On November 19th, nineteen year old Abraham K. Biggs logged onto the live streaming Dot TV Channel “Justin.tv.” Shortly thereafter, Abraham took an overdose of pills, laid down, and went to sleep. While on camera, after this pill overdose, Abraham appeared to be breathing for hours until watchers “realized” he might be serious and this might be a legitimate “suicide” attempt. According to numerous online reports, Mr. Biggs was a “boy who cried wolf.” In the past Abraham posted threats of killing himself on a number of web message boards and displayed a general sense of depression and disappointment with his life. Many moderators and forum viewers of what inevitably turned out to be a “live suicide” were skeptical it was a legitimate suicide attempt and actually began mocking nineteen year old Biggs. Other viewers took Abraham’s actions and depressive posts seriously and contacted the Broward County Sheriff’s Department in Florida. The video of Abraham’s suicide began with the ingestion of pills and ended with police and EMT’s breaking down Abraham’s door, blocking the camera, and ultimately unable to save Mr. Biggs.

Justin.tv is free live broadcast Dot TV service with strict policies. Justin.tv’s CEO Michael Seibel said, “…it’s not as if technology enabled the taking of a life, or as if this hasn’t happened before. A British man hung himself last year after allegedly being goaded on by fellow users of Paltalk, another live video site. There was even a widely distributed movie on the topic of live-streamed killings released earlier this year called Untraceable. But last night’s incident raises a though-provoking question regarding free hosting of live broadcasts—what could sites like Justin.tv possibly do to prevent live-streamed snuff films?” Additionally, Michael Seibel issued this statement to CNET News: “We regret that this has occurred and respect the privacy of the broadcaster and his family during this time. We have policies in place to discourage distribution of distressing content and our community monitors the site accordingly. This content was flagged by our community, reviewed, and removed according to our Terms of Service.”

Although young people crying out for help in web message boards and eventually committing suicide is not a new occurrence, this live streaming broadcast is certainly the first “live suicide” on a Dot TV. Anthony Galima, CEO of Unity 4 Humanity, and Dot TV pioneer said, “The death of Abraham Biggs is a beyond tragic story. This is a horrible way for the Dot TV extension to get global exposure. My thoughts and prayers are with the family of Abraham Biggs and the viewing audience that witnessed this traumatic event. Justin.tv is a wonderful Dot TV Channel, and I hope they will continue to provide their free services and move past this horribly sad incident. I hope those who knew Abraham celebrate the way he lived, not his untimely death.” In Abraham’s suicide note he wrote, “I have come to believe that my life has all been meaningless. I keep trying and I keep failing. I have thought about and attempted suicide many times in the past. I used to think of my failure as some mystical way of telling me that I was really meant for something meaningful.” Abraham did have a meaningful life and he will always be remembered amongst his friends, family, and in the pages of Dot TV’s history.