The son of Star Trek actor Walter Koenig (Chekov) was found dead in Vancouver’s Stanley Park on Thursday.
Andrew Koenig, an actor,writer and director best known for his role as Boner in Growing Pains, had been battling depression for years and had stopped taking his medication a year ago. He had gone to Vancouver to visit friends when he disappeared on Valentine’s Day.
After his parents received a letter from him that sounded despondent, the Koenigs notified police. Fandom and the internets took up the cause by posting his picture and linking to the website set up by his friends and family in the hopes that he might be found. Unfortunately, a private search organized by the family located him in a secluded area off one of his favorite paths. They shared that he had taken his own life.
Walter and his wife said the following during a press conference:
If you know or are one of those people who feel like you can’t handle it any more, if you can learn anything from this, it is that there are people out there who care. You may not think so, and ultimately it may not be enough, but there are people that care. Before you make that final decision, check it out again, talk to somebody.
People in the United States who need to speak with someone can call the National Suicide Prevention Hotlines at either 1-800-SUICIDE (1-800-784-2433) or 1-800-273-TALK (1-800-273-8255).