The person who was sending the messages in the Netflix documentary “Unknown Number: The High School Catfish” was Lauryn Licari’s mother, Kendra Licari.
This was a shocking revelation that was uncovered by an FBI cyber expert who was able to trace the messages back to Kendra’s phone. The documentary shows police body camera footage of the moment they inform Lauryn and her father of the perpetrator’s identity, which had been a mystery for months.
Kendra Licari’s motives were complex, but the documentary suggests she was trying to sabotage her daughter’s relationship with her boyfriend, Owen. The texts started with messages trying to break them up and escalated to include threats and cyberbullying that caused immense distress for the couple and their families. Kendra was ultimately charged and sentenced to prison for her actions.
The true story of the “Unknown Number” catfish case is a particularly disturbing example of cyberbullying and manipulation, primarily because of who the perpetrator was and the lengths she went to in order to torment her own daughter and her daughter’s boyfriend.
How the Messages Were Sent
Kendra Licari used sophisticated methods to hide her identity and make it seem like the messages were coming from her daughter’s classmates. This included:
Using Apps:
- She sent messages through an app that disguised her phone number, which is a common tactic for anonymous texting.
Virtual Private Network (VPN):
- Licari used a VPN to mask her location and make it harder for local police to trace the messages back to her. This initially stumped the local authorities and required the help of an FBI cyber expert to crack the case.
Multiple Numbers:
- She used a variety of different phone numbers and area codes to make it appear as though the texts were coming from multiple people, including her daughter’s friends and other students at the high school.
The messages were often sexually explicit and incredibly cruel, sometimes containing doctored photos and threats of violence. In total, investigators gathered over 1,000 pages of text messages as evidence.
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Motive and Aftermath
Kendra Licari’s exact motive has never been fully explained. Because she confessed and accepted a plea deal, the case did not go to trial, and a jury was never able to hear all of the evidence and testimony that might have clarified her reasoning.
However, the documentary and interviews with prosecutors suggest a few possibilities:
To Cause Her Daughter to “Need” Her:
- One theory, put forward by the prosecutor, is a form of “cyber Munchausen’s syndrome.” By creating a crisis, Kendra could play the role of a supportive, protective mother and make her daughter feel more dependent on her.
To Sabotage the Relationship:
- Another theory is that she simply disliked her daughter’s boyfriend, Owen, and wanted to break them up. The messages often targeted their relationship, and she continued to send texts even after the couple had separated.
Psychological Issues:
- Without a full trial, it’s impossible to know the full extent of her psychological state, but her actions were described by the court as “bizarre” and “hard to believe.”
After her confession, Kendra Licari was charged with two counts of stalking a minor and two counts of using a computer to commit a crime. In April 2023, she pleaded guilty to the stalking charges and was sentenced to 19 months to five years in prison. She has since been released on parole.
The case had a devastating impact on the families involved. Lauryn’s father divorced Kendra, and Lauryn has no contact with her mother. The case serves as a cautionary tale about the dark side of online anonymity and the potential for manipulation from even the most trusted people in our lives.
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