"Growing Pains'" Andrew Koenig Found Dead

(AP)  Last updated at 11:39 p.m. EST

Former "Growing Pains" actor Andrew Koenig was found dead Thursday in a wooded area of a sprawling downtown park where he enjoyed spending time, apparently after committing suicide.

The actor's father, Walter Koenig, said "my son took his own life," and police spokeswoman Jana McGuinness said, "I'll let Mr. Koenig's words speak for themselves."

"He was obviously in a lot of pain," Walter Koenig said, referring his son's lifelong depression.

McGuinness, speaking at a press conference at the park, said foul play was not involved, but said she could not be more specific because the coroner was taking over the investigation.

Andrew Koenig, 41, had a recurring role on the 1980s sitcom as Richard "Boner" Stabone, a pal of star Kirk Cameron's character, Mike. The native of Venice, California, hadn't been seen since Feb. 14, while visiting friends in Vancouver.

He was supposed to return home two days later. His parents reported him missing Feb. 18, then asked the public for help finding him a few days later.

On Tuesday, Vancouver police and three search-and-rescue teams looked for any signs of Koenig throughout Stanley Park, which covers more than 1,000 acres. Friends and family decided to try again on their own Thursday and one of them found Koenig's body near a marsh in a heavily wooded area about 100 feet off the Bridle Path. McGuinness said the body could not be seen from the walking path.

The elder Koenig, who played Pavel Chekov on the original "Star Trek" TV series, was nearby when the body was found. Hours later, Koenig and his wife, Judith, issued a statement at a police station in the park.

They said Andrew had been depressed, and had said earlier that he had given away his belongings and had been off his medication. They urged others who are having trouble coping to seek help.

"If you are one of those people who can't handle it any more, know people are out there who really care before you make that final decision," Walter Koenig said. "Talk to somebody."

Koenig had said he that his son had cleaned out his apartment in Los Angeles, a city where he felt like he didn't belong. Koenig did not know his son planned to move to Vancouver, which is what Andrew told friends before he disappeared.

Andrew Koenig also appeared in "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine," "My Two Dads," and "G.I. Joe," and the films "NonSeNse," "InAlienable" and "The Theory of Everything." His father has praised his son for his acting, film editing and directing work, and said he was also a busy environmental activist. He also was an advocate for refugees from Myanmar, formerly known as Burma.

In 2008, Koenig was arrested during the Rose Bowl parade in California while protesting China's support for Myanmar's military government.

He came to love Vancouver after shooting a TV episode there, and once lived there for three years.

Watch Andrew Koenig's parents at a press conference in Vancouver:


Watch CBS News Videos Online

[adcury]

Journalism is killing journalism. The nutgraph and inverted pyramid requirements are the kinds of practices that lead to ridiculous sentences such as, "Former "Growing Pains" actor Andrew Koenig was found dead Thursday in a wooded area of a sprawling downtown park where he enjoyed spending time, apparently after committing suicide." Does the AP mean he enjoyed spending time in the park or he enjoyed spending time in the park after committing suicide. I'd expect this kind of poor grammar to be republished in the Huffington Post, but CBS editors should take a closer look at their content.

[erb0087]

by writer10 February 25, 2010 10:08 PM EST
nowhere in this article, does it make mention that he attempted to "drown his sorrows"
Stop making this in to something it's not!
====================================================

Still stalking me, Ass-hat ?

If you don't like my posts, don't read them any more.

You fat ********.

[erb0087]

You fat j-e-r-k-o-f-f.

[erb0087]

It's being reported just now that Marie Osmond's son has taken his own life.

Suicides in the news often spur others on to do it.

It's one of the worst aspects of suicide.

[Maxxis2p2]

My poor "Boner" I only wish I could have bore witness to his subsequent Growth after the show. I'm positive he had a very long, very hard and very vascular life. Or perhaps it was the exact opposite? Lets hope for his sake, that it wasn't. grow on boner, we'll never forget they way you Stuck Out during growing pains.

[RonJess2]

i am so sorry....my thoughts are with the Koenigs...

[gfrison]

Memorial for Andrew Koenig. Express your thoughts

http://www.lifestrand.net/affection/show/Andrew_Koenig

[pragmatist1]

May his tormented soul find eternal peace and may his family and friends find forgiveness for his selfishness and the pain he has brought to his family and friends that loved him dearly, reached out to him and tried helping him. Suicide is selfish and a stupid waste of precious life.

[DuaneGib]

Spoken like one who has never suffered from life altering depression. Do a bit of reserch and you'll learn that sometimes, no matter who nor how many try to help, a person in a state of deep depression can't be reached. God understands and, He forgives. There's only one sin that can't be forgiven and suicide ain't it. And one more thing. He was great in the movie "The Last Castle" Very good actor indeed.

[quapawsix]

In this country we speak and write English which is the accepted language not Spanish ,French there a Sam.

[Lara1977]

Um. It's the INTERNET, stupid. It's international.
Nevermind the fact that there are parts of Canada that speak French. You know Canada, that country above the US on the map? The country where they found Andrew? Yeah.

Why don't you go crawl back under your rock where you came from?

[howbizarre]

HAHAHA. Surely your post is tongue-in-cheek; a joke. Surely you really don't believe the Internet is only for English speakers or the US?

[inmaryland1]

Great moments in journalism: "(He) was found dead Thursday in a wooded area of a sprawling downtown park where he enjoyed spending time, apparently after committing suicide."

[ici2i]

Seems journalism in general is suffering from this all too common gramatical error. All that was needed was to place "apparently after committing suicide" after the word Thursday and separtaed by commas so it doesn't look like enjoying time is associated with suicide.

In any event, my thoughts are with the Koenig family.

[skeezix06]

I feel so badly for his family.