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Barrie police are hoping the OPP's cyber crimes unit can crack Brandon Crisp's computer and Xbox to identify members of the 15-year-old's gaming "clan."
The missing teenager was a constant player of the online game Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare. Microsoft Corp. has bypassed its privacy protocol to assist the investigation, Barrie police Sgt. Dave Goodbrand said yesterday.
Volunteers continued to search through tall grass and bogs for signs of the teen.
They expected to wrap up the ground search today, after covering as much as 40 square kilometres.
Breaching the anonymity of gaming clansmen requires the service provider's co-operation and Microsoft's internal guidelines for assisting police could have caused a significant delay, Goodbrand said.
"Brandon's dad made a plea to Microsoft," Goodbrand said yesterday outside a command post on a rural sideroad, where police were using a global positioning system to direct the search effort.
"This is an exigent circumstance, where it's a kid you're searching for. This isn't the same as other criminal investigations, where you're looking for evidence."
On Friday, Microsoft added $25,000 to the reward for information on Brandon's whereabouts, bringing the total to $50,000.
Brandon vanished Oct. 13 after arguing with his parents about their plans to cut off his access to the game, in which a player can wage war in the persona of a British special forces officer.
Players from scattered locations can form teams of four.
"He (Brandon) was getting good enough that there's a possibility he was expanding into other clans," Goodbrand said.
Brandon's parents were upset he'd skipped school to go gaming and the issue came to a head at Thanksgiving, when their son threatened to leave home if they stopped him from playing the game, he added.
The Crisp parents' response was "typical" of many, he said. When their son issued his ultimatum, they replied: "There's the door."
"They've regretted it ever since," Goodbrand said.
Central Ontario's fields and marshes continued to offer up an odd array of items yesterday, but no trace of Brandon.
"We came across a CD and some snack wrappers," said Charlene McDonald, 41, of Barrie, who came to search with a friend.
The two spent two hours walking through farm fields, brush and creeks. The people in their group fanned out shoulder to shoulder, with all eyes to the right.
"I have a 15-year-old daughter, so it hits pretty close to home," McDonald said.
About 400 new searchers showed up yesterday. They were mustered in a park and told to look out for a toothbrush, running shoes or jeans.
"If you see anything, don't touch it please, as it may be evidence," an organizer instructed.
A searcher found a green shirt, but it's not believed to be Brandon's.
Jennifer and Rob Leblond and their two children, 14 and 11, looked inside every boathouse and privy they came across.
"I just wanted to help," Jennifer said as they warmed up by a tent.
a litte more here
I hope they find him but the kid got what he deserved a bit....
The missing teenager was a constant player of the online game Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare. Microsoft Corp. has bypassed its privacy protocol to assist the investigation, Barrie police Sgt. Dave Goodbrand said yesterday.
Volunteers continued to search through tall grass and bogs for signs of the teen.
They expected to wrap up the ground search today, after covering as much as 40 square kilometres.
Breaching the anonymity of gaming clansmen requires the service provider's co-operation and Microsoft's internal guidelines for assisting police could have caused a significant delay, Goodbrand said.
"Brandon's dad made a plea to Microsoft," Goodbrand said yesterday outside a command post on a rural sideroad, where police were using a global positioning system to direct the search effort.
"This is an exigent circumstance, where it's a kid you're searching for. This isn't the same as other criminal investigations, where you're looking for evidence."
On Friday, Microsoft added $25,000 to the reward for information on Brandon's whereabouts, bringing the total to $50,000.
Brandon vanished Oct. 13 after arguing with his parents about their plans to cut off his access to the game, in which a player can wage war in the persona of a British special forces officer.
Players from scattered locations can form teams of four.
"He (Brandon) was getting good enough that there's a possibility he was expanding into other clans," Goodbrand said.
Brandon's parents were upset he'd skipped school to go gaming and the issue came to a head at Thanksgiving, when their son threatened to leave home if they stopped him from playing the game, he added.
The Crisp parents' response was "typical" of many, he said. When their son issued his ultimatum, they replied: "There's the door."
"They've regretted it ever since," Goodbrand said.
Central Ontario's fields and marshes continued to offer up an odd array of items yesterday, but no trace of Brandon.
"We came across a CD and some snack wrappers," said Charlene McDonald, 41, of Barrie, who came to search with a friend.
The two spent two hours walking through farm fields, brush and creeks. The people in their group fanned out shoulder to shoulder, with all eyes to the right.
"I have a 15-year-old daughter, so it hits pretty close to home," McDonald said.
About 400 new searchers showed up yesterday. They were mustered in a park and told to look out for a toothbrush, running shoes or jeans.
"If you see anything, don't touch it please, as it may be evidence," an organizer instructed.
A searcher found a green shirt, but it's not believed to be Brandon's.
Jennifer and Rob Leblond and their two children, 14 and 11, looked inside every boathouse and privy they came across.
"I just wanted to help," Jennifer said as they warmed up by a tent.
a litte more here
I hope they find him but the kid got what he deserved a bit....
