Netflix is once again back with a thought-provoking documentary, Unknown Number: The High School Catfish. Similar to other projects by the platform, it has quickly drawn views towards the chilling case of cyberbullying in Beal City, Michigan. It all begins when a teen, Lauryn Licari, and her boyfriend Owen start receiving endless threatening texts from a mysterious source.
After staying in fear of the unknown sender’s vile messages for a year, the eventual discovery that her own mother, Kendra was behind it leaves Lauryn, Owen, their small town and all the audiences in shock. Amid this, everyone is asking one thing: what happened to the real people involved?
What happened to Owen and other suspects who fell under the cyberbullying scandal?
Before Kendra’s identity as the real culprit came out, Lauryn’s classmates were the prime suspects under investigation. It included students, friends, and peers who fell under the crossfire as investigators tried to identify the stalker. Among them was Owen’s friend, Khloe Wilson who became the focus of intense scrutiny. The documentary’s director, Skye Borgman revealed that Khloe had to face the brunt of the case, face doubts, lose friendships and become the subject of whispers in corridors until proven innocent.
All these actions did leave lasting emotional damage caused by the harassment. Along with Kloe there were so many other victims who faced similar unpleasant experiences throughout the investigation. All this had left a major impact on the trust in the school community. However, Skype applauded those teenagers for participating in the making of this documentary to reclaim their story. At the same time, she praised their bravery because they wanted to highlight how young people experience via bullying. In her words:
“They wanted to do their part to make the world a better place, and I just take off my hat to these kids because they’re willing to do hard stuff to put their story out there and to try to help other kids that might be dealing with something like this.”
What happened to Lauryn and Owen’s life after betrayal by her mom?
Lauryn Licari was in the spotlight of cyberbullying. She not only had to face abuse from a mysterious person who sent vile messages for a year, but even took the bullet of betrayal when she learned her mother was the stalker. Skye recalls that when she initially went to interview Lauryn in 2023, the latter still had a deep love for her mom and wanted her back. However, a year later when her mom was released, her daughter’s perspective changed. She began to realise the impact of her mother’s actions. Sharing the difference she noticed, the critically-acclaimed documentary-maker said:
“She (Lauryn) wanted to approach the relationship with more caution in our second interview.”
Lauryn who has now turned 18 is entering the new phase of adulthood with a new gift of freedom. Skye describes her as someone who is thoughtful, resilient and is trying to take back control of her choices. It includes how or if she will send her bond with her mother. But in the meantime, she has developed a stronger connection with her father, Shawn, with the film showing how the tragedy brought them closer together. Meanwhile, Lauryn and Owen, once inseparable in the early days of the harassment, eventually drifted apart and are no longer in contact now.
Where Is Kendra Licari today?
Last but not the least, Kendra Licari who created the whole scandal was arrested in December 2022 and her arrest had been the headlines in December 2022. She pleaded guilty for stalking a minor and was sentenced to prison. She had to serve a term of 19 months to five years in prison before her release in August 2024. Although she sat for interviews in the documentary, the documentary-director admitted that she took her time to agree and did it to explain her perspective to her daughter. Sharing what made Kendra do it, Skye said:
“She does mention in the documentary an assault that happened [to her] when she was right around Lauryn’s age. She talks about how scary that was for her to see her only child, her little girl, growing up, and that’s what she really relates to and that’s what she believes led her to sending these text messages and trying to keep Lauryn close.”
What do think about Lauryn and Kendra take to their bond after all these years? Let us know.
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