Live Facebook Suicide: Claire Lin Kills Self Chatting, Posting, No Friend Calls Police

Facebook is an open platform for people to share their lives, but one woman shared her death.

Claire Lin, a woman from Taiwan killed herself on her 31st birthday on March 18, while chatting with her friends on Facebook. Lin inhaled poisonous fumes while on the social networking site and none of her friends alerted authorities.

Lin documented her suicide heavily through each step on Facebook through pictures and postings. In one picture Lin showed a charcoal barbecue burning next to two stuffed animals and in another her room filled with fumes. She also described what she was going through in graphic detail and some of our friends pleaded with her to not go through with the suicide.

Be calm, open the window, put out the charcoal fire, please, I beg you, a friend identified as Chung Hsin wrote.

The fumes are suffocating, Lin replied. They fill my eyes with tears. Don't write me anymore.

While many friends tried to contact Lin after the suicide none of them called police.

People may have doubts about what they see on the Internet because of its virtual nature, and fail to take action on it, Chai Ben-rei, a sociologist at Taiwan's Feng Chia University, told the AP.

Lin was said to be upset about her boyfriend ignoring her and not returning back to her house on her birthday. He would be the one to find her body the next morning when he returned to her home.

In her last message on Facebook Lin wrote, Too late. My room is filled with fumes. I just posted another picture. Even while I'm dying, I still want FB (Facebook). Must be FB poison. Haha.

The incident lasted 67 minutes and authorities expressed disappointment that no one was called, but also acknowledged that her friends may not have known her phone number or address.

It could be true that it would be hard to track down a Facebook friend without her address or phone contact, Taipei police officer Hsieh Ku-ming said.

Facebook commented on the incident and has linked to suicide hot lines and prevention organizations on their page.

We are deeply saddened by the tragic death of Claire Lin and our hearts go out to her family and friends, a Facebook spokesperson told msnbc.com. This case serves as a painful reminder of how people can help others who are in distress or need assistance. We encourage them to notify us, and we work with third-party support groups including the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline and the Taiwan Suicide Prevention Center to reach out to people who may need help. In the case of an emergency, please call the appropriate authorities immediately. Our Family Safety Center also contains resources on how to help people who are in danger of harming themselves, and users can find more info here.