Exclusive: Man in Disguise Boards International Flight

Atlanta, Georgia (CNN) -- Canadian authorities are investigating an "unbelievable" incident in which a passenger boarded an Air Canada flight disguised as an elderly man, according to a confidential alert obtained by CNN.

The incident occurred on October 29 on Air Canada flight AC018 to Vancouver originating in Hong Kong. An intelligence alert from the Canada Border Services Agency describes the incident as an "unbelievable case of concealment."

"Information was received from Air Canada Corporate Security regarding a possible imposter on a flight originating from Hong Kong," the alert says. "The passenger in question was observed at the beginning of the flight to be an elderly Caucasian male who appeared to have young looking hands. During the flight the subject attended the washroom and emerged an Asian looking male that appeared to be in his early 20s."

After landing in Canada, Border Services Officers (BSOs) escorted the man off the plane where he "proceeded to make a claim for refugee protection," the alert says.

"The subject initially claimed to be in possession of one bag; however, flight crew approached the BSOs with two additional pieces of luggage which were believed to belong to the subject. One bag contained the subject's personal clothing items while the second contained a pair of gloves. The third contained a 'disguise kit' which consisted of a silicone type head and neck mask of an elderly Caucasian male, a brown leather cap, glasses and a thin brown cardigan."

The man put on the disguise for the officers who "noted he very much resembled an elderly Caucasian man, complete with mimicking the movements of an elderly person. The subject admitted at this time that he had boarded the flight with the mask on and had removed it several hours later," according to the alert.

"We can confirm that officials from the CBSA met a passenger arriving off AC018 Hong Kong to Vancouver on October 29 and the matter is still under investigation," said Air Canada spokesman Peter Fitzpatrick, who noted that "there are multiple identity checks before departure at the Hong Kong international airport, including Chinese government-run Hong Kong passport control, which Hong Kong originating passengers must undergo."

Hong Kong officials said they are aware of the incident and would call back with more information later.

Jennifer Bourque, regional communications officer for the CBSA, confirmed that "we intercepted an individual, on October 29, attempting to enter Canada under false pretenses on-board an Air Canada flight."

"CBSA can confirm that the foreign national is currently in CBSA detention," she said. "The individual will present before an IRB hearing. The officials of the CBSA will not disclose further information on this file."

Because of Privacy Act regulations, she said, she cannot provide details about specific cases.

"However, I can tell you that CBSA officers examine all passengers arriving on international flights at Vancouver International Airport," she said. "CBSA works closely with air carriers and local, national and international law enforcement partners, to ensure the safety of our borders and our communities. Getting the right information at the right time is a key element in keeping Canada's border closed to safety and security threats."

The agency would not discuss when or why the man put on the disguise or details about how he boarded the plane. But the alert indicated that the suspect boarded the plane with a board pass belonging to another passenger.

"It is believed that the subject and the actual United States Citizen passenger (whose date of birth is 1955) performed a boarding pass swap, with the subject using an Aeroplan card as identification to board the flight," the alert said.

Aeroplan is a credit card where card holders can earn frequent flyer miles.

Teen Killed By Train Was Not On Tracks

VANCOUVER, Wash. -- A teenage girl struck and killed by a freight train in southwest Washington was not walking on the tracks when she was hit, according to a Burlington Northern Santa Fe spokesman.

Mindy Doster was a 17-year-old junior at Mountain View High School in Vancouver. She was struck near Evergreen Highway and 115th Court at about 5 p.m. Thursday.

Gus Melonas, a BNSF spokesman, said Doster was walking on the south side of the tracks near the Columbia River when she was hit by the train overhang.

The westbound train was traveling at a speed of 55 mph, investigators said. A railway spokesman said police found an iPod near Doster’s body.

Doster was the 15th person to be killed by a train in Washington this year.

San Mateo Student Who Fell in Vancouver on LSD

Mercury News- A 17-year-old San Mateo high school student was under the influence of LSD when he plunged to his death during a trip to Canada in June with teachers and fellow classmates, a British Columbia coroner's report said Friday.

Unbeknownst to adult chaperones, Daniel Cho and two friends took the drug while they were on a bus from Seattle, Wash., to Vancouver, British Columbia, the coroner said. The boys were with more than 100 other Aragon High School students headed to Canada as part of a musical exchange program.

When the group made a stop at the Capilano Suspension Bridge, a popular tourist spot in North Vancouver on the evening of June 6, Cho climbed over a 4-foot-high fence and fell 100 feet into a ravine below.

The coroner has ruled his death an accident, and Canadian police won't file any criminal charges in connection with the case.

"Our thoughts and prayers go out to the family," said Scott Laurence, superintendent of the San Mateo Union High School District. "It was a very sad, tragic event."

Acid Attack Hoax Shocks Friends, Family; Businesses Work to Return Donations

People like this dumb b*tch make horrible things like this up, deforming themselves, while there are real victims of acid attacks out there! It's mind blowing.


ABC News- The revelation that Bethany Storro splashed acid in her own face has left her friends and family shocked, particularly those who rushed to her defense in the days following her maiming.

Pamela Storro, Storro's former mother-in-law, told ABC News earlier this week that rumors that the acid attack was a hoax were "insane" and that there was "no way" her former daughter in law would do this to herself.

When reached today by ABC News, Pamela Storro declined to speak, other than to say she is in disbelief over Storro's admission that she did, in fact, fake the attack.

"I'm shocked," was all that Pamela Storro would say of her former daughter-in-law's alleged confession.

John Pax, the gym owner who held a fundraising to help offset Storro's medical expenses following the attack, said that he too is in "disbelief."

"We put aside our business because we found someone in need, one of our own members," he said. "We felt for her."

Vancouver Police announced Thursday that 28-year-old Storro had fabricated the Aug. 30 attack that left her severely burned and garnered media attention worldwide -- including an invitation to appear on Oprah Winfrey's talk show.

Storro had originally told authorities a stranger had splashed acid in her face while she walked through a popular park Vancouver, Wash.

But police said that soon after they began investigating the claims -- which included releasing a sketch of a suspect Storro claimed was responsible for the attack -- facts weren't adding up.



-Rest of attention-loving-wh*re's article here-

Death at 25: Blogging the End of a Life

(CNN) -- The former beauty queen stared into the camera, but this was no pageant or performance. She looked frail and thin, and her hair was rumpled. But Eva Markvoort smiled weakly.

"Hello to the world at large," she said in the video. "To my blog, to my friends, to everyone. I have some news today. It's kinda tough to hear, but I can say it with a smile." Propped in a hospital bed, Markvoort sat surrounded by her family. "My life is ending."

Markvoort had cystic fibrosis, an incurable disease that causes mucus to accumulate in the lungs. For nearly four years, she narrated an unvarnished blog about life with a terminal disease. Even when it appeared unlikely that she would receive a second double lung transplant, the 25-year-old continued to chronicle life on her blog.

The public sharing of one's last thoughts is a way to acknowledge that the end is near, but it also destigmatizes death for others, said medical experts who work with terminally ill patients.

In the Internet age, many people reflect on their lives through video, personal blogs and larger websites such as CaringBridge.org, where people who have major health events connect and share online.

"What we're seeing over the last decade, we are gradually moving from a culture that had become during the 20th century, very closed about death," said Dr. Chris Feudtner, research director of Palliative Care Services at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia in Pennsylvania.

A cultural shift has occurred, he said, referring to columnists and Randy Pausch, a computer science professor at Carnegie Mellon University, who discussed their impending deaths with frankness. Pausch's last lecture, urging students to fearlessly pursue their dreams, went viral on YouTube in 2007, getting more than 11 million views.

Their line of thinking may be, "I'm still alive. I don't want to be closed. I want connection. I want to be able to share what I'm learning on this journey," Feudtner said.

Bloggers like Miles Levin, an 18-year-old who had a rare soft-tissue cancer and died in 2007, and Michelle Lynn Mayer, a 39-year-old mother who had scleroderma and died in 2008, shared their thoughts on living and dying, too.

"We all tend to be open via video, blog or Facebook about what we do every day. It's hardly surprising that openness extends to people's last days or weeks," said Dr. David Cassarett, author of the book "Last Acts," about end-of-life decisions.

These bloggers, Cassarett said, are helping the rest of us through largely uncharted territory. He used a sports analogy to explain.

"Hardcore bicycle riders ride in packs, and there's a tradition," he said. "The one in the front points out hazards in the road to those who come behind. It's both an opportunity to be helpful, if you're in front. You spot sewer grates, so others can avoid accidents."

Blogs like Markvoort's could be acting similarly, he said. They don't shy away from the ugliness and brutality of the dying process.

"They're not just about hope but also about despair. That is, they're telling us not just what we want to hear but also what we need to hear," Cassarett wrote.

Markvoort started her blog in 2006 because hospitalized patients with cystic fibrosis were isolated because of infection. Alone in her hospital room at Vancouver General Hospital after visiting hours, she sought to connect with other patients by finding them online.

The blog's name 65_RedRoses, originated from her childhood inability to pronounce cystic fibrosis; she, as have many other children with the disease, called it "65 roses." Markvoort added the word red because it was her favorite color.

Markvoort was the subject of a Canadian documentary also called "65_RedRoses." It showed her harrowing experiences with the disease: violent coughing, vomiting, IVs, the painful procedures that made her scream.

The documentary followed her as she waited for a double lung transplant and as she formed online friendships with two American girls who have cystic fibrosis. The film ends on a happy note: Markvoort got her lung transplant and appeared to be on the road to recovery.

But less than two years later, her body began rejecting the organs. Her lung capacity dwindled, and every breath became laborious.

Sometimes, her blog posts were raw, filled with "episodes of projectile vomiting, hours of gasping for breath, waves of nausea lulling out into hours of sleepiness."

"I'm drowning in the medications," she wrote. "I can't breathe."

Initially, Markvoort's mother, Janet Brine, said, her daughter's openness made her feel uncomfortable.

"We connect differently than your generation. I'm part of the digital world," Brine recalled her daughter telling her.

The constant theme in Markvoort's blog is love.

In a video entry where she talks about her impending death, Markvoort said: "I think I'm very lucky, because I've loved more than you could possibly think, could possibly imagine. So I'm celebrating that: celebrating my life."

Markvoort grew up in a suburb of Vancouver, Canada. Girly to the core, she dyed her hair red and loved outrageous fashion like pink boas, polka dot dresses and striped knee socks. She was crowned a beauty queen (of New Westminster, a suburb of Vancouver) and attended University of Victoria, hoping to become an actress.

But she couldn't pursue that career because of her unpredictable health.

"But she has found other ways to have that artistic outlet, and writing the blog is one of them," her mother said.

She championed cystic fibrosis awareness and organ donations. From Los Angeles to Poland, letters, stuffed animals and cards poured into her hospital room.

"I felt so selfish when I stumbled across your [LiveJournal] on here, because I've been smoking cigarettes for years, taking my lungs for granted. You helped me quit the worst habit I've ever had," one wrote.

When Markvoort was too frail, she dictated blog posts to her friends and family.

"She had already processed the concept of dying," her mother said. "And for her, she came to terms with it quite quickly. For her it was like, 'Oh, my gosh, I don't know how much time I have. I have things to say.' There was a sense of urgency on her part."

Sometimes, her posts have no words, just pictures of her and her loved ones, with their eyes crossed, tongues sticking out and comical gestures.

"This is the end of my life, but it's not the end of my love," Markvoort said in a video entry.

She died the morning of March 27.

In the same style that she had allowed her readers (who were often strangers) into her life, Markvoort's family plans to hold a memorial service that will run in a live stream on her blog at 1 p.m. ET Friday.

"She indicated that she thought it would be a cool idea if whatever we did, was made available for her online blogging community," her mother said.

Father: 'Growing Pains' Actor Andrew Koenig 'Took His Own Life'

VANCOUVER — More than a week after scouring the city for missing American actor Andrew Koenig, friends who had organized their own search discovered the 41-year-old man's body in the vast urban park that he favored when he lived here more than 10 years ago.

Walter Koenig, also an actor known for his role as Chekov on the original Star Trek series, said his son's body was found Thursday by friends in Stanley Park.

"Our son took his own life," Koenig said, struggling to maintain his composure. "He was obviously in a lot of pain."

Koenig, flanked by his wife, Judith, said their son, known for his role as Richard "Boner" Stabone on the popular 1980s TV series Growing Pains, was in the midst of a life-long struggle with depression.

"If you learn anything from this," Koenig said, directing his comments to those who also suffer from depression, "there are people out there who care."

"In his pain," Judith Koenig said, "he didn't realize help was available to him."

Police Constable Jana McGuinness said the body was found in a densely wooded area just off one of the park's most popular trails for joggers and bicyclists.

McGuinness said investigators did not suspect foul play. She declined to identify the specific cause of death, but she said no weapons were involved.

In a briefing at the police department's horseback patrol precinct in the park, not far from where the body was found, McGuinness said police had searched the general area without success.

Koenig was last seen by friends Feb. 14. He was scheduled to return to the Los Angeles area Feb. 16. When he did not arrive, McGuinness said his parents became increasingly worried and then reported him missing Feb. 18.

From the start, police focused their search in the park after learning that the actor frequently took walks in the 1,000-acre sanctuary, not far from downtown, now teeming with visitors to the Winter Olympic Games.

Police have said Koenig had come here to visit friends, not to attend the Olympic games.

Discovery of Koenig's body came just a day after his parents arrived in the Olympic host city from California to appeal for assistance in locating their son.

McGuinness declined comment on whether a suicide note was found.

On his personal website, however, Walter Koenig earlier in the week acknowledged receiving a troubling letter from his son who had sounded a "despondent tone."

Judith Koenig also said the family had recently learned that their son was giving away some of his personal possessions.

"He was much loved," the mother said, "and he had lots to contribute to this world."

Missing 'Growing Pains' Star Andrew Koenig Gave Warning Signs, Says Friend

NY Daily News- Missing "Growing Pains" star Andrew Koenig may have given ominous warning signs before vanishing in Canada last week, a haunted friend said Monday.

Brooklyn-born filmmaker Lance Miccio said Koenig returned a book and other personal items to his doorstep and turned down two new editing jobs before leaving to visit friends in Vancouver.

"I asked him to work on a couple gigs last time we spoke (Feb. 4), and he just refused. It was unusual. He was kind of fed up with the Hollywood business," Miccio said.

"He was a really talented guy, but he may have just said enough is enough and gone off into the wild. He was a nature boy. I keep hoping for a happy ending," he said.

Miccio said he found the items from Koenig hanging on his doorknob when he returned from a trip Feb. 2. The bag included footage from their projects together and a sci-fi novel Miccio had given Koenig as a gift - "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep" by Phillip K. Dick.

Koenig, 41, was last seen at a bakery in Vancouver's Stanley Park neighborhood Feb 14. Best known for playing Kirk Cameron's sidekick Richard "Boner" Stabone on the hit 1980s sitcom "Growing Pains," he never boarded his flight back to the U.S. two days later.

His dad Walter Koenig, the actor who played Pavel Chekov on "Star Trek," said Andrew suffered from depression and sent a "despondent" letter that arrived Feb. 16.

The last time Andrew Koenig called his parents was Feb. 9, they said. His cell phone last received a text Feb. 16 and is now turned off, according to Walter Koenig's website.

The Vancouver Police Missing Persons Unit said Monday it was following up on a "substantial" number of tips - and at least one official said he believes Andrew Koenig is okay.

"Electronic information leads us to believe that Andrew is still in the Vancouver area," Constable Tim Fanning told RadarOnline.com. "We think Andrew is just lying low."

Miccio said that Koenig "left his apartment in Venice, and maybe he just wanted to return everything and start over.

"He lived in Vancouver before and talked about moving back. But I think he would tell his parents. I'm at a loss," Miccio said.

"He has a lot to live for," Miccio added. "He was doing vital stuff and is loved by a lot of people."

Cameron, who played Mike Seaver on Growing Pains, told Life & Style magazine he was praying for Koenig's safe return.

"Andrew, if you're reading this, please call me," Cameron said."Mike and Boner could always work things out when they put their minds to it. I'm praying for you, pal. Hope to hear from you soon."

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/gossip/2010/02/23/2010-02-23_missing_growing_pains_star_andrew_koenig_gave_warning_signs_says_friend.html#ixzz0gUPkw0Sp

People Mag- Fighting tears, Walter Koenig looked into the news cameras on Wednesday desperately hoping his missing son was watching.

"I just want to know you're okay," he said in the emotional appeal to Andrew Koenig, the Growing Pains star who disappeared earlier this month. "If it means you just want to stay here, that's okay. You don't have to come back. Just let us know that's your intention."

Walter Koenig, also an actor – he played Mr. Chekov on the original Star Trek TV show and movies – was joined by wife Judith at the televised press conference at the Vancouver Police Department.

Police say the younger Koenig was last seen in the British Columbia city on Feb. 16, the same day his phone and ATM activity stopped. The search most recently went to a Vancouver park he frequented, but mounted officers found no sign of the 41-year-old Koenig.

Koenig, who had long battled depression, cleared out his Los Angeles apartment about three weeks ago before traveling to Vancouver, where he once lived. Constable Tim Fanning says police were hopeful Koenig was still in the area and "doesn't want to be found."