Andrew Koenig has been missing since February, 14, 2010. He was last seen at a bakery in the Stanley Park area of Vancouver, British Colombia. Even though I haven’t seen or talked to Andrew in several years, he is a friend of mine. I first met Andrew maybe fourteen years ago. I was managing an organic cotton and hemp clothing company and was looking for environmental and human rights activists to work at our stores. Andrew had been volunteering for Rainforest Action Network and had later become involved with Amazon Watch, Free Burma, and a direct action organization called Action Resource Center. During this time, Andrew joined me at California Organic Cotton Company.
While working with him, Andrew and I were involved in several direct action campaigns including one in which he was arrested for chaining himself up to the gate of a Malibu lumber yard that sold endangered old growth timber. Andrew has continued his activism since I last spent time with him. According to his father’s website –Walter Koenig of Star Trek fame, “Andrew has been an activist his entire life and most recently has been working on behalf of the people of Burma, and was arrested during the 2008 Rose Bowl parade for protesting American involvement in China’s Olympics.” http://www.walterkoenigsite.com/
I know Andrew to be intelligent, funny, caring, and generally warm natured person. For those that don’t know him, Andrew is best known for a role as “Boner” in the 80’s TV series Growing Pains. He played a minor role on a Star Trek: Deep Space Nine episode and appeared as The Joker in Batman: Dead End. Recently, Andrew has been working as a video producer for the podcast Never Not Funny. About ten years back, I went to an improvisation show featuring Andrew and a few other performers and never laughed so hard in my life. While we worked together, Andrew often made me bust out in stitches over an impression he would do.
After our stint together in the retail stores, I started manufacturing organic cotton and hemp apparel, Andrew was one of my first customers. Once I personally delivered to his home in Venice, California an order of men’s boxers just so I can hang out with him. He is really a great guy. Although those who are close to him know that he occasionally struggled with depression. Again, according to his father’s website: “Andrew was suffering from depression at the time of his disappearance. The last time the Koenig’s heard from Andrew by phone was on February 9. … On Feb. 16, Walter received a letter from his son Andrew, which caused his father to grow concerned about his whereabouts because of it’s despondent tone. .. It is not believed that any specific incident prompted Andrew’s disappearance. "I think it’s something that has been a part of his makeup for a long time. There’s no single trauma. There’s no episode. There’s nothing of that nature," says Walter, who added that drugs were not an issue.” I too have never known Andrew to have a drug or alcohol problem.
Andrew’s family and large circle of friends are all very concerned about his whereabouts. Andrew is 41 years old and was last seen with long hair, although he may have cut it off. If you have seen, emailed, text, or heard from Andrew in any way since February, 14, please contact Detective Raymond Payette of the Vancouver Police Department at 604-717-2534.
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