**This article contains spoilers for Unknown Number: The High School Catfish**
If you’ve been scrolling on TikTok, you’ve probably heard of the documentary Unknown Number: The High School Catfish streaming on Netflix. I sadly knew who the catfish was before watching the documentary, thanks to all the TikTok deep dives and internet sleuths discussing the events in the film. Despite that, I decided to watch the movie one night with my roommates. Unsurprisingly, we were all left in utter disbelief and disgust.
For those who haven’t watched, Unknown Number details the story of two middle school sweethearts, Lauryn and Owen, who suddenly start receiving texts from an unknown person. Over the span of a couple of years, the messages received were sexually explicit, attempted to break up the couple, involved self-harm, and ridiculed their appearances.
Most of the cyber-attacks were sent to Lauryn, with the others going to Owen. Over the years, the cyber stalker tried to pin the target on other teens, and they did it well. You wouldn’t believe who the stalker was: not a teen, but Lauryn’s own mother.
Breaking Down the Reveal
Lauryn’s mother, Kendra Licari, not only lied about her involvement in the case, but she also lied about the extent of her involvement and even her employment. I’ll break it down. Licari hadn’t worked in years. Her specialty was IT security, which is how she had been able to hide her identity for so long until the FBI got involved.
They were able to trace an IP address belonging to her phone, and the police quickly acquired a search warrant. This part of the story was closer to the end of the documentary, leaving the audience with mixed emotions and unanswered questions
The documentary briefly explored Licari’s past and family life with a singular testimony from her cousin, and, of course, the dismay of her daughter and husband. However, I felt that the producers didn’t dig deep enough into Licari’s past or press her enough on why she began the harassment and kept it going for so long, especially knowing Lauryn and Owen expressed signs of defeat.
Due to Licari’s participation in their project, the producers had the chance to gain clarity on the situation. However, after watching the documentary, I felt unsatisfied with the ending and Licari’s answers. She compared her crime to someone driving drunk and not getting caught.
Licari was charged with stalking a minor, something she willingly chose to do every day for more than a year. A drunk driver acts on impulse and intoxication, and in most cases, it’s a one-time occurrence. The producers should’ve challenged her beliefs and vague answers.
My Questions
If I were on the set and in charge of interviewing her, I would have asked why she was so comfortable hurting her daughter and why she let it go on for so long, knowing the implications of the messages.
I would have also questioned her analogy of her crime being the same as a drunk driver not getting caught, because it sounds like she is trying to comfort herself. Why does she believe she should feel any comfort at all?
Furthermore, Licari’s habit of lying continued when she had been unemployed for quite some time, leaving her hours of free time to cyberbully her daughter.
I would have asked her questions relating to her unemployment, like “Was unemployment a factor that hindered your mental state, and did this take you to the dark place that allowed you to commit such a crime consistently?” My follow-up question would be, “Many people experience getting let go from their job, and they don’t turn to hurting their family members, so why did you?”
My Final Thoughts
This case boils my blood. Teen years can be some of the hardest in your life. I know that for me, high school was a time when I felt unsure of myself, so it’s extremely upsetting that this girl’s mother turned out to be her biggest bully. It’s important to acknowledge that this was intentional and completely irrational.
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