Teen Found Dead After Copying Sean Penn Wilderness Film 'Into The Wild'

Teen Found Dead After Copying Sean Penn Wilderness Film 'Into The Wild'
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A teenager has been found dead after copying the lead character from the movie Into The Wild by running away from home.

Jonathan Croom, 18, was said to be obsessed with the film, based on the life of Christopher McCandless, who disappeared with the aim of living alone in Alaska shortly after graduating from university.

He went on a two-year adventure hitch-hiking and travelling solo before getting to Alaska. However McCandless was found dead in the wilderness aged 24.

The events of his final years were made into a Hollywood film in 2007, directed by Sean Penn and starring Emile Hirsch, Vince Vaughn and Kirsten Stewart.

Speaking before Jonathan's body was discovered Christopher's dad, David, said: "He apparently picked up this obsession, or extreme interest in the story six to eight months ago and keeps watching the movie

"He's always wanted to go out camping but just recently he had a break-up with a girlfriend, was heartbroken.

"He went to visit a friend in Washington, they watched it again and began romanticising the whole idea, not realising that the movie had a bad end.

"That's been my concern about the whole thing, people tend to go out and do that - or fun - but they don't realise that at the end of the movie, that guy didn't make it.

"If that's what he's re-enacting I want to interject in this and get involved, in the movie nobody get involved and that's why we're out looking for Jonathan because we want to change this story and have a happy ending."

Jonathan's green Honda CRV was found in Riddle, Oregon, last Wednesday and his body was found less than a mile away from it yesterday.

Police are investigating the death as suicide.