CyberSuicide: UK man commits suicide live on webcam

Saturday, 15 September 2007

OK, now this is seriously disturbed, just as a warning the image below may be disturbing or offensive, as it depicts the final outcome.

A UK man, father of twins, apparently committed suicide live on webcam in a chat room on Wednesday March 21st. This event is being billed Britain's first "Cyber Suicide". Kevin Whitrick, 42, was found slumped on the floor of his home in Telford, Shropshire by police who broke into his house, after being alerted by a neighboring police force that was tipped off by another user of the PalTalk chatroom.

Whitrick was using a PalTalk chatroom, that was apparently a version of the classic Flame Room where users trade insults back and forth. Reports say that he was suffering from depression after being injured in a car accident last year, as well as the breakdown of his marriage, and the recent death of his father. Mr. Whitrick told the users of the chat room what he intended to do, some two hours or so before hanging himself.

After the fact, some members of the chat room expressed their regret, saying they felt sick about what happened, and that at the time they thought the whole thing was a hoax. They confirmed that Whitrick told of his plans to kill himself, and thinking it wasn't for real, they egged him on, telling him to make sure his webcam was turned on, until he eventually did indeed hang himself.

One anonymous user said: "He tied a rope around an uncovered ceiling joist and stood on the chair as he tied the rope around his neck. "Some of us chatroom users, talking to Kevin over text chat, microphones and video tried to convince him to step down, but others egged him on telling him to get on with it. "We just couldn't believe he was doing it - it was surreal. "One chatter said: 'F***ing do it, get on with it, get it round your neck. For F***'s sake he can't even do this properly'." Another user who did not wish to be named said: "When Kevin stepped off the chair and was left dangling, the mood in the chatroom changed and people began to realise what they had just seen. "We started asking if anyone knew where he lived and saying they should contact the police. "I think someone contacted the police in their local area but sadly no one could get to him in time."

Shortly after, moderators on the site closed the feed from Kevin's webcam.

Tim Bennet, a Paltalk user, said: “We were in an insult chatroom where people trade insults and have a go at each other. A couple of people told me what he was planning to do. “Then Shyguy_17_1 turned his camera on. You could see him smash through the ceiling, then standing on a chair he hung a rope over an uncovered joist and tied it around his neck. “People were still having a go at him, telling him to get on with it, shouting abuse over their microphones and writing messages — but he did not respond. And then he did it. “I initially thought that it was a fake, because you couldn’t see his feet, but then his face started turning blue. I felt sick. The mood suddenly changed, everyone was concerned for him and started talking about calling the police and trying to help him.”

Another Paltalk user, who asked not to be identified, said: “I didn’t think it was real. I have known Kevin for over four years; he always went by his user-names of R1 and ShyBoy_17_1, but he told his close friends on the sites his real name. “I couldn’t believe he was doing this. He was on the screen shouting, ‘I’ve had it, you think I am full of s**t, not this time’. I hoped it was a stunt but I knew it was real. “Other people were egging him on, telling him to get on with it, but I was just thinking: this is dangerous. One guy who was chatting on his microphone shouted at Kevin, ‘F***ing do it, get on with it, get it round your neck. For f**k’s sake he can’t even do this properly’. “Others were talking to him with his old user-name R1 and telling him to stop it. Then all of a sudden it became clear it was not a hoax . . . I watched what happened and felt sick, others were claiming that he was faking it and was still stood on a chair but I knew he was dead.”

Kevin Whitrick is remembered by friends and family as a kind, conisderate man. Mrs. Whitrick said: "Kevin was a loving father and family man. He was always the life and soul of the party, an extremely considerate and kind person and loved by many, he will be so sadly missed by us all. "Unfortunately Kevin had a very serious car accident in July 2006 and had never fully recovered back to full health." Mr. Whitrick's stepmother Betty Whitrick, 74, told the Mail: 'Kevin was a bubbly kind of person, full of fun. I just don't know why he would do this. "He lived alone but he always cheerful when I saw him. I knew he was very into computers and he also used to like playing bowls."

Mr. Whitrick hung himself by smashing a hole in the ceiling, standing on a chair and putting a rope around the uncovered joist, tying it around his neck, and finally, stepping off the chair.

UK man commits suicide live on webcam