Between 2021 and 2022, a small community in Michigan was shaken by a deeply unsettling case of betrayal that blurred the line between parental protection and unimaginable cruelty. At the center of this story is Kendra Licari, a mother who waged a relentless campaign of anonymous cyberharassment against her teenage daughter, Lauryn, and Lauryn’s then-boyfriend, Owen McKenny.

What began as a string of strange, threatening messages escalated into one of the most disturbing cases of parental misconduct in recent memory—one that has now become the focus of Netflix’s documentary Unknown Number: The High School Catfish.

The harassment first surfaced in 2021, when Lauryn started receiving an avalanche of anonymous texts and online messages. These were not just simple pranks or juvenile insults; they were cruel, manipulative, and increasingly explicit. Soon, Owen also found himself targeted by the same campaign.

Terrified and confused, the teenagers turned to adults for help. Both families, along with administrators at their Beal City school, worked side by side with local law enforcement to uncover the source of the abuse. At that stage, the identity of the tormentor was a complete mystery.

Investigators initially suspected an external predator or a classmate with a grudge. But the deeper they dug, the more unusual the case became. Authorities eventually called on the FBI for assistance, as the harasser had taken deliberate steps to conceal their digital footprint.

By using a virtual private network (VPN), the perpetrator attempted to mask their IP address and remain untraceable. Yet, with persistence and advanced forensic tools, investigators finally traced the origin of the messages. To the horror of everyone involved, all roads led back to Lauryn’s own mother, Kendra Licari.

This revelation stunned the families and the community alike. The very person who was supposed to be protecting Lauryn had, in fact, been orchestrating her torment. For over a year, Licari had been sending anonymous messages filled with vulgarities, degrading insults, and psychological manipulation. The betrayal was not only shocking on a personal level but also raised broader questions about parental responsibility and the hidden darkness that can exist behind closed doors.

By 2023, legal proceedings reached their conclusion. Kendra Licari admitted to her actions and pleaded guilty to two counts of stalking a minor—serious charges under Michigan law that carry potential prison terms of up to five years. She served time in custody before being released in August 2024 under a plea agreement. The terms of her release were strict, most notably forbidding any direct contact with her daughter Lauryn, who had already endured years of emotional damage.

The Netflix series pulls back the curtain on the nature of the harassment Lauryn endured. The documentary reveals that some messages sought to pit Lauryn against Owen, such as the taunting line: “He thinks you’re ugly.” Others directly targeted Lauryn’s self-esteem with words like “You’re worthless” and sinister phrases like “We won,” as though the anonymous bully had achieved some twisted victory.

More disturbing still were the sexually explicit texts. These crude remarks suggested Owen was only interested in sex and contained offensive claims like “They are both down to f**.”* For teenagers still navigating their first serious relationship, these comments cut deeply. Beal City Superintendent Bill Chillan, who reviewed the evidence, later admitted how appalled he was, describing the texts as “so vulgar and nasty they could make a grown man blush.” He called the volume and content of the harassment “extraordinary.”

The cruelty did not stop at humiliation. Several messages explicitly encouraged Lauryn to harm herself, even pushing her toward thoughts of suicide. For the young girl, already overwhelmed by adolescence, these chilling instructions were almost unbearable. In her own words, Lauryn described the psychological toll: “When I first read that, I was totally in shock. It made me feel bad. I was in a bad mental state.” What she believed to be anonymous online abuse was, in reality, a campaign of destruction masterminded by her own mother.

In Unknown Number: The High School Catfish, Licari attempts to shed light on her state of mind. She claims she initially began sending the messages out of a misguided need for “answers,” though she never clarifies what questions she was seeking to resolve.

According to her, what began as a few messages spiraled uncontrollably into a cycle she felt powerless to stop. “I just kept going,” she explains in the documentary. “It was a snowball effect. I didn’t even know who I was anymore. It was like I had a mask on.”

Licari insists that she was in a dark mental place at the time and confesses that she became “somebody different” whenever she was behind the screen. At moments, she expresses genuine remorse, admitting she had disappointed not only her daughter but herself and her entire family. Interestingly, she denies sending the very first messages that claimed Owen was planning to break up with Lauryn, though investigators ultimately tied the broader harassment campaign directly to her.

The case, spanning from 2021 through 2024, has left scars that will not heal quickly. It highlights the dangers of cyberstalking and the devastating effects of digital harassment—especially when it comes from someone within the victim’s closest circle of trust. Beyond the criminal charges and Netflix’s coverage, the story remains a chilling reminder of how technology can be weaponized in the most intimate of betrayals.

What began as an anonymous online mystery ended with one of the most shocking revelations possible: a mother preying upon her own child. For Lauryn, Owen, and their families, the ordeal was life-altering. For viewers of the Netflix documentary, it serves as both a cautionary tale and a haunting exploration of how love, trust, and family bonds can be shattered by deceit.