Disappearance of Brandon Crisp
Encyclopedia
Brandon Emmett Crisp was a teenage Canadian boy who disappeared on October 13, 2008, when he ran away from his home in Barrie
, Ontario
, Canada
after his parents took away his Xbox 360
due to failing grades and excessive play of Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare
. He was last seen alive on a nearby trail.
His body was found at the base of a tree in an overgrown area on November 5, a few kilometres away, by a party of hunters.
An autopsy
determined that he likely died of injuries due to a fall from a tree.
video game Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare
, after they took the system away. Brandon filled a yellow and grey backpack with clothes and left home riding his bicycle. His parents allowed him to leave and expected "he would be home later that day with his tail between his legs".
According to police, two witnesses claimed to have last seen him on a trail near Shanty Bay, Ontario. The first reported that they had seen him having mechanical trouble with his bicycle on the trail. The second witness reported seeing Brandon later walking along the trail further east, but due to communications mix-ups this information was not passed along to searchers until the end of October. Brandon's missing person
file was flagged nationally by the Canadian Police Information Centre
.
Brandon's parents reported him to Barrie Police Service as missing on the morning of October 14. Police began their search October 18, using heat-sensitive cameras
and officers with the K-9 unit
. On October 20, police located his mountain bike, which had originally been abandoned near where he was last witnessed.
Concerned members of the public organised their own search parties, at times consisting of over sixteen hundred individuals, some from areas as far away as London, Ontario
.
On October 27, Microsoft
announced that they would be adding C$
25,000 of matching funds to the reward already offered by a local newspaper and the Crisps' Internet service provider
, bringing the total reward to $50,000. As the ground searches were progressing, there was also speculation that Brandon had been lured by a fellow Xbox Live
player, despite there being no evidence for this; Microsoft offered assistance to the police effort by helping to identify players on Brandon's online friends list.
, Citytv
, CP24, and others covered the story, and national outlets such as the National Post
, CTV
and CBC
soon picked it up as well. A Facebook page started by Brandon's classmates at St. Joseph's Catholic High School in Barrie, titled "Where is Brandon Crisp", grew to almost 22,000 members by the time his body was found.
The news of the discovery of Brandon Crisp's body also made national news throughout Canada, with coverage on all major national TV networks and both Ontario and national newspapers. The Toronto Sun published it as the front page headline and picture on November 6, 2008. Thousands of people also flooded the Facebook group and other internet forums with expressions of grief and sympathy for the family.
The story generated significant internet coverage from bloggers and others trying to help find Brandon, such as the creation of the 'findbrandoncrisp.com' website (no longer online), discussions of the video-game related issues, and discussions of how the tragedy emotionally affected the community, police involved, and even strangers.
The report of Brandon's death also generated a significant amount of anonymous internet trolling
, with many messages and photos posted to the Facebook group that most group members and friends found to be upsetting and disturbing, resulting in the group being shut down; an example of what Mattathias Schwartz of the New York Times has called
"Malwebolence".
Brandon Crisp was laid to rest in Barrie on November 14, 2008, in a service attended by over 1700 fellow students, friends, family, and community members. National media covered the service, featured as the lead-item on most Ontario newscasts. The Crisp family has created the Brandon Crisp Endowment Fund, working with Canadian Tire
's JumpStart charity program for assisting families in financial need to participate in minor sports and recreational activities. By October 2009 over $140,000 has been raised.
Brandon's story continues to be referenced in discussions about video game addiction and influence, with debate about whether Brandon's obsession with the Call of Duty video game actually was a contributing factor to his death, or whether this case was just a tragedy that began with an ordinary teen-parent argument.
On March 6, 2009, the CBC
's national newsmagazine
program the fifth estate
aired an hour-long report on video game addiction and the Brandon Crisp story, titled "Top Gun", subtitled "When a video gaming obsession turns to addiction and tragedy". The program had sent a team to Barrie to interview Brandon's parents and friends before Brandon's body had been found, and those segments were combined with interviews of gaming industry representatives and others. While the program did acknowledge that video gaming was not directly responsible for Brandon's death, many journalists and bloggers felt that the program was not balanced and fair, singling out the video game industry and focusing less on the need for parents to educate themselves about video games. Columnist Steve Tilley of the Toronto Sun
newspaper called the report "Lazy, cheap and disappointingly one-sided", though he does admit that the report succeeds "in exploring why Brandon Crisp might have become so addicted to Call Of Duty 4".
Barrie
Barrie may refer to:* Barrie, city in Ontario, Canada* Barrie , Canadian federal electoral district* Barrie , provincial electoral district* Barrie—Simcoe—Bradford, former Canadian electoral district...
, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
after his parents took away his Xbox 360
Xbox 360
The Xbox 360 is the second video game console produced by Microsoft and the successor to the Xbox. The Xbox 360 competes with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
due to failing grades and excessive play of Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare
Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare
Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare is a 2007 first-person shooter video game, developed by Infinity Ward and published by Activision for Microsoft Windows, Mac OS X, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and Wii. A handheld game was made for the Nintendo DS. The game was released in North America, Australia, and...
. He was last seen alive on a nearby trail.
His body was found at the base of a tree in an overgrown area on November 5, a few kilometres away, by a party of hunters.
An autopsy
Autopsy
An autopsy—also known as a post-mortem examination, necropsy , autopsia cadaverum, or obduction—is a highly specialized surgical procedure that consists of a thorough examination of a corpse to determine the cause and manner of death and to evaluate any disease or injury that may be present...
determined that he likely died of injuries due to a fall from a tree.
Disappearance
On October 13, 2008, Brandon was involved in an argument with his parents over what his parents described as obsessive playing of the Xbox 360Xbox 360
The Xbox 360 is the second video game console produced by Microsoft and the successor to the Xbox. The Xbox 360 competes with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
video game Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare
Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare
Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare is a 2007 first-person shooter video game, developed by Infinity Ward and published by Activision for Microsoft Windows, Mac OS X, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and Wii. A handheld game was made for the Nintendo DS. The game was released in North America, Australia, and...
, after they took the system away. Brandon filled a yellow and grey backpack with clothes and left home riding his bicycle. His parents allowed him to leave and expected "he would be home later that day with his tail between his legs".
According to police, two witnesses claimed to have last seen him on a trail near Shanty Bay, Ontario. The first reported that they had seen him having mechanical trouble with his bicycle on the trail. The second witness reported seeing Brandon later walking along the trail further east, but due to communications mix-ups this information was not passed along to searchers until the end of October. Brandon's missing person
Missing person
A missing person is a person who has disappeared for usually unknown reasons.Missing persons' photographs may be posted on bulletin boards, milk cartons, postcards, and websites, along with a phone number to be contacted if a sighting has been made....
file was flagged nationally by the Canadian Police Information Centre
Canadian Police Information Centre
The Canadian Police Information Centre is the central police database where Canada's law enforcement agencies can access information on a number of matters. It is Canada's only national law enforcement networking computer system ensuring officers all across the country can access the same...
.
Brandon's parents reported him to Barrie Police Service as missing on the morning of October 14. Police began their search October 18, using heat-sensitive cameras
Thermographic camera
A thermographic camera or infrared camera is a device that forms an image using infrared radiation, similar to a common camera that forms an image using visible light...
and officers with the K-9 unit
Police dog
A police dog, often referred to as a "K-9 dog" in some areas , is a dog that is trained specifically to assist police and other law-enforcement personnel in their work...
. On October 20, police located his mountain bike, which had originally been abandoned near where he was last witnessed.
Concerned members of the public organised their own search parties, at times consisting of over sixteen hundred individuals, some from areas as far away as London, Ontario
London, Ontario
London is a city in Southwestern Ontario, Canada, situated along the Quebec City – Windsor Corridor. The city has a population of 352,395, and the metropolitan area has a population of 457,720, according to the 2006 Canadian census; the metro population in 2009 was estimated at 489,274. The city...
.
On October 27, Microsoft
Microsoft
Microsoft Corporation is an American public multinational corporation headquartered in Redmond, Washington, USA that develops, manufactures, licenses, and supports a wide range of products and services predominantly related to computing through its various product divisions...
announced that they would be adding C$
Canadian dollar
The Canadian dollar is the currency of Canada. As of 2007, the Canadian dollar is the 7th most traded currency in the world. It is abbreviated with the dollar sign $, or C$ to distinguish it from other dollar-denominated currencies...
25,000 of matching funds to the reward already offered by a local newspaper and the Crisps' Internet service provider
Internet service provider
An Internet service provider is a company that provides access to the Internet. Access ISPs directly connect customers to the Internet using copper wires, wireless or fiber-optic connections. Hosting ISPs lease server space for smaller businesses and host other people servers...
, bringing the total reward to $50,000. As the ground searches were progressing, there was also speculation that Brandon had been lured by a fellow Xbox Live
Xbox Live
Xbox Live is an online multiplayer gaming and digital media delivery service created and operated by Microsoft Corporation. It is currently the only online gaming service on consoles that charges users a fee to play multiplayer gaming. It was first made available to the Xbox system in 2002...
player, despite there being no evidence for this; Microsoft offered assistance to the police effort by helping to identify players on Brandon's online friends list.
Death
Police ended the ground search for Brandon on October 30, 2008, but made clear that the investigation was on-going and continuing around-the-clock. One week later, on November 5, hunters discovered Brandon's body in an overgrown area near what had been the police search area. An autopsy confirmed the identity of the teen via dental records and determined the cause of death to be "injuries to the chest area that are consistent with a fall from a tree". Barrie Police noted that no foul play was suspected, and that the investigation was ongoing to determine an exact timeline. Though a police spokesman stated "We're doing the best to come up with the answers everybody wants", no further details or updates have been released to the public.Media coverage and response
Within a week of Brandon Crisp's disappearance the case received significant media coverage throughout Ontario. Toronto-based outlets such as The Toronto StarToronto Star
The Toronto Star is Canada's highest-circulation newspaper, based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Its print edition is distributed almost entirely within the province of Ontario...
, Citytv
Citytv
Citytv is a Canadian English language television system owned and operated by Rogers Communications under its Rogers Broadcasting Ltd. division...
, CP24, and others covered the story, and national outlets such as the National Post
National Post
The National Post is a Canadian English-language national newspaper based in Don Mills, a district of Toronto. The paper is owned by Postmedia Network Inc. and is published Mondays through Saturdays...
, CTV
CTV television network
CTV Television Network is a Canadian English language television network and is owned by Bell Media. It is Canada's largest privately-owned network, and has consistently placed as Canada's top-rated network in total viewers and in key demographics since 2002, after several years trailing the rival...
and CBC
Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, commonly known as CBC and officially as CBC/Radio-Canada, is a Canadian crown corporation that serves as the national public radio and television broadcaster...
soon picked it up as well. A Facebook page started by Brandon's classmates at St. Joseph's Catholic High School in Barrie, titled "Where is Brandon Crisp", grew to almost 22,000 members by the time his body was found.
The news of the discovery of Brandon Crisp's body also made national news throughout Canada, with coverage on all major national TV networks and both Ontario and national newspapers. The Toronto Sun published it as the front page headline and picture on November 6, 2008. Thousands of people also flooded the Facebook group and other internet forums with expressions of grief and sympathy for the family.
The story generated significant internet coverage from bloggers and others trying to help find Brandon, such as the creation of the 'findbrandoncrisp.com' website (no longer online), discussions of the video-game related issues, and discussions of how the tragedy emotionally affected the community, police involved, and even strangers.
The report of Brandon's death also generated a significant amount of anonymous internet trolling
Troll (Internet)
In Internet slang, a troll is someone who posts inflammatory, extraneous, or off-topic messages in an online community, such as an online discussion forum, chat room, or blog, with the primary intent of provoking readers into an emotional response...
, with many messages and photos posted to the Facebook group that most group members and friends found to be upsetting and disturbing, resulting in the group being shut down; an example of what Mattathias Schwartz of the New York Times has called
"Malwebolence".
Brandon Crisp was laid to rest in Barrie on November 14, 2008, in a service attended by over 1700 fellow students, friends, family, and community members. National media covered the service, featured as the lead-item on most Ontario newscasts. The Crisp family has created the Brandon Crisp Endowment Fund, working with Canadian Tire
Canadian Tire
Canadian Tire Corporation, Limited is one of Canada's 60 largest publicly traded companies. The firm operates an inter-related network of businesses engaged in retailing hardgoods, apparel and petroleum as well as financial and automotive services, employing more than 58,000 people across Canada...
's JumpStart charity program for assisting families in financial need to participate in minor sports and recreational activities. By October 2009 over $140,000 has been raised.
Brandon's story continues to be referenced in discussions about video game addiction and influence, with debate about whether Brandon's obsession with the Call of Duty video game actually was a contributing factor to his death, or whether this case was just a tragedy that began with an ordinary teen-parent argument.
On March 6, 2009, the CBC
Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, commonly known as CBC and officially as CBC/Radio-Canada, is a Canadian crown corporation that serves as the national public radio and television broadcaster...
's national newsmagazine
Newsmagazine
A news magazine is a typed, printed, and published piece of paper, magazine or a radio or television program, usually weekly, featuring articles or segments on current events...
program the fifth estate
The fifth estate
the fifth estate is a Canadian television newsmagazine, which airs on the English language CBC Television network. The name is a play on the fact that the media are sometimes referred to as the Fourth Estate, and was chosen to highlight the program's determination to go beyond everyday news into...
aired an hour-long report on video game addiction and the Brandon Crisp story, titled "Top Gun", subtitled "When a video gaming obsession turns to addiction and tragedy". The program had sent a team to Barrie to interview Brandon's parents and friends before Brandon's body had been found, and those segments were combined with interviews of gaming industry representatives and others. While the program did acknowledge that video gaming was not directly responsible for Brandon's death, many journalists and bloggers felt that the program was not balanced and fair, singling out the video game industry and focusing less on the need for parents to educate themselves about video games. Columnist Steve Tilley of the Toronto Sun
Toronto Sun
The Toronto Sun is an English-language daily tabloid newspaper published in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is known for its daily Sunshine Girl feature and for what it sees as a populist conservative editorial stance.-History:...
newspaper called the report "Lazy, cheap and disappointingly one-sided", though he does admit that the report succeeds "in exploring why Brandon Crisp might have become so addicted to Call Of Duty 4".