Fall From Tree Likely Killed Barrie Teen
Posted November 8, 2008 12:00 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
It’s the ending nobody expected, but everyone feared.
The body of 15-year-old Brandon Crisp was found Wednesday, more than three weeks after he disappeared from his parent’s home.
Saturday, Barrie police revealed that the boy died from injuries to his chest, consistent with what they suspect might have been a fall from a tree. It’s not known how long he survived in the wooded area and the date of his death is not known.
The OPP and local police are still investigating.
“They are still at the scene trying to piece together the hours leading up to his death,” outlined Barrie Police Sgt. Dave Goodbrand. “We’re assisting them in trying to build a timeline and determine exactly why he was where he was. The cause of death was determined and that was trauma to the chest.”
Crisp did not die of hypothermia or exposure and foul play is not suspected. The coroner’s office relied on dental records to positively identify his body Friday.
The teen ran away Thanksgiving Monday after his parents took away his Xbox. He used the gaming console to the point of addiction, they said, especially the game Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare.
Initially, investigators feared Crisp may have been lured away by someone he met online, but that wasn’t the case.
Crisp was spotted twice the day he disappeared, October 13, but wasn’t seen again. Police found his abandoned bicycle a week later, but that was the last sure sign of the missing teen.
The 10 days police spent scouring an area around Brandon’s last sighting did not cover the area where he was found.
“We had not searched that area and that really wasn’t the area we were focused on, we based our search on the area where he was last seen,” Sgt. Goodbrand explained.
It wasn’t until November 5 that hunters found his body lying in a cornfield in Oro-Medonte, not far from his hometown.
Crisp’s parents, Steve and Angelika, have understandably not spoken to the media since their son’s body was found.
The funeral for Brandon Crisp is planned for 10am Friday at St. Mary’s Church in Barrie.
Visitations for the teen are scheduled for Thursday at the Steckley-Gooderham Funeral Home.
The tragic story has made international headlines, and here in Canada it prompted at least one major retailer to tone down the release of highly anticipated, but violent, video game Gears of War 2.
Facebook condolence group expresses grief
Story makes headlines worldwide
If you can help investigators piece together the final moments of the young man’s life, call the Barrie Detachment of the OPP 1 -705-726-6484, the Barrie Police Service at 705-725-7025 or an anonymous call can be made to Crime stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS).
