What is the documentary Unknown Number: The High School Catfish about?

The documentary tells the true story of two teenagers, Lauryn and Owen, who were stalked and bullied online for months by an unknown number. It shows how these events affect their lives, their relationship, and their community.

Where and when did the events take place?

Lauryn Licari and Owen McKenny grew up in Beal City, Michigan, a small and close-knit town in the US. The online bullying started in October 2020 and lasted nearly two years before the perpetrator was caught.

What happened to the perpetrator?

The FBI was ultimately able to track down the perpetrator, who was subsequently sentenced in April 2023 for two counts of stalking and received a prison sentence of 19 months to five years. The perpetrator was released early in August 2024.

What is the impact of the events on Lauryn and Owen?

The teenagers have completely ended their relationship and no longer speak to each other. The incident has also had a lasting impact on their community, with many people being wrongly seen as suspicious, which has undermined trust in the environment.

Why is this documentary important for parents and young people?

Director Skye Borgman wants to show with this documentary how important communication and awareness are about online behavior and bullying so that parents and children will start talking about it.

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The most bizarre documentary ever: Unknown Number

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When you think of true crime, you quickly think of disappearances or serial killers. But this shocking doc has nothing to do with that…

When you think of true crime documentaries, you quickly think of complicated disappearances or notorious serial killers. But perhaps the most shocking doc at the moment has nothing to do with that, and that certainly doesn't make it any less bizarre. ‘Unknown Number: The High School Catfish’ tells the story of two teenagers who were bullied and stalked online for months. By whom we won't reveal; but believe me, you really won't see it coming.

The messages that started the nightmare

Lauryn Licari and Owen McKenny grow up in Beal City in the American state of Michigan. It is a small town and a close-knit community where everyone knows each other. The two teenagers are seen as the golden couple of their high school, and that seems to cause jealousy. In October 2020, Lauryn and Owen are added to a group chat just before the annual Halloween party. Besides themselves, there is one other person in it, an unknown number. The stranger sends various messages claiming that Owen wants to end his relationship with Lauryn. He would be cheating and has liked someone else for a while. After that, it goes quiet in the group chat. Until 11 months later, in September 2021. Again, the unknown number sends all sorts of messages to the teenagers, and this time there is no end in sight. couple The message becomes increasingly grim.

For more than a year, Lauryn and Owen are overwhelmed by messages. Sometimes even fifty in one day. The sender insists that the relationship won't last long, because Lauryn supposedly cannot meet Owen's sexual desires. The situation puts so much pressure on the couple that they decide to break up. Hopefully, that will make the texts finally stop. But that doesn't happen. The messages keep coming, and the message becomes increasingly intense. Lauryn is body-shamed and threatened. The unknown number even urges her to harm herself. Despair continues to grow, but finding the perpetrator proves to be elusive. The police have to make do with a few vague clues. The language in the messages feels like that of students, and the stalker uses Lauryn's nickname Lo. It must be someone from their school, but the officers are not entirely sure.

Everyone seems suspicious.

Just because of the close-knit community, the perpetrator could be anywhere. Everyone can be linked to Lauryn and Owen in some way and thus potentially suspicious. Various classmates are questioned by the police, some even multiple times. And although some stay on the radar a bit longer, there are no clear answers. Meanwhile, the messages just keep coming and take another step further. Even Owen's new girlfriend, who doesn't even live nearby, is now being harassed. The families are fed up. The case has been going on for almost two years now, and the police seem to be getting nowhere. The FBI is called in, and now a breakthrough suddenly seems close.

The sender is found.

After even more extensive investigation, the FBI agents manage to recognize the sender. Finally, it becomes known who has been behind the texts all this time. Don't worry, we won't reveal anything; you want to experience this revelation for yourself. We can tell you that the perpetrator was arrested and sentenced in April 2023 for two counts of stalking. This included a prison sentence of 19 months to a maximum of five years. Ultimately, the stalker was released early in August 2024.

How are Lauryn and Owen doing now?.

The impact of all this was enormous for Lauryn and Owen. If you know the identity of the stalker, you will only understand that more. After the case was resolved, contact between the teenagers completely faded. They no longer speak to each other at all, and nothing remains of their close relationship. Both are now about to start studying; Lauryn is going to focus on criminology. The case also continues to affect the rest of the community. Several people have been wrongly identified as suspects for a long time. That has given a significant blow to the mutual dynamics and sense of trust.

The goal of the documentary relation Director Skye Borgman had a clear reason for wanting to share this shocking story: she hopes that parents and their children will talk to each other about the online world and trust. It may not always happen as extremely as here, but many young people regularly deal with unpleasant messages. As a parent, according to Borgman, you can play an important role in dealing with it. Her main tip: “listen to your children, understand the dangers that exist, and give them the opportunity to make good decisions.” That message comes across loud and clear; especially because of how extreme this situation is. ‘Unknown Number: The High School Catfish’ is now available on Netflix.

Unknown Number: The High School Catfish

When you think of true crime docs, you quickly think of disappearances or serial killers. But the most shocking title at the moment has nothing to do with that….

Image: Netflix