In a quiet Michigan town, what started as a teenage romance turned into a nightmare of digital torment that no one saw coming. Lauryn Licari, a bright-eyed 13-year-old, found herself bombarded with vicious texts from an anonymous sender, messages that attacked her self-worth, threatened her safety, and even urged her to end her life. Her boyfriend, Owen McKenny, was targeted too, with the harasser weaving lies to drive them apart. For over a year, the couple endured this relentless assault, enlisting school officials, local police, and eventually the FBI to unmask the culprit. The revelation? The person behind the cruelty was Lauryn’s own mother, Kendra Licari, a woman who had posed as a concerned parent throughout the ordeal. This twisted tale of betrayal and cyberbullying has captivated audiences through Netflix’s documentary “Unknown Number: The High School Catfish,” shedding light on the dark side of family dynamics in the digital age. Nearly three years after Kendra’s arrest, Lauryn is rebuilding her life, grappling with the scars while looking toward a future of her own making.
The Onset of the Cyber Torment
It all began in October 2020, when Lauryn and Owen, childhood neighbors who had blossomed into a sweet eighth-grade romance, started receiving unsettling texts from an unknown number. The initial messages were manipulative, claiming Owen was breaking up with Lauryn because he preferred someone else. “He no longer likes you,” one read, “he wants me.” The couple, dubbed the “Golden Couple” by their peers as they entered high school, brushed it off at first, but the intrusion planted seeds of doubt.
The texts mysteriously stopped after a short while, offering a brief reprieve. Lauryn, living with her mother Kendra after her parents’ divorce, leaned on her mom for support during those early days. Kendra, who worked as a basketball coach and seemed like a pillar of the community, appeared genuinely worried. But the calm was short-lived. In September 2021, the harassment resumed with a vengeance, escalating into a daily barrage of 40 to 50 messages. These weren’t just petty jabs; they veered into vulgar territory, with sexually explicit propositions aimed at Owen and brutal insults hurled at Lauryn. “Kill yourself,” some demanded, leaving the teen feeling isolated and worthless.
School administrators at Beal City High noticed the toll it was taking. Lauryn’s grades slipped, and her once-vibrant personality dimmed. The couple reported the incidents, but blocking the numbers proved futile the sender used an app that generated new ones endlessly. Local authorities investigated, but the trail went cold, prompting the school to loop in higher powers.
Escalation and Desperation
As the months dragged on, the messages grew more aggressive and personal. Threats of physical harm loomed, and the harasser even extended their reach to Owen’s new acquaintances after the couple’s relationship strained under the pressure. Lauryn admitted to becoming insecure, constantly questioning Owen’s loyalty amid the lies being fed to her. “I was mad at Lauryn,” Owen later reflected, acknowledging how the ordeal poisoned their bond. They decided to take a break, hoping it would make the torment stop, but it only intensified.
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The school’s superintendent, Bill Chillman, described the situation as baffling. Efforts to trace the source hit roadblocks, with the app’s anonymity shielding the perpetrator. Desperate for answers, the case was escalated to the FBI in late 2022. Agents dove into the app company’s records, analyzing IP addresses and usage patterns. What they uncovered would shatter Lauryn’s world: the digital trail led straight back to Kendra’s phone.
The Shocking Revelation
In December 2022, authorities confronted Kendra at home, with Lauryn in another room unaware of the unfolding drama. Footage from the documentary captures the moment Kendra confessed, admitting she had orchestrated the entire campaign. Lauryn was brought in to hear the truth, her face a mask of confusion as she held her mother’s hands in silence. “I don’t even know how to describe the feeling,” she later said. “Why would my mom do this? But like, did she really, actually do this? I can’t believe it, honestly. I was just really confused.”
The motive? Investigators likened it to a “cyber Munchausen’s case,” where Kendra allegedly craved her daughter’s dependence. By inflicting emotional pain, she positioned herself as the comforter, drawing Lauryn closer in her distress. “She wanted her daughter to need her in such a way that she was willing to hurt her,” Chillman explained. “This is the way she chose to do that, versus physically trying to make her ill, which is typical Munchausen’s behavior.”
The betrayal hit Lauryn like a wave: shock turned to sadness, then anger, and finally a whirlwind of emotions she still processes today. “The shock feeling turned into sad, which turned into mad, which turned into crazy,” she shared.
Legal Aftermath and Sentencing
Kendra’s arrest came swiftly in December 2022, with charges including two counts of stalking a minor and two counts of communicating with another to commit a crime. She pleaded guilty to the stalking charges, sparing her family a drawn-out trial. In April 2023, a judge sentenced her to 19 months to five years in prison, a punishment that reflected the severity of her actions against vulnerable teens.
Now incarcerated at the Women’s Huron Valley Correctional Facility in Michigan, Kendra became eligible for parole in July 2024. As of now, she remains behind bars, serving her time while the family navigates the fallout. The case highlighted gaps in digital protections for minors, sparking discussions about parental oversight in the online world.
Impact on Relationships
The harassment didn’t just scar Lauryn; it dismantled her closest ties. Her relationship with Owen, once full of promise, crumbled under the weight of suspicion and stress. Today, they pass each other in school hallways without a word. “I see him in the hallways and stuff, but we don’t really have interactions at all,” Lauryn noted. Owen echoed the sentiment, saying he doesn’t foresee reconnecting.
On the family front, Lauryn’s bond with her father, Shawn, has strengthened immensely. After Kendra’s arrest, Shawn gained full custody, providing a stable haven. “We’ve gotten so much closer,” Lauryn said of her dad. “We just bond so well together. In everything we do, we can find a way to laugh.” Shawn praises her resilience, watching her grow into a confident young woman.
As for her mother, the relationship hangs in fragile balance. Lauryn visits Kendra in prison, but deep conversations about the “why” remain elusive. “I’ve talked to her about it, but not necessarily like, ‘Why did you tell me to kill myself?'” she admitted. “I still question it every day.”
Lauryn’s Journey to Healing
At 17, Lauryn is a high school senior charting her own path. She’s set her sights on college, majoring in criminology a field that resonates deeply after her ordeal. “She is at the beginning of figuring out that she can be the one in charge,” documentary director Skye Borgman observed, “that she can make all the decisions for herself and for her relationship with her mother.”
Lauryn has embraced therapy and self-reflection, turning pain into purpose. She’s distanced herself from the drama, focusing on friendships and personal growth. A new boyfriend brings joy, and her strengthened family ties with Shawn offer a foundation of support. “She’s starting to come to dad a lot more,” Shawn shared proudly.
Looking Forward: Reconciliation and Reflection
Despite the hurt, Lauryn holds onto hope for mending ties with Kendra. “I hope to rebuild a relationship with my mom,” she expressed in the documentary. As Kendra serves her sentence, Lauryn ponders forgiveness, aware that healing takes time. The experience has taught her about trust, resilience, and the complexities of love, even when it’s flawed.
This story serves as a stark reminder of how technology can amplify hidden toxicities within families. For Lauryn, the future gleams with possibility, a testament to her strength in emerging from the shadows of betrayal. As she steps into adulthood, she’s not defined by the past but empowered by it, ready to write her own narrative.
