Netflix’s new true-crime documentary Unknown Number: The High School Catfish has sent shockwaves through the country — but the real story behind it is even more disturbing than what makes it to the screen. For nearly two years, Beal City, Michigan teenagers Lauryn Licari and her boyfriend, Owen McKenny, were terrorized by a faceless digital stalker who flooded their phones with explicit, manipulative, and violent messages. Everyone was a suspect. Classmates. Teachers. Ex-friends. Even school staff.
But when the FBI finally cracked the case, the truth was more twisted than anything the small community could have imagined.
The anonymous tormentor was Lauryn’s own mother.

What follows is the breakdown of how a respected PTA mom became the center of one of the most shocking cyberstalking cases in recent memory — and what the documentary leaves viewers still wrestling with.

TIMELINE OF THE CRIME

Spring 2020 – The First Messages

Lauryn, then 13, and her boyfriend Owen begin receiving vulgar, taunting messages from an unknown number. The texts appear obsessive, sexual, and increasingly targeted. At first, they seem like typical teen harassment — until they escalate.

Late 2020 – The Harassment Intensifies

Lauryn receives as many as 50 messages a day, some pretending to be Owen, others pretending to be a girl claiming to be with him.
Sample message:
“He no longer likes you. He wants me.”

The messages include detailed sexual content involving a minor — raising immediate red flags.

Fall 2021 – The Psychological Warfare Explodes

Despite Lauryn and Owen breaking up to stop the torment, the messages grow more aggressive:

“Kill yourself now bitch.”
“His life would be better if you were dead.”
“DEAD #bangbang #suicide.”

At this point, school officials and parents become involved. The harassment spreads beyond Lauryn — others begin receiving threatening messages too.

April 2022 – FBI Steps In

With the situation spiraling, the local police request federal cyber-forensic support.
FBI liaison Bradley Peter begins the deep dive into digital footprints, spoofing apps, and message patterns.

December 2022 – The Shocking Arrest

Their investigation uncovers a truth no one was prepared for:
The digital bully was Lauryn’s mother, 42-year-old Kendra Licari.

Police body cam footage shows officers entering the Licari home, seizing devices, and arresting the former basketball coach and PTA mom.

Early 2023 – Plea Deal & Sentencing

Kendra pleads guilty to two counts of stalking a minor.
She is sentenced to up to five years in prison, ultimately serving a portion before being released on parole.

2023–2024 – Aftermath

Lauryn’s father divorces Kendra and receives full custody.
Lauryn attempts to rebuild her life.
Kendra begins blaming her own unresolved trauma — including a sexual assault at age 17 — for her actions.

WHAT EVIDENCE DID POLICE USE?

CONFIRMED EVIDENCE

• Metadata Analysis
  FBI traced the spoofed numbers back to devices tied to Kendra, despite her attempts to cover her tracks.
• App Records
  Investigators uncovered the use of multiple spoofing and anonymous messaging apps installed on her devices.
• Message Time Stamps
  Contact patterns matched Kendra’s known schedule, including coaching hours and personal routines.
• Seizure of Electronics
  Police located devices and app logs connecting her directly to the harassment.

UNCONFIRMED / NOT RELEASED

• Whether Kendra attempted to delete data before seizure
• Whether any digital diaries or confessions were found
• Any psychological evaluations conducted pre-sentencing
• Whether she used VPNs or encrypted messaging platforms

RUMOR VS. FACT

RUMOR: Owen was cheating, triggering a jealous rival.

FACT: No evidence ever supported this. The “other girl” was entirely fictional — created by Kendra.

RUMOR: A group of students were involved in the bullying.

FACT: Students were investigated, but the FBI concluded only Kendra sent the messages.

RUMOR: Kendra was trying to frame someone.

PARTLY TRUE: Some messages were crafted to appear as though they came from classmates; however, no definitive motive was ever proven.

RUMOR: Lauryn knew it was her mother early on.

FALSE: Lauryn has stated repeatedly she never suspected her mother — even after police informed her.

THE HUMAN IMPACT

The emotional fallout from this case is as devastating as the cyberstalking itself.

Lauryn’s Trauma

Lauryn describes going from shock…
to sadness…
to anger…
to disbelief.
The worst part, she says, wasn’t the vulgarity — it was the betrayal.

“Why is my own mom telling me to kill myself?”

Owen’s Fallout

The relationship did not survive.
Lauryn says she sees him in school hallways, but they no longer speak.
Owen admits he doesn’t see a future where they reconnect.

The Community

Beal City — with a population under 400 — was ripped apart by suspicion. Accusations flew. Classmates were examined, interrogated, doubted.

Kendra’s ability to manipulate the narrative so fully that no one suspected her left the community reeling.

BOTTOM LINE

This case wasn’t just about harassment.
It was about control.
Manipulation.
And a mother weaponizing technology to psychologically torture her own child — for nearly two years.

Netflix’s documentary exposes the truth, but the real horror is how long this went on before anyone even realized the monster was inside the house.

WHAT DO YOU THINK?

Could investigators have caught Kendra sooner?
Do you believe her explanation for why she did it?
Should her sentence have been longer?

Share your thoughts below — your take matters on RealCrimeNetwork.com.

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