{"id":1670,"date":"2025-09-06T18:03:06","date_gmt":"2025-09-06T18:03:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/readtrends.com\/en\/unknown-number-mother-catfish-update\/"},"modified":"2025-09-06T18:03:06","modified_gmt":"2025-09-06T18:03:06","slug":"unknown-number-mother-catfish-update","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/readtrends.com\/en\/unknown-number-mother-catfish-update\/","title":{"rendered":"Unknown Number: Teen&#8217;s Stalker Was Her Mother \u2014 Where They Are Now"},"content":{"rendered":"<article>\n<p>Lead: A Netflix documentary about Beal City, Michigan teens revealed that the anonymous texts and harassment targeting 13\u2011year\u2011old Lauryn Licari and her then\u2011boyfriend began in October 2020, resumed in September 2021, and were later traced to Lauryn\u2019s mother, Kendra Licari; Kendra was arrested in December 2022, pleaded guilty to stalking in April 2023 and was released from prison in August 2024.<\/p>\n<h2>Key takeaways<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>Anonymous harassment of Lauryn Licari and Owen McKenney began Oct 2020, resumed Sep 2021 and sometimes exceeded 40 messages per day.<\/li>\n<li>Investigators initially suspected classmates, including Khloe Wilson, because the sender disguised the number to look like theirs.<\/li>\n<li>Bay City PD with FBI assistance traced the messages to Lauryn\u2019s mother, Kendra Licari.<\/li>\n<li>Kendra was arrested Dec 2022, pleaded guilty to stalking in Apr 2023, received a 19\u2011month minimum to 5\u2011year maximum sentence, and was released Aug 2024; she remains on supervised parole until Feb 2026.<\/li>\n<li>Lauryn, now 18, has a strained relationship with her mother and is living with her father, Shawn, who was later awarded full custody.<\/li>\n<li>Owen McKenney and Lauryn ended their relationship; Owen enrolled at Hope College for baseball in Apr 2025.<\/li>\n<li>Khloe Wilson graduated in May 2025 and posted a multipart response on TikTok in Aug 2025 addressing documentary allegations.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Verified facts<\/h2>\n<p>The harassment targeted Lauryn Licari, then 13, and her boyfriend, beginning in October 2020. Messages paused briefly and intensified again in September 2021, at times delivering dozens of abusive texts each day, including content that encouraged self\u2011harm.<\/p>\n<p>Local authorities in Isabella County first examined peers and acquaintances after the sender used a number\u2011spoofing app that made the texts appear to come from other people. Khloe Wilson, a freshman athlete in the teens\u2019 wider circle, was initially suspected because the sender impersonated her number.<\/p>\n<p>When Wilson cooperated by providing her phone for forensic review, investigators were unable to tie the abuse to her device. Bay City police officer Bradley Peter, collaborating with the FBI, used additional digital leads and traced the messages to Kendra Licari.<\/p>\n<figure><figcaption>Timeline of key events<\/figcaption><table>\n<thead>\n<tr>\n<th>When<\/th>\n<th>Event<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td><time>Oct 2020<\/time><\/td>\n<td>Initial anonymous texts to Lauryn and Owen<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><time>Sep 2021<\/time><\/td>\n<td>Harassment resumes, intensifies<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><time>Dec 2022<\/time><\/td>\n<td>Kendra Licari arrested<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><time>Apr 2023<\/time><\/td>\n<td>Pleaded guilty to stalking; sentenced 19 months\u20135 years<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><time>Aug 2024<\/time><\/td>\n<td>Kendra released from prison; on supervised parole through Feb 2026<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><time>May 2025<\/time><\/td>\n<td>Khloe Wilson graduates high school<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><time>Apr 2025<\/time><\/td>\n<td>Owen commits to Hope College for baseball<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><time>Aug 2025<\/time><\/td>\n<td>Khloe posts TikTok responses<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/figure>\n<h2>Context &#038; impact<\/h2>\n<p>The case highlights how easy it can be to weaponize number\u2011spoofing and anonymous messaging apps to harass people while directing suspicion toward others. Investigators initially followed plausible leads toward classmates because the digital trail was deliberately manipulated.<\/p>\n<p>For Lauryn, the consequences were both social and familial: a breakup with Owen, persistent public attention, and a fundamentally altered relationship with her mother. Her father, Shawn Licari, later obtained full custody and described a closer, more supportive bond after the arrest.<\/p>\n<p>The episode also underscores growing concerns about teen mental health and online safety. Schools, parents and law enforcement increasingly face situations where digital abuse spills into students\u2019 daily lives and requires cross\u2011jurisdictional technical expertise.<\/p>\n<p>Public reaction to the documentary has been mixed: some viewers expressed sympathy for Lauryn and called for stronger protections for minors online, while others questioned the broader social dynamics shown in the film.<\/p>\n<h2>Official statements<\/h2>\n<blockquote>\n<p>&#8220;She\u2019s remorseful that she has severely altered her relationship with her daughter,&#8221;<\/p>\n<p><cite>Skye Borgman, director (as quoted to Tudum)<\/cite><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p>&#8220;I can handle the pain, but she cannot and does not deserve it,&#8221;<\/p>\n<p><cite>Kendra Licari (email to The Cut)<\/cite><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<aside>\n<details>\n<summary>Explainer: charges and terms<\/summary>\n<p>Stalking charges in this case referred to the repeated, targeted use of electronic communications to harass a minor. Prosecutors also cited statutes covering use of communication devices to facilitate a crime. Parole terms typically include supervision, restrictions on contact with victims and conditions set by the Michigan Department of Corrections.<\/p>\n<\/details>\n<\/aside>\n<h2>Unconfirmed<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>Long\u2011term prospects for a restored mother\u2011daughter relationship remain uncertain and depend on private decisions and ongoing treatment.<\/li>\n<li>Full details behind the motive for Kendra\u2019s actions were not established publicly beyond statements in court and limited media interviews.<\/li>\n<li>Some social dynamics shown in the documentary rely on recollections and may reflect participants\u2019 perspectives rather than independently verifiable facts.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Bottom line<\/h2>\n<p>The Netflix documentary brought attention to a rare but consequential case in which a parent, not a peer, was the source of prolonged online harassment of minors. Legal penalties were applied, and family relationships were deeply affected; Lauryn is pursuing life apart from her mother under her father\u2019s custody while Kendra remains on supervised parole through February 2026.<\/p>\n<h2>Sources<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.tudum.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Tudum (Netflix)<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thecut.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">The Cut<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/mdocweb.state.mi.us\/otis2\/otis2\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Michigan Department of Corrections offender search<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.netflix.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Netflix (Unknown Number documentary)<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/article>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Lead: A Netflix documentary about Beal City, Michigan teens revealed that the anonymous texts and harassment targeting 13\u2011year\u2011old Lauryn Licari and her then\u2011boyfriend began in October 2020, resumed in September 2021, and were later traced to Lauryn\u2019s mother, Kendra Licari; Kendra was arrested in December 2022, pleaded guilty to stalking in April 2023 and was &#8230; <a title=\"Unknown Number: Teen&#8217;s Stalker Was Her Mother \u2014 Where They Are Now\" class=\"read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/readtrends.com\/en\/unknown-number-mother-catfish-update\/\" aria-label=\"Read more about Unknown Number: Teen&#8217;s Stalker Was Her Mother \u2014 Where They Are Now\">Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1667,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rank_math_title":"Unknown Number update \u2014 Where the Licaris Are | Newsroom","rank_math_description":"A Netflix documentary revealed that the anonymous harasser of a Michigan teen was her mother. This report outlines the legal outcome, family fallout and current status.","rank_math_focus_keyword":"Lauryn Licari,Kendra Licari,Unknown Number,catfishing,Beal City","footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1670","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-top-stories"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/readtrends.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1670","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/readtrends.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/readtrends.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/readtrends.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/readtrends.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1670"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/readtrends.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1670\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/readtrends.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1667"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/readtrends.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1670"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/readtrends.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1670"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/readtrends.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1670"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}