When a continuous flow of harassing text messages inundated the phone of 13-year-old Lauryn Licari, she initially suspected her classmates as the culprits, with as many as 50 texts bombarding her daily.
However, the shocking revelation from the chilling new Netflix documentary, Unknown Number: The High School Catfish, uncovered a darker truth – the sender was none other than her own mother, Kendra Licari.
Commencing in October 2020, Lauryn and her boyfriend, Owen McKenny, faced a barrage of anonymous texts containing malicious accusations, explicit content, and disturbing directives, such as “kill yourself.”
Following a brief hiatus, the messages resumed in September 2021, escalating into a daily onslaught of threats, insults, and divulging personal details only someone intimate with Lauryn would possess.
Concerned by the message nature, their parents engaged law enforcement, triggering an investigation led by Isabella County Sheriff Mike Main. Initially focusing on Lauryn and Owen’s peers, the probe cast suspicion across their school community, straining relationships.
As conventional efforts faltered, Bradley Peter, a neighboring Bay City police officer, collaborated with the FBI to trace the masked messages back to Lauryn’s mother, Kendra Licari.
During a search of Kendra’s residence, Main confronted her, disclosing to Lauryn that her mother was behind the messages. The revelation shook Lauryn’s family and stunned the Beal City, Michigan, community.
In December 2022, Kendra was arrested and faced multiple stalking and computer crime charges. She admitted guilt to two counts of stalking a minor, receiving a prison sentence ranging from 19 months to five years.
Upon her release on August 8, 2024, Kendra expressed a desire to reconcile with her daughter, even agreeing to participate in the documentary. Director Skye Borgman commented on Kendra’s motivation to share her perspective for Lauryn’s sake.
While Kendra’s release marked a new phase for the Licari family, the repercussions of her actions linger. Borgman noted Kendra’s regret over damaging her relationship with her daughter and questioned the future dynamics between them.
The documentary delves into Kendra’s motivations, with Borgman highlighting Kendra’s past trauma as a contributing factor to her actions, emphasizing her struggles in seeing her daughter grow up.
Reflecting on Lauryn’s evolving perspective post-incarceration, the filmmakers noted her cautious approach to rebuilding her relationship with her mother, suggesting a journey of self-empowerment for the now 18-year-old.
“Unknown Number: The High School Catfish” is currently available for viewing on Netflix.
