Man pleads guilty to manslaughter in overdose death of Langley, B.C., teenager
14-year-old Carson Crimeni died in 2019 after he was found unconscious at a skate park
A B.C. man has pleaded guilty to manslaughter in connection with the overdose death of 14-year-old Carson Crimeni.
The teenager died in hospital on Aug. 7, 2019, after he was found unconscious at Walnut Grove Skate Park in Langley, B.C.
His family has alleged that he was given drugs by older teenagers who mocked and filmed him, then posted the footage on social media, rather than helping him.
In September 2021, Langley RCMP announced a 20-year-old man had been charged with manslaughter and surrendered himself to police after a warrant was issued for his arrest. The accused cannot be named because he was a minor at the time of the incident.
The B.C. Prosecution Service confirmed the accused pleaded guilty in B.C. Supreme Court on Monday. He will next appear in court in New Westminster on May 11 to fix a date for sentencing.
Carson's dad Aron Crimeni says it's good to know the person responsible will be sentenced.
"I don't know if relieved is the word, but content to know that it is a guilty verdict and he will be sentenced," said Crimeni.
But he said he's not sure anything will ever give him closure over losing his son.
"Carson was the coolest kid, caring always wanted to make you laugh, made me laugh all the time, constantly," he said.
"He was a fun kid with a good heart."
Police say they interviewed more than 100 witnesses and received more than 100 tips during their investigation into Carson's death.
Carson's grandfather, Darrel Crimeni, found the teen lying on the pavement in the dark on the night he died.
He said his grandson, who was diagnosed with ADHD at a young age and was incredibly friendly to everyone, had been bullied since elementary school but always told his grandfather it was "nothing he couldn't handle" and never complained.
"I think they killed him for entertainment," Crimeni said during a CBC Radio interview in February 2020.
WATCH | Darrel Crimeni describes shock of watching social media videos around Carson's death:
