Actor Andrew Koenig's Body Found in Vancouver Park

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Actor Andrew Koenig's Body Found in Vancouver Park

UPDATE:

Actor Andrew Koenig, who had been missing since February 14, committed suicide, his father told reporters after his son's body was found Thursday in a park in Vancouver, British Columbia.

"My son took his own life," Walter Koenig said at a news conference in the park.

The body of the former "Growing Pains" star was found by several friends who conducted their own search of Stanley Park, where Andrew Koenig liked to walk, his father said.

Koenig, 41, was reported missing by his parents after he did not board a flight to Los Angeles from Vancouver last week.

Walter Koenig -- himself an actor, known for his role as Pavel Chekov in the "Star Trek" series -- flew to Vancouver with his wife, Judy, on Tuesday to help with the search.

"He was obviously in a lot of pain," Walter Koenig said.

The Koenigs said they received a letter from their son last week in which he wrote in a "despondent tone."

He had stopped taking medication for depression about a year ago, his father said.

Unknown to his parents at the time, Andrew Koenig sold or gave away many of his possessions and moved out of his apartment in Venice, California, before traveling to Canada, the family said.

Walter Koenig was helping the friends "get another sweep of Stanley Park" Thursday morning and was nearby when they found his son, he said.

Koenig asked others who may be considering suicide "before you make that final decision, check it out again, and talk to someone."

"If you're one of those people who can't handle it anymore, you know, if you can learn anything from this, there are people out there who really care," he said. "You may not think so and ultimately it may not be enough, but there are people who really care."

Families of those who are troubled should not ignore the warning signs, he said. "Don't ignore it, don't rationalize it," he said.

Read the entire story here.

(from CNN.com)

Actor Andrew Koenig, missing since February 14, was found dead in Vancouver, British Columbia, Thursday, a source close to the family told CNN.

The body of the former "Growing Pains" star was found in a park, according to the source, who spoke to Koenig's father, actor Walter Koenig, after Koenig was informed of the discovery.

The source asked not to be named because of the sensitivity of the matter.

Koenig, 41, was reported missing by his parents after he did not board a flight to Los Angeles from Vancouver last week.

Vancouver police confirmed a body was found in Stanley Park around noon Thursday, but said only that it was "believed to be that of Andrew Koenig."

Read the entire story here.