The last moments of 14-year-old Carson Crimeni’s life were recorded and posted to social media.
Disturbing video clips show the Langley teen barely able to stand or speak at the Walnut Grove skate park on Wednesday night, Aug. 7 while people can be heard laughing (The Langley Advance Times has chosen not to share the videos).
Langley RCMP said Carson was pronounced deceased after his arrival at a local hospital that evening.
An autopsy to help determine cause of death was scheduled for Tuesday (Aug. 13), but the results were not available prior to press deadline, and toxicology results are known to take several weeks.
READ MORE: Wave of grief and outrage over teen’s death
Cpl. Holly Largy said a number of people have come forward since police made a public appeal for information about Carson’s movements on the day of his death.
“A lot of individuals who have information relevant to this investigation have attended the detachment to provide statements,” Largy said, adding no arrests have been made.
A tipline set up by the RCMP at 604-532-3398 has been “very active,” Largy noted.
She urged anyone with information that might help police trace Carson’s movements to phone.
“Every call that we get, we follow up,” Largy said.
Mounties believed the boy spent his last hours on foot between the Walnut Grove skateboard park, the grounds of Walnut Grove Secondary, and the Walnut Grove Community Park behind the school.
He may have been in the area as early as noon, according to the RCMP statement.
Where and when he was discovered have not been disclosed by investigators. His grandfather said Carson was found in a concrete ditch only a few hundred feet from home.
READ MORE: Grandfather speaks out about teen who died after overdosing in Langley park
Vancouver criminal lawyer Kyla Lee said several of the social media videos were sent to her, and they show Carson consuming what appears to be drugs, in obvious distress.
“He didn’t even know his own name,” Lee said. “It’s absolutely shocking.”
The people encouraging Carson to consume pills in the videos could face criminal charges, Lee suggested.
“I see people who are exposing themselves to charges of criminal negligence causing death,” Lee said.
Some online messages have made direct threats against the people who took the videos.
Langley RCMP said any investigation of such threats would be carried out separately from the Crimeni case.
READ ALSO: Another teen mourned in Greater Victoria after suspected overdose
An investigation is also underway by the BC Coroners Service.
Service communications manager Andy Watson said a report on the cause of death would be issued once the investigation is complete.
Watson said it would be “premature” to speculate if there would be an inquest at this point.
He explained that inquests are held when the chief coroner determines that it would address community concern about a death, assist in finding information about the deceased or circumstances of a death, and “or drawing attention to a cause of death if such awareness can prevent future deaths.”
As well, the Independent Investigations Office of B.C. (IIO), a civilian oversight agency that investigates police conduct, is looking into the matter.
A brief statement said the IIO was notified of an incident where a person was “found in Walnut Grove park who was subsequently declared deceased.”
It added the office “is currently investigating the incident as police were in proximity.”
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Email: dan.ferguson@langleyadvancetimes.com
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