Teenager commits suicide live online while 1,500 people watch video stream



Abraham Biggs took a fatal drugs overdose while broadcasting it on the internet

A teenager committed suicide live on the internet, egged on by others who had logged on to see him do it.

Abraham Biggs, 19, told users on a bodybuilding site he would kill himself that night and invited them to watch the live video.

Those monitoring the web forum ignored his message because they assumed it was a joke. But others posted insults and even encouraged him to kill himself.

Eventually as many as 1,500 signed on to see the desperate act - with some urging him to hurry up, apparently believing it a hoax.

The boy's video footage only ended when police broke into his home near Miami. A police officer with his gun drawn was seen entering the bedroom to find Abraham's lifeless body.



The teenager used the 'lifecasting' website Justin.tv, which is designed to let users share their everyday lives and stream - or broadcast - live footage.



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

A member of the bodybuilding.com forum under the name CandyJunkie, he had apparently threatened to commit suicide before.



On Wednesday, he went to the forum and detailed the amount of drugs he was going to take. He posted his suicide note on another forum, saying he hated himself for being a failure.



'I hate myself and I hate living. I have let everyone down and I feel as though I will never change or never improve,' he said. 'I am in love with a girl and I know that I am not good enough for her.

'I have come to believe that my life has all been meaningless. I keep trying and I

keep failing.



'I have thought about and attempted suicide many times in the past.'

After taking the pills Abraham lay motionless on his bed.



A police officer can be seen in this final shot of the video, which was still running when they entered the room

Other users watching the live feed continued to insult him believing it was a stunt. However, one forum member telephoned the police who arrived at the teenager's house an hour later.

Justin.tv is an open network of thousands of live streaming channels and is based in San Francisco.



Its chief executive officer, Michael Seibel, said: 'We regret that this has occurred and respect the privacy of the broadcaster and his family during this time.



'We have policies in place to discourage the distribution of distressing content and our community monitors the site accordingly. This content was flagged by our community, reviewed, and removed.'



There have been growing concerns that internet forums encourage suicide.

The teenager, pictured on his MySpace page, said he felt like a failure

Last year, a British man hanged himself, witnessed by about 100 internet chatroom users. Kevin Whitrick, 42, from Telford, Shropshire, was goaded in an 'insult' chatroom at the Paltalk website.



One of the users told him: '****ing do it. Get on with it.'

There have been at least 17 deaths in the UK since 2001 which involved chatrooms or sites which give advice on suicide methods.



Campaigners want police to investigate and prosecute those involved in encouraging online suicides.

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.'



A week ago Biggs left a message on his site about closing a chapter in his life and apologised to his friends for his behaviour.

ABRAHAM BIGGS'S SUICIDE NOTE IN FULL



To Whom It May Concern,



I am going to leave this for whoever stumbles across my bookmarks later on.

I hate myself and I hate living.





Mr Biggs warned that he was going to kill himself in a posting on a chat forum

I think that if someone who knows me reads this they will know who I am. So I will leave this unsigned.



I am an a******. I have let everyone down and I feel as though I will never change or never improve.



I am in love with a girl and I know that I am not good enough for her. I have come to believe that my life has all been meaningless.



I keep trying and I keep failing. I have thought about and attempted suicide many times in the past.



I used to think of my failure as some mystical way of telling me that I was really meant for something meaningful. The only thing I dread, besides the pain, is the way my family will suffer.



I do not want my mother or father to think that it was anything they did that lead me

to kill myself.



I never really had any plans of leaving a note. I thought that I would not be able to describe why I want to do this and I am right.



There is no way to tell you or anyone else why I dread every new day.



My father had such high expectations for me and tried to give me every opportunity to improve upon myself. I let him down.



I think that I am a major disappointment to him. I have a job but I'm always broke and I am in college but barely, I show up to class but that's about it.



I want my life to end. I am tired of f*****g up everything. I am tired of people always telling me that they do not like me. I am tired of trying to be decent. I hope that someone finds this post and I hope that my parents know that I f****d up not them.



It is my fault I screwed up my own life. The hate that rages within me, rages not for those I love so dearly or those who have crossed my path. This hate rages full force towards me and only me.



I have long forgiven those who've hurt me, but I have not and cannot come to terms to forgive myself for the things I have done to myself, and the things I've done to hurt those in my life.



You have all touched my life in one way or another, especially those whom I call family.



I cannot tell you how sorry I am for ending my life the way I did.



I hope that you can all find it in your heart to see it as way for me not suffering anymore and that I am finally at rest with myself, for being at rest with the guilt that constantly ate at me for so long.



Please forgive me all for taking my own life so early. I tried so hard to fight against this strong battle.



I have reached out for help so many times, and yet I believe, I was turned away because of the things I did, that it is a punishment I am willing to take, for I know that being who I am has only brought myself and others pain.



I love you all and will forever live within the memories we created.

Forgive me.

Love always and forever,



As for my signature I will leave you with a quote so that if anyone reads this they will know it's me, 'Can't feel pain if you're dead? Just Saying.'