to sacrifice that which merely pleases you...for that which will truly fulfill you? That is the question of personal growth.
~~~Dem518
~~~wow-free since 8/22/09
my heart and prayers to Brandon and his family. :(
Take the first step in faith. You donaEU(tm)t have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step.
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
Laughter gives us distance. It allows us to step back from an event, deal with it and then move on.
~Bob Newhart
The minute you alter your perception of yourself and your future, both you and your future begin to change. ~Marilee Zdenek
I'm so sorry to hear a young life has been taken because of this addiction. My thoughts are with his family also. Some of us here have been close to meeting this tragic fate, myself included, I know its no comfort to them but my thoughts and prayers are with them at this terrible time.
I join with the community in lifting them up. May it not, have been, for naught.
I have contacted Brandon's sister through her Facebook page and expressed our sympathies to her and her family. Pray that God redeems this tragedy for the benefit of those still suffering.
The happiness of a man in this life does not consist in the absence but in the mastery of his passions.
-Alfred Lord Tennyson
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***Crossposted from my blog*** Words cannot begin to describe the sadness I feel at the news of Brandon CrispaEU(tm)s death. IaEU(tm)ve prayed that this day would not come, but regrettably it appears the body discovered in the woods near Barrie, Ontario is that of Brandon. What can we possibly say about this tragedy? To the family there is nothing that can be said that will ease their suffering at this time. By all reports, Brandon was suffering from an addiction to his Xbox Live gaming system. His parents tell us his personality changed when he got deep into gaming. They tried desperately to rescue their son from his obsession with gaming, ultimately taking his Xbox away from him on October 13. The rest of this story involves a desperate search for a beloved son and brother, which ended in tragedy today when hunters discovered BrandonaEU(tm)s body. Only hope may offer a small amount of comfort. Hope that this tragedy can be redeemed for good. Hope can comfort us in the knowledge that in speaking publicly about our struggles with online gaming addiction, others will consider their gaming habits and those of the people they love. We can hope that lives and families may be saved by the message carried by those impacted by online gaming addiction. Rest in peace Brandon. You wonaEU(tm)t be forgotten.
The happiness of a man in this life does not consist in the absence but in the mastery of his passions.
-Alfred Lord Tennyson
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I am glad those of you here have made it. Many have not. I am so devestated by this. My heart goes out for Brandon and his parents and his family and loved ones. ALL BECAUSE OF A GAME!
Liz Woolley
Tragic. What a waste...as Liz said...all over a GAME. :(
Until we are tested, how do we know if we will pass?
Very sad :(
" ... don't question it just go" "... where the body goes the mind will follow"
.
Borrowed from "Desire to Stop"
My heart goes out to the family and his parents. I'm so sad to read about this.
Here's the account of what the hunters found in that field...heartbreaking. The body was resting in reeds nearly as tall as the deer hunters who found it. The hunter who stumbled upon the grim find picked up his walkie-talkie and radioed the others who were scattered around the bush. "I found something," he said in a shaky voice. "It's a boy, 15, maybe 14. His shoes are on. There's a backpack." They immediately knew who it was aEU" Brandon Crisp. Brandon's fully clothed body appeared so neat, his clothing so unsullied, the hunters thought that, although he'd clearly been there a while, he couldn't possibly have been out there for three weeks, the time he'd been missing since running away from his Barrie home Thanksgiving Monday. He looked to be at peace aEU" something that would be consistent with hypothermia, which some investigators are quietly speculating could well have been the cause of death. A post-mortem is scheduled for today. Brandon was last seen about three kilometres southwest of where the group, local men who had set out around 9:30 a.m, was hunting deer. "We'd only been out there about 20 minutes," said one of the men. They were hunting in a wooded area between Oro-Medonte line 4 and 5, about a kilometre north of the Oro trail. The woods are bordered by cornfields and tall, brown grass, the perfect hiding place for deer. And Brandon's body. "You could have missed it even from five feet away," the hunter said. "It's heartbreaking. It shouldn't have ended this way," he said, his eyes filling with tears. The hunters called OPP from one of the men's nearby homes. Police arrived around 10:30 a.m. and the homeowner drove the detectives to the site on his ATV. Police have said they aren't ruling out anything, but based on preliminary evidence they aren't expecting this to be homicide. Sources familiar with the case said a leading theory is that the boy became disoriented and died of hypothermia, an abnormally low body temperature. Brandon ran away after his parents took away his Xbox. Angelika and Steve Crisp later explained the Grade 10 student had become addicted to a popular online game, Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare. Infuriated, the teen threatened to leave. Sure the boy was bluffing, Steve helped Brandon pack his bag. "I really thought he would be home later that day with his tail between his legs," the distraught father told the Star two weeks ago. The 15-year-old was last seen on a biking trail between Barrie and Orillia, between Oro-Medonte Line 2 and 3. Hundreds of local volunteers and police scoured the region, combing through acres of brush between Line 1 and Line 10. But, said Sgt. Dave Goodbrand, the focus was always on the area near the trail. Civilian-led search teams had canvassed the area where the body was found, but the ground is marsh-like and the terrain uneven. Marguerite Watson had been out searching too, but she and her husband, Roy, are elderly and could only watch the roads. It was at the very back of her property, past the cornfield, that Brandon was found. OPP set up a command post at the farm. "All along. All this time," she said, her voice cracking. "A 15-year-old boy was found on our property. You have no idea how upsetting ..." In town, students gathered for a morning mass at St. Joseph's High School. Principal Matt McCann said Wednesday was one of the toughest days of his career. "I feel very numb," he said. "We knew when the police came to get the girls (Crisp's sisters who are students at the school) in the morning that that wasn't a good sign." At about 12:30 p.m. officers contacted the school and confirmed McCann's worst fears. "We took about 20 minutes to figure out what we were going to say and then called everyone together," he said.
The happiness of a man in this life does not consist in the absence but in the mastery of his passions.
-Alfred Lord Tennyson
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Oh, that is SO sad. Those parents must be in agony. I just can't even imagine.
"Small service is true service while it lasts. Of humblest friends, bright creature! scorn not one
The daisy, by the shadow that it casts,
Protects the lingering dewdrop from the sun." -------William Wordsworth
Brandon's sisters graciously accepted my 'Friend' invitations on Facebook. He has left behind a twin sister who is in unspeakable pain right now. I won't re post what she's written on her Facebook page, but this young woman is suffering terribly.
The happiness of a man in this life does not consist in the absence but in the mastery of his passions.
-Alfred Lord Tennyson
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*prayers*
Yes, prayers.
Liz Woolley
bgh, do they know what Brandon died from? I am of course deeply saddened by the loss of young boy who had his whole life ahead of him. But I am curious to exactly what happened when he left home. Did he died of natural causes? Was it murder?
The question is....will you be able/courageous/adult enough to sacrifice that which merely pleases you...for that which will truly fulfill you? That is the question of personal growth.
~~~Dem518
~~~wow-free since 8/22/09
Our prayers are with Brandon's family. It's so sad to see a young kid like him pass on so soon. A full life wasted, all because of a game. I also hope that the family doesn't blame themselves. They were only doing what they thought would help their son.
Brandon Crisp killed by fall from tree Foul play ruled out in Barrie teen's death Nov 08, 2008 01:53 PM THE CANADIAN PRESS Autopsy results on the body of a Barrie, Ont. teen found three weeks after he ran away from home reveal he died of chest injuries. A post-mortem examination on Brandon Crisp, conducted at the Chief Coroners Office in Toronto, state the injuries are consistent with falling from a tree. Using dental records, coroners confirmed the body found Wednesday in a wooded area by hunters was that of the 15-year-old. Police released the information today after giving the findings to his family last night. They have also ruled out foul play. Brandon's parents say he fled home following a dispute with them over his obsessive Xbox video gaming habits.
The happiness of a man in this life does not consist in the absence but in the mastery of his passions.
-Alfred Lord Tennyson
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Oh my goodness. That explains a lot! I was wondering why he did not just walk home. Was there a tree there?
Liz Woolley
This is a marshy area frequented by deer hunters. His body was found largely undisturbed, next to a tree in high reeds. There was no sign of struggle - the body was bundled up as if he was sleeping, or perhaps had climbed the tree attempting to get his bearings.
The happiness of a man in this life does not consist in the absence but in the mastery of his passions.
-Alfred Lord Tennyson
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awwwwww Poor kid.
The question is....will you be able/courageous/adult enough to sacrifice that which merely pleases you...for that which will truly fulfill you? That is the question of personal growth.
~~~Dem518
~~~wow-free since 8/22/09
So sad about this young life ended so early, by accident it seems.
The thing that stands out to me more than anything is that addiction to video games separates people, often from those closest to them.
Addiction fosters alienation, separateness, and loneliness.
Although some find a kind of comradery or friendship with others in their game, the game always separates them from the real people in their lives.
Serena
"A person starts to live when he can live outside himself." Albert Einstein
"You don't get to choose how you are going to die. Or when.
You can only decide how you are going to live. Now." Joan Baez