MO - Megan Meier, 13, Mentally Abused, Commits Suicide

[golfmom]

I gotta tell you, this case is weighing on my mind ... My outrage isn't diminishing. This family should really consider a civil suit going after this mother.

 

[golfmom]

http://blog.wired.com/27bstroke6/2007/11/prosecutor-will.html

In response to public outcry over the suicide of 13-year-old Megan Meier, a St. Charles County prosecutor has announced plans to review the case to determine if adults that set up a MySpace account used to bully Meier have committed any crime. Local legislators are also looking at adopting an ordinance that would make internet harassment a misdemeanor offense.

.....................
more at link

 

[JanetElaine]

In response to public outcry over the suicide of 13-year-old Megan Meier, a St. Charles County prosecutor has announced plans to review the case to determine if adults that set up a MySpace account used to bully Meier have committed any crime.

:woohoo:

 

[KatK]

A misdemeanor? What about making a provision for especially bad cases, like Megan's?! That should warrent more than a slap on the wrist, but less than a serious felony, IMO. :twocents: ETA: According to that article there are laws that cover such things already! The problem is, determining who is responsible for what.... I hope MySpace can help them out!

 

[Gina_M]

The mayor of Dardenne Prairie, where Megan's family lives, says she will keep fighting to change the laws. I really like her style - see the video here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7rFlx6yGrJI

Tina talks about why criminal charges can't be brought for Megan's case - it's about 3 minutes into this video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U3R-J-uCl4U

She says the communication wasn't sexual in nature, the police couldn't find the most recent messages on the hard drive, the Josh Evans MySpace account was deleted (and when a profile is deleted, all emails from that profile are deleted as well. They would show up in Megan's account now as "This profile no longer exists".) So they couldn't fit Megan's case into any specific law - even cyberstalking.

KatK, that is a good point, it would be difficult to prove who was responsible for what. Since a few different people seemed to have the password to the Josh account and were participating in the charade, how can they prove who sent which message?

 

[golfmom]

Lori Drew herself reported that the communications became "sexual for a thirteen year old to the police."

Also in the police report: "Drew explained the neighborhood had recently found out her involvement in Megan's suicide and her neighborhood have become hostile to toward her and her family. Despite the recency of the suicide and several neighbors recommending she not confront the Meier family (especially on Thanksgiving), Meier stated she and her husband attempted to contact the Meier family three times, "banging on the door" although Mr Meier had already told them to leave."

Can you imagine just losing your daughter and the person you hold responsible is "banging on the door." Someone needs to fax this woman a clue.

 

[golfmom]

http://pysih.com/2007/11/19/lori-drew/

This is the most comprehensive and total report of the events and how they unfolded.

 

[CarpeDiem]

http://pysih.com/2007/11/19/lori-drew/

This is the most comprehensive and total report of the events and how they unfolded.

Did you notice someone posted the home and cell phone numbers of the Drew's in the comments.

 

[ceeaura]

Wow I would not want to be in the Drews shoes right now I think they deserve alot of what they are getting right now but it is getting wayyy to scary now.Reading some of those blogs and feeling all that anger *shivers* I am concerned that someone in the Drew family will be hurt by some crazy.They still have a young daughter as well and though she is not innocent in this she did not have the proper guidiance from her mother and her mother basically showed her how to act like a total immature,cold hearted person.I just hope that loris daughter comes out of this unharmed physically.I hope that she is also getting help from doctors ect.I am sure mentally she being 13 she is now going through a whole lot and I do not wish for another young girl to lose her life because of a situation a grown a** woman put her in.

 

[Lola]

Did you notice someone posted the home and cell phone numbers of the Drew's in the comments.

They have also posted the husband's photo. I wonder if he even knew about this when it was happening.

 

[twinkiesmom]

The website posted above (http://pysih.com/2007/11/19/lori-drew/) had details I hadn't read before, like the private information shared with Josh being spread around publically. It sounds like Megan may have figured out she was being scammed prior to her death.

 

[golfmom]

The website posted above (http://pysih.com/2007/11/19/lori-drew/) had details I hadn't read before, like the private information shared with Josh being spread around publically. It sounds like Megan may have figured out she was being scammed prior to her death.

Exactly ... she was being bombarded. It would have been so hard for any 13 year old to cope with, much less one who had suffered from depression from such a young age. Bullying in general pushes my buttons and to have a parent not only participate, but encourage this level of harassment against any child completely blows my mind.

I seriously think Megan's family should consider a civil law suit.

 

[iNTERESTEDWOMAN]

I guess my perspective is different. Maybe I've read too much here, but IMO I think the mother should have thought twice before adding a guy just because Megan thought he was cute. Granted, Megan would have probably found a way to communicate with "him" if her mom had said no, but that didn't happen here.

I'm not blaming her parents at all for Megan's suicide. I just wish they had been more careful with Megan and the Internet. Anyone watching primetime tv certainly understands why.

I agree completely Taximom.

I have 2 teenage nieces. Last year the oldest had just turned 14 and begged her mom (my sister) to open a myspace account. My sister agreed but told her she would monitor it 27/7. She also told her she could only add pre-approved people. This was the end of last school year and my niece was just finishing up 8th grade. One day a really cute guy wrote and asked to be added. He said he went to the same, (very large Jr./Sr. High) school and was a Sophomore. He told her his name and that he had seen her around school. My niece was so excited that this cute older boy was interested in her.

Anyway, to make a long story short, my sister had her daughter ask this boy for his phone number so her Mom could call his Mom and make sure everything was on the up and up. He freaked out and called her names and said she was a baby...bla, bla, bla. The next day his account was deleted. They finally located a yearbook, and found his name, but he WAS NOT the same person who had written her. The picture was a totally different guy.

When my sister first told me this story, I thought she was over reacting, but when this jerk freaked out and pulled his account, I had a new respect for her.

Parents need to be more involved in their kids cyber-life, and sometimes a little embarrassment might just save them.

I am not blaming Megan's parents either, but I do wish they would have had the same diligence as my sister. I also hope anyone who is reading this will do the same for their beautiful children.

 

[angelmom]

I have 2 teenage nieces. Last year the oldest had just turned 14 last year and begged her mom (my sister) to open a myspace account. My sister agreed but told her she would monitor it 27/7. She also told her she could only add pre-approved people. This was the end of last school year and my niece was just finishing up 8th grade. One day a really cute guy wrote and asked to be added. He said he went to the same, (very large Jr./Sr. High) school and was a Sophomore. He told her his name and that he had seen her around school. My niece was so excited that this cute older boy was interested in her.

Anyway, to make a long story short, my sister had her daughter ask this boy for his phone number so her Mom could call his mother and make sure everything was on the up and up. He freaked out and called her names and said she was a baby...bla, bla, bla. The next day his account was deleted. They finally located a yearbook, and found his name, but he WAS NOT the same person who had written her. The picture was a totally different guy.

When my sister first told me this story, I thought she was over reacting, but when this jerk freaked out and pulled his account, I had a new respect for her.

Parents need to be more involved in their kids cyber-life, and sometimes a little embarrassment might just save them.

I am not blaming Megan's parents either, but I do wish they would have had the same diligence as my sister. I also hope anyone who is reading this will do the same for their beautiful children.

Your sister is my new hero! I am so impressed that she thought to do this and stuck to her guns when all of the kids around her must have been putting on the pressure.

Give her a high 5 from me.

 

[golfmom]

What an awesome post! Your sister rocks.

One of my daughter's friends was being seriously bullied and harassed on myspace. She also suffered from extreme depression. I didn't know her mom, but that didn't stop me from immediately reaching out to her to let her know that her daughter was in trouble.

That's how parents/adults are supposed to behave. Not participating and perpetrating abuse of a child.

I agree completely Taximom.

I have 2 teenage nieces. Last year the oldest had just turned 14 and begged her mom (my sister) to open a myspace account. My sister agreed but told her she would monitor it 27/7. She also told her she could only add pre-approved people. This was the end of last school year and my niece was just finishing up 8th grade. One day a really cute guy wrote and asked to be added. He said he went to the same, (very large Jr./Sr. High) school and was a Sophomore. He told her his name and that he had seen her around school. My niece was so excited that this cute older boy was interested in her.

Anyway, to make a long story short, my sister had her daughter ask this boy for his phone number so her Mom could call his Mom and make sure everything was on the up and up. He freaked out and called her names and said she was a baby...bla, bla, bla. The next day his account was deleted. They finally located a yearbook, and found his name, but he WAS NOT the same person who had written her. The picture was a totally different guy.

When my sister first told me this story, I thought she was over reacting, but when this jerk freaked out and pulled his account, I had a new respect for her.

Parents need to be more involved in their kids cyber-life, and sometimes a little embarrassment might just save them.

I am not blaming Megan's parents either, but I do wish they would have had the same diligence as my sister. I also hope anyone who is reading this will do the same for their beautiful children.

 

[Taximom]

iNTERESTEDWOMAN, your sister did exactly as she should have! Yay for her, and look what she probably kept from happening. Did her daughter understand more after that? Sad thing is that creep is still out there somewhere in Myspace....

I think LD deserves everything coming her way.

Golfmom, thanks for that link.

 

[Details]

I don't think this should be about an Internet law - the same thing can be done and has been done, since the dawn of time, by conmen, letters, etc. I'd look to fraud, and making that a crime, even when money is not what is taken fraudulently. The mechanism should not matter to the law.

LD deserves to get what she dished out - vicious words, spite and malice. Although - for going to the victims home and banging on their door - makes you wish it could be more.

 

[Clearly Confused]

I'm just about speechless that this woman did this. I truly am at a loss for words.

 

[Littledeer]

No doubt we all agree that Lori Drew, (her name is public now, right? so hopefully I am not breaking any rules here) committed a farce that pushed a 13 year old to believe that there was no other option in her life at that moment but to end it.

I could honestly give a rat's a** abut Lori or Curt (if he was involved or knew about it). I am very concerned for their daughter who will get a lot of the back lash that should only be directed to her mother. But, she is also going to lose a mother, where can they go and build a life with this around them???????

Lori, Curt and their daughter should be the ones pushing the government to change the laws in regards to cyber-lying, etc. I'm not even sure that would change anything.

This is just such a sad case all around.

 

[golfmom]

http://www.thesmokinggun.com/archive/years/2007/1120072megan1.html

Actual police report