Authorities have ruled the 29-year-old gaming vlogger's death as suicide by drowning, two days after his body was found in the East River near New York City's South Street Seaport.
- Jun 27, 2019
AceShowbiz - Desmond 'Etika' Amofah's cause of death has been revealed, one day after the New York Police Department confirmed the sad news of his passing. Authorities announced on Wednesday, June 26 that the YouTube star's death was ruled a suicide by drowning.
Police began a search for Etika after he posted a disturbing video in which he hinted at his suicidal thoughts. "I'm sorry to those of you who I betrayed. I'm sorry for leaving such a stained legacy," he said in the now-deleted video. "I hope that my story maybe helps to make YouTube a better place in the future where people know boundaries and limits and how far things should go."
He continued, "You know, I wasn't suicidal before - I really wasn't. But one thing I didn't realize was that the walls were closing around me so fast. I really had no intention of killing myself but I'd always push it too far." He added, "I guess I am mentally ill."
Police asked for people's help to locate the 29-year-old, tweeting on the NYPD official Twitter page last Thursday, "Have you seen Desmond Amofah aka Etika? He was last heard from June 19 at about 8PM by phone. He is 29 years old, approx 6 feet tall, and 160 lbs. He is a known @YouTube blogger and has many people concerned after a recent video. Call @NYPDTips anonymously with info 800-577-TIPS."
A few days later on Tuesday, police confirmed his death. "We regret to inform that Desmond Amofah aka Etika has been found deceased," the NYPD posted on Twitter. His body was found on Monday in the East River near New York City's South Street Seaport.
Etika's public mental health struggles began in October 2018, when he deleted all videos from his YouTube channel and posted a suicidal message on Reddit. His official YouTube channel was banned for posting pornographic content and violating other YouTube guidelines. At the time, his ex-girlfriend Christine Allice revealed that Amofah checked into a mental hospital.
Last April, Etika once again raised concern after posting tweets about suicide. He was hospitalized at the time, but two weeks later he was arrested in Brooklyn after live-streaming an alleged threat to kill himself in his apartment. On May 1, Amofah was taken to a mental facility again after an altercation with a police officer.
Etika was popular for reviewing video games, particularly Nintendo releases, on YouTube. Following his sudden passing, fellow YouTube stars and fans sent their condolences on Twitter.
