Family slams suicide viewers
CAmera CAPTURES STUDENT’S DEATH

BY THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Published: November 22, 2008

MIAMI, Fla. — A college student killed himself by taking a drug overdose in front of a webcam as some computer users egged him on, others tried to talk him out of it, and others messaged in horror when it became clear it was no joke.

Some watchers contacted the Web site, but by the time officers entered Abraham Biggs’ home — a scene also captured on the Internet — it was too late.

Biggs, 19, suffered from what his family said was bipolar disorder, lay dead on his bed Wednesday afternoon, the camera still running 12 hours after he announced his intentions.

His family was infuriated no one acted sooner to save him. Only when police arrived did the Web feed stop, "so that’s 12 hours of watching,” said the victim’s sister, Rosalind Bigg. "They got hits, they got viewers, nothing happened for hours.”

She added: "It didn’t have to be.”