The search for Andrew Koenig has come to a tragic end.

After a high-profile, weeklong hunt for the former Growing Pains star, Vancouver police announced Thursday that they believe they have found the body of the 41-year-old in the park where he was last seen alive 11 days ago.

The remains were discovered around noon in the expansive Stanley Park. More details are expected to be announced at a 5 p.m. press conference.

Police launched an exhaustive search for the actor-filmmaker on Sunday, when he was reported missing after failing to board his flight back to the U.S.

Koenig, who had a history of depression, was last seen just two days earlier, on Feb. 14.

His disappearance prompted multiple public and heartfelt pleas from his parents, Walter and Judith Koenig, while numerous famous friends sounded the alarm online.

Though the search for their son ended tragically, Andrew Koenig’s parents remain touched by the overwhelming amount of support they received over the past week.

“The Koenig family thanks you for your kind thoughts at this difficult time,” read an email sent out Thursday night by a rep for the family.

“It means a lot to them and they are very appreciative of the support they are receiving. Each of these emails will be printed and bound in a rememberance book.”

Source

A British coroner’s official has told an inquest that fashion designer Alexander McQueen hung himself in his London apartment last week after leaving a note nearby.

The contents of the note were not released by the coroner’s office, which is charged with formally identifying the circumstances of the designer’s death.

Coroner’s officer Lynda Martindill said Wednesday the 40-year-old McQueen had died from asphyxiation and hanging. Full details of the autopsy will be available in a few months

There were no suspicious circumstances in the death, and authorities suspect no malice, police detective inspector Paul Armstrong testified. After a five-minute hearing Wednesday, coroner Paul Knapman adjourned the inquest until April 28. The inquest has yet to formally rule McQueen’s death a suicide.

Full details of the autopsy will be available in a few months, authorities said.

The designer died days before London Fashion Week, although he was not scheduled to show in the British capital.

Source

ET has obtained a letter written by Nancy Kerrigan to her friends and fans following the tragic death of her father Daniel Kerrigan.

The letter reads in part:

“Dear Friends,
The last several weeks have been the most difficult of my life. As many of you who ever met my dad know, he was someone who took an interest in everyone that he came in contact with and, if he knew you much at all, had an endearing wisecrack that would be sure to make you laugh. For me, he was my safety net. He was always there for me no matter what turn the world might take. He was a friend to Jerry and a doting grandpa to our kids.
For my mother, he was much more than that. He was her eyes, her confidante, her dance partner, her life partner. In short, he was her everything.
For my brothers, he was the ultimate role model: the guy they continue to try to emulate. And his impact spread far beyond our family. Over 2,000 people lined up in 20 degree weather and stood for over 3 hours to pay their last respects. From the pizza delivery guy to the bank teller to millionaire business people to congressmen, he was a friend to everyone and had a special place in each one’s life. The stories we heard about my dad, from childhood friends to recent acquaintances were funny and touching. Most of all, they make us proud.
We will miss my dad every day. Whether it is hearing him tell the kids one of his silly stories or watching him roll his eyes as he goes to the market for the fourth time that afternoon or having a beer with him at the end of the day. Mainly, we will miss just knowing he is there…”

Daniel Kerrigan passed away this past January. He was 70.

International fashion designer Alexander McQueen was found dead in his London home this morning, this according to a spokesperson for his company.

His death comes just days before the start of London fashion week and a month before he was to unveil his new collection at Paris fashion week.

There are reports claiming McQueen took his own life — but so far, an official cause of death has not been released.

The UK media organization, Sky News, is reporting that McQueen was found hanged in his apartment. Sky News also reports that local police have said the death would not be “treated as suspicious.”

The 40-year-old designer often designed outfits for Lady Gaga, Rihanna and Prince Charles.

A rep from McQueen’s office just released a statement saying, “At this stage it is inappropriate to comment on this tragic news beyond saying that we are devastated and are sharing a sense of shock and grief with [McQueen's] family.”

TMZ

Phil Harris, the fishing boat captain from television’s wildly popular reality series ‘The Deadliest Catch’ has died.

The deep-sea fisherman, 53, suffered a stroke on Jan. 29 while in an Alaskan port off-loading a catch. He was flown to Anchorage for surgery and showed signs of recovery through the days following, but ultimately succumbed to the trauma.

“It is with great sadness that we say goodbye to our dad – Captain Phil Harris,” his sons Jake and Josh Harris said in a statement posted on the Discovery Channel Web site. “Dad has always been a fighter and continued to be until the end. For us and the crew, he was someone who never backed down.”

The reality show, which has filmed five seasons, has been one of the Discovery Channel’s most popular. Harris was a central figure for this drama featuring the ageless tale of man taking on the elements. It depicts the crab fishing industry in the dangerous waters off Alaska.

In a statement, Discovery Channel senior vice president Elizabeth Hillman says, “Phil was a devoted father and loyal friend to all who knew him.”

“We will miss his straightforward honesty, wicked sense of humor and enormous heart,” she said.

Source

As a contestant on Survivor: Palau, blonde and beautiful nanny Jenn Lyon used her wit and engaging demeanor to survive for 37 of 39 days, finishing in fourth place. Although she didn’t win the big prize, she did secure a lifetime of friendships – a reward that would comfort her in the years following the May 2005 finale, as she waged a five–year battle with breast cancer.

That hard-fought struggle to survive ended Tuesday, when Lyon died at the age of 37.

“She is the model of grace, and has been so brave,” her fellow contestant, Ian Rosenberger, told PEOPLE earlier this month, at a Survivor 10 reunion. Said Lyon: “Survivor taught me there’s an end in sight. As hard as it is, it will be over, and you have to appreciate every day.”

Felt Something Abnormal
It all began in the summer of 2004, when she “felt something in my right breast that didn’t feel normal,” Lyon told People in October 2005. “I thought it was probably scar tissue related to my breast implants. It was right along the ridge of the implant, so I let it go, and I let it go for a long time.”

Asked why she delayed seeing a doctor, Lyon said, “I didn’t have insurance, which is a big part of it. And it really wasn’t changing much. But a year later, I felt another lump, and then I felt something under my armpit.”

By Aug. 9, 2005, Lyon was diagnosed with stage III breast cancer. Her older sister Kim, who was also a nanny, found her a surgeon, Dr. Kristi M. Pado, who performed a 5-hour modified radical bilateral mastectomy later that month. A few weeks after that, Lyon underwent breast reconstruction surgery. “It was a huge boost to my spirit,” she said.

Began Chemo
Lyon then went home to The Dalles, Ore., to face months of chemotherapy. “They are giving me the treatments that do cause hair loss and those kinds of things,” Lyon said, “but Survivor has helped me in every sense of the word. Coby [Archa, another contestant] is going to come up and shave my head for me, and he’s going to shave his, too!” (As Archa remembered, “With her family in her kitchen, I handed her the clippers and told her to shave mine first.”)

Lyon’s spirit was infectious, said Rosenberger: “Through the chemo, the surgery, medications, and the months of waiting, and then the hoping, and the letdowns, and then the real sickness and the pain, where others get depressed, self-piteous, and dark, where others may give up hope, Jenn sparkled.”

But Lyon’s treatment was far from over. “The younger you are when you are diagnosed with cancer, the more aggressive that cancer tends to be,” Dr. Pado told People in 2005, “and the longer life you have ahead of you, the more likely it is that a cancer can come back.”

For a year and a half after drug therapy following chemotherapy, Lyon seemed to be progressing. “I was basically clear,” Lyon told People in 2008, “but then my blood levels, my blood sugar markers, started going up, and they did some scans and found [cancer] in my bone, the backbone, which is a very common place for it to metastasize. It’s not all good news, unfortunately.”

Her Final Months
Yet as long as Lyon still had “some sort of notoriety,” she said, “I will use it to help other people” – and she did. Last month, “because the previous Christmas had been so rough,” Jeff Probst said, “she decided to open a Christmas tree lot so she could extend the holidays for as long as possible. Then in typical Jenn fashion, she made the decision to donate profits to the Susan Love Cancer Research Foundation.

“The tree lot was a major undertaking, yet there she was every day doing her part to try to raise money to make sure nobody else had to ever endure the same struggle.”

Ten days before her death, friends and family surrounded Lyon at the Survivor 10-year anniversary party in Los Angeles. “She looked absolutely stunning that night,” Probst said. “Certainly a lot of that is because Jenn was always a beautiful woman, but there was a spirit inside her that was palpable. It was clear to me that she knew this was a goodbye.”

It was a fitting tribute, said sister Kim: “Jenn would rather go to a Survivor party than anything else. No matter how bad she was feeling. She could always rally for that kind of a celebration.”

Observed Rosenberger, “People couldn’t help themselves but be drawn to her, and you always felt a little bit warmer inside when she was around. When she found out she was sick, that didn’t change. So many people are dying of cancer. Jenn showed everybody how to live because of it.”

Source, Fame Pictures

Jenn came in 4th on Survivor: Palau…

This is such sad news! Go here to read more from my friend at ByronBeck.com who knew Jenn personally.

Sad day!