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Comments (0)Sadly, the search for Andrew Koenig, who had been missing since Feb. 14, ended yesterday after the “Growing Pains” actor’s body was found in a park in Vancouver.
“My son took his own life,” Walter Koenig said at a news conference in the park. The body was found by several friends who conducted their own search of Stanley Park, where Andrew Koenig liked to walk.
Koenig, 41, was reported missing by his parents after he did not board a flight to Los Angeles last week. Walter Koenig is an actor best known for his role as Pavel Chekov in the “Star Trek” series.
“He was obviously in a lot of pain,” Walter Koenig said of his son. 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.
Families of those who are troubled should not ignore the warning signs, he said. “Don’t ignore it, don’t rationalize it,” he said.
Andrew Koenig’s mother, Judy Koenig, said people who are depressed “don’t realize there is help and they need help.” She said they should “connect with each other if there’s something that’s bothering you.”
Andrew Koenig appeared in 25 episodes of “Growing Pains” from 1985 to 1989, playing Richard “Boner” Stabone. He also appeared in episodes of several other television shows.
He was described as “a gifted and passionate multitalented young man” on his father’s Web site.