Blinger101
10-01-2004, 10:14 AM
...and the front cover happens to read "Internet Game Linked To Killing?!"
Now, obviously, this caught my attention, so I turned to the page the article was on and read the whole thing at least twice. I'm in class right now, so you'll have to bare with me on this until I get home and quote the article for you all to read and discuss about. However, the jist of it is that an online gamer (Who goes by the alias "Cain") from the game Mytharria, Ultima, Neverwinter Nights, and so-forth was visiting Canada to see a few of his fellow gamer friends (that he met online in Mytharria). Now, it's important to note that in the article, it states that this person has a history of getting into fights, going to jail, stuff like that. It also says that in the gaming community that he's the nicest, sweetest guy you'd come across. Anyways, a bit more than a month ago, August 9th I believe it was, the local police discovered his body (Actually, it was his employer who found his body. He stopped by after he was late for work) in a toolshed where he was living at the time. The people who knew him say he was the best guy in the world, and they knew he had some bad history. Never does the article say that the "Internet Game" was linked to his murder, just that he was a well respected member within the community. The people who he last talked to speculate, and this is probably the most likely situation, that he may have gone to a bar the night before he was murdered, rubbed somebody the wrong way and was murdered when he got home. Unfortunately, bar-fights and subsequent deaths happen all the time, but in this case the police are quick to judge a simple online RPG. That's what really ticks me off. Either the journalist who wrote that article doesn't have his facts straight, and of which I will personally send him/her an email regarding this issue, or the police have somehow ruled out the more likely possibility that he was part of a barfight the night before his murder.
I also thought it is worth mentioning that because of his reputation in Mytharria, members are creating a virtual memorial garden in his honor.
This thread is now open for discussion. I'll post the article when I get home (in about 4 hours).
Edit: I managed to get an online version of the article (Good thing too, I didn't want to have to type it all out ;) ). Here it is...
"Headline: Internet Game Linked To Killing?
Online chums probed in Net gamer's death
David Wylie
Special to the Province
October 1, 2004
Investigators are Looking to An Internet Gaming Community for Clues in the Murder of An American Fruit Picker in the South Okanagan.
Douglas Duckworth, 32, Was Found Murdered on Aug. 9 in the Cabin in Cawston Where He'd Been Living for About a Year. Police Said the Attack Wasn't Random and That He Was Known to His Killer.
Few Knew Duckworth in the Town of 900. but He Was a Well-Liked "Game Master" Known to Hundreds as Cain, a Major Character in An Online Role-Playing Game Called Mytharria.
Derek Wilson of Sudbury, Ont., One of Duckworth's Longtime Friends and a Member of the Gaming Community, Said He's Been Contacted by the Rcmp.
He Said He Gave Police a Link to a Forum Used by the Murdered Man. Police May Also Be Looking Through Some of Duckworth's Old Instant-Message Logs for Leads.
Duckworth Had Been Using the Internet in Cawston, but Wilson Said Police Weren't Able to Track His Usage.
Meanwhile, the Gaming Community Is Mourning the Loss of Duckworth and Is Planning a Virtual Memorial Garden Within the Game for Him.
"He Was a Great Guy," Said Wilson. "Doug Had Friends From New Zealand to Belgium . . . Everywhere. He Was Admired for His Work and His Personality."
Duckworth Was Famous Within the Community for His Story-Weaving Skills. and While His
Character, Cain, Leaned Toward the Dark Side, Duckworth Was Kind and Caring, Said Wilson.
Dan Terrill, 35, of Bristol, Conn., Who Founded the Online Group About Six Years Ago, Said He and Duckworth Became Friends About Eight Years Ago When They Met on An Internet Message Board Focused on the Game Ultima.
Duckworth Joined When Terrill Created His Own Online Game Server, Centred on the Medieval Role-Playing Game Neverwinter Nights. Duckworth Was Involved Off and on Until About Two Years Ago, and the Two Kept in Contact.
"Doug Was Pretty Important to A lot of Our Players, and He'll Really Be Missed," Terrill Said in An E-Mail Interview.
"Doug Was a Great Guy -- by Far the Most Imaginative Member of Our Community. He Could Tell a Story or Create a Plot Line Better Than Anyone We've Ever Seen.
"He Did Have a Dark Side, Though. He Was a Hard Drinker and Did Some Hard Drugs. He Was Also a Bit of a Brawler Back in the U.S., and Had Been to Jail for It in the Past.
"That Wasn't a Problem in Our Community Itself, but I Picked It Up Talking to Him Online."
Duckworth Came to Canada From St. Charles, Mo., in Early 2003 to Visit Gaming Partners Across Canada.
He Met Some Friends in B.C., Flew to Ontario and Then Hitchhiked to Cawston, Where He Settled.
Duckworth's Body Was Found by His Employer, Who Came Knocking on His Door When Duckworth Didn't Arrive for Work.
Tina Monkman, 20, of Vancouver Said Duckworth Liked Cawston but Didn't Have Many Friends There. He Had Planned to Leave Several Months Before the Murder.
"Last I Heard From Him Was About Six Months Ago," She Said. "He Called Me and Said He Wanted to Come and Stay With Me for a While. He Wanted to Wrap Things Up and Move On. He Didn't Really Tell Me Much on the Phone."
But Monkman Was in the Middle of Moving and Asked Him to Call Her Back in a Couple of Months.
She Said Duckworth Was a "Really, Really Sweet Guy" Who Always Kept in Touch.
But, She Said, He Could Also Be Upfront and Crass.
"I Think Sometimes That Rubs People the Wrong Way," She Said. "I Think He Just Really Pissed Someone Off and Someone Out in a Bar Went Off on Him.""
Notice how it says the police say that he was known to his killer, and that the murder wasn't random. Does that automatically mean that his killer was influenced by the fact that he was a major character in the game? No. I admit, that even I might not have interpreted this article correctly, but something about this just doesn't seem right. I mean, say the victim was being rude to a fellow gamer in Mytharria. I really don't think that the person who he was being rude to would go out of his way to travel across the country (or world, city, street, what have you...) just to kill the poor guy.
Now, obviously, this caught my attention, so I turned to the page the article was on and read the whole thing at least twice. I'm in class right now, so you'll have to bare with me on this until I get home and quote the article for you all to read and discuss about. However, the jist of it is that an online gamer (Who goes by the alias "Cain") from the game Mytharria, Ultima, Neverwinter Nights, and so-forth was visiting Canada to see a few of his fellow gamer friends (that he met online in Mytharria). Now, it's important to note that in the article, it states that this person has a history of getting into fights, going to jail, stuff like that. It also says that in the gaming community that he's the nicest, sweetest guy you'd come across. Anyways, a bit more than a month ago, August 9th I believe it was, the local police discovered his body (Actually, it was his employer who found his body. He stopped by after he was late for work) in a toolshed where he was living at the time. The people who knew him say he was the best guy in the world, and they knew he had some bad history. Never does the article say that the "Internet Game" was linked to his murder, just that he was a well respected member within the community. The people who he last talked to speculate, and this is probably the most likely situation, that he may have gone to a bar the night before he was murdered, rubbed somebody the wrong way and was murdered when he got home. Unfortunately, bar-fights and subsequent deaths happen all the time, but in this case the police are quick to judge a simple online RPG. That's what really ticks me off. Either the journalist who wrote that article doesn't have his facts straight, and of which I will personally send him/her an email regarding this issue, or the police have somehow ruled out the more likely possibility that he was part of a barfight the night before his murder.
I also thought it is worth mentioning that because of his reputation in Mytharria, members are creating a virtual memorial garden in his honor.
This thread is now open for discussion. I'll post the article when I get home (in about 4 hours).
Edit: I managed to get an online version of the article (Good thing too, I didn't want to have to type it all out ;) ). Here it is...
"Headline: Internet Game Linked To Killing?
Online chums probed in Net gamer's death
David Wylie
Special to the Province
October 1, 2004
Investigators are Looking to An Internet Gaming Community for Clues in the Murder of An American Fruit Picker in the South Okanagan.
Douglas Duckworth, 32, Was Found Murdered on Aug. 9 in the Cabin in Cawston Where He'd Been Living for About a Year. Police Said the Attack Wasn't Random and That He Was Known to His Killer.
Few Knew Duckworth in the Town of 900. but He Was a Well-Liked "Game Master" Known to Hundreds as Cain, a Major Character in An Online Role-Playing Game Called Mytharria.
Derek Wilson of Sudbury, Ont., One of Duckworth's Longtime Friends and a Member of the Gaming Community, Said He's Been Contacted by the Rcmp.
He Said He Gave Police a Link to a Forum Used by the Murdered Man. Police May Also Be Looking Through Some of Duckworth's Old Instant-Message Logs for Leads.
Duckworth Had Been Using the Internet in Cawston, but Wilson Said Police Weren't Able to Track His Usage.
Meanwhile, the Gaming Community Is Mourning the Loss of Duckworth and Is Planning a Virtual Memorial Garden Within the Game for Him.
"He Was a Great Guy," Said Wilson. "Doug Had Friends From New Zealand to Belgium . . . Everywhere. He Was Admired for His Work and His Personality."
Duckworth Was Famous Within the Community for His Story-Weaving Skills. and While His
Character, Cain, Leaned Toward the Dark Side, Duckworth Was Kind and Caring, Said Wilson.
Dan Terrill, 35, of Bristol, Conn., Who Founded the Online Group About Six Years Ago, Said He and Duckworth Became Friends About Eight Years Ago When They Met on An Internet Message Board Focused on the Game Ultima.
Duckworth Joined When Terrill Created His Own Online Game Server, Centred on the Medieval Role-Playing Game Neverwinter Nights. Duckworth Was Involved Off and on Until About Two Years Ago, and the Two Kept in Contact.
"Doug Was Pretty Important to A lot of Our Players, and He'll Really Be Missed," Terrill Said in An E-Mail Interview.
"Doug Was a Great Guy -- by Far the Most Imaginative Member of Our Community. He Could Tell a Story or Create a Plot Line Better Than Anyone We've Ever Seen.
"He Did Have a Dark Side, Though. He Was a Hard Drinker and Did Some Hard Drugs. He Was Also a Bit of a Brawler Back in the U.S., and Had Been to Jail for It in the Past.
"That Wasn't a Problem in Our Community Itself, but I Picked It Up Talking to Him Online."
Duckworth Came to Canada From St. Charles, Mo., in Early 2003 to Visit Gaming Partners Across Canada.
He Met Some Friends in B.C., Flew to Ontario and Then Hitchhiked to Cawston, Where He Settled.
Duckworth's Body Was Found by His Employer, Who Came Knocking on His Door When Duckworth Didn't Arrive for Work.
Tina Monkman, 20, of Vancouver Said Duckworth Liked Cawston but Didn't Have Many Friends There. He Had Planned to Leave Several Months Before the Murder.
"Last I Heard From Him Was About Six Months Ago," She Said. "He Called Me and Said He Wanted to Come and Stay With Me for a While. He Wanted to Wrap Things Up and Move On. He Didn't Really Tell Me Much on the Phone."
But Monkman Was in the Middle of Moving and Asked Him to Call Her Back in a Couple of Months.
She Said Duckworth Was a "Really, Really Sweet Guy" Who Always Kept in Touch.
But, She Said, He Could Also Be Upfront and Crass.
"I Think Sometimes That Rubs People the Wrong Way," She Said. "I Think He Just Really Pissed Someone Off and Someone Out in a Bar Went Off on Him.""
Notice how it says the police say that he was known to his killer, and that the murder wasn't random. Does that automatically mean that his killer was influenced by the fact that he was a major character in the game? No. I admit, that even I might not have interpreted this article correctly, but something about this just doesn't seem right. I mean, say the victim was being rude to a fellow gamer in Mytharria. I really don't think that the person who he was being rude to would go out of his way to travel across the country (or world, city, street, what have you...) just to kill the poor guy.