Welcome back to another Gossip Corner on the crazy story behind the documentary, Unknown Number: The High School Catfish. This story is insane, so buckle up!
SPOILER ALERT
Fourteen-year-old Lauren Lacari and her boyfriend, Owen McKenney, were being cyberbullied by Lauren’s mom, Kendra Licari. The bullying included disgusting, vulgar, and body-shaming messages and instructions for Lauren to self-harm, as well as photos of Lauren with mean things written over them. We dive into the text messages and explain how the police, with the help of the FBI, tracked the number to a "Pinger" app, which disguises phone numbers—discovering the truth about Kendra Licari and her lies.
We're bringing you all the legal details from our research that weren't included in the documentary. We found a bankruptcy filing from 2002 for Lauren's parents, Sean and Kendra, showing they had financial issues long before the bullying began. We also cover the Cut article that came out before the documentary in January 2025 and discuss how Kendra was fired from her job for "excessive time on non-work texting and calls" and lied to her family about it for a year, leading to the family’s financial issues and even more lies.
We also reveal new information from a court hearing in December 2022, shortly after her arrest, where Kendra tried to get her no-contact order with her daughter lifted so they could spend the holidays together—which the court rejected. We also cover Kendra Licari’s sentencing and plea deal, her attempts to appeal to the Michigan Appeals Court after her sentencing, and read the Appeals Court's response.
We then cover where Kendra is today and the probation requirements she's under until 2026. Finally, we ponder how and why a mom who claims to love her daughter would do something like this, what her attorney said, and what the psychological research says about “Munchausen by Internet.” We also share our opinions on whether her daughter, Lauren, could have known about her mother's actions and why we think Owen and his family and Khloe Wilson were all victims of Kendra Licari’s lies.
We'd love to know your thoughts on this case! Were you as shocked as we were? Let us know in the comments. Be sure to subscribe and leave us a five-star review!
The information provided in this podcast is for informational and entertainment purposes only. The content should not be construed as legal advice or any lawyer client relationship.The information is not a substitute for professional legal counsel.
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