JUSTIN TIME

Viewers watched live via internet as teen fulfilled threat to kill himself.

When nineteen year old Abraham Biggs, Jr. announced over the website Justin.tv that he planned to commit suicide, viewers assumed it was an idle threat. That probably explains why few alarms were raised when Biggs took a fatal dose of pills, reclined on a bed, and died with his webcam recording the entire episode.

During the hours it took for Biggs to sink into coma and death, viewers watched and cracked jokes in a group chat room. An autopsy concluded Biggs died from a combination of opiates and benzodiazepine, which was prescribed for a bipolar disorder. The Florida teen is not the first to commit suicide in front of an audience, but the slow developing nature of the incident caused authorities to question whether something could have been done to stop him.

The users who witnessed the suicide told police investigators they did not take Biggs seriously because he had threatened suicide on the site before. Prosecutors reluctantly agreed there is no legal recourse against those who watched and didn’t alert police, even though witnesses claim Biggs was pushed or dared by some users to act on his threat.

Authorities had, however, explored the possibility of charging the website owners with negligence. But yesterday a lawyer close to the case said there isn’t much chance of charges being filed. While there could be liability if website operators knew about the incident, had the ability to intervene and didn’t take action, it did not appear as if that were true. Michael Seifert, chief executive of Justin.tv, offered condolences to the Biggs family.

Florida, Justin.tv, suicide

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HISTORY REWIND

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December 5

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December 3

1964—Mass Student Arrests in U.S.

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December 3

1968—U.S. Unemployment Hits Low

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December 2

1954—Joseph McCarthy Disciplined by Senate

In the United States, after standing idly by during years of communist witch hunts in Hollywood and beyond, the U.S. Senate votes 65 to 22 to condemn Joseph McCarthy for conduct bringing the Senate into dishonor and disrepute. The vote ruined McCarthy’s career.