Mom indicted in deadly MySpace hoax

[CrimsonWhite]

I don't know about this one. Justifiable prosecution, but is the woman really legally culpable? This one will come down to litgation.

LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- A Missouri mom was indicted Thursday for her alleged role in the death of a teen who killed herself over a failed Internet romance that turned out to be a hoax.

A federal indictment accuses Lori Drew, 49, of O'Fallon, Missouri, of using the social networking Web site MySpace.com to pose as a 16-year-old boy and feign romantic interest in the girl.

The girl, Megan Meier, committed suicide after her online love interest spurned her, according to prosecutors, telling her the world would be a better place without her.

Drew faces up to 20 years in prison on charges of conspiracy and accessing protected computers to obtain information to inflict emotional distress.

The indictment, which was filed in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles, accuses Drew and others of registering on MySpace as "Josh Evans" and using the account to lure Meier into an an online romance.

http://www.cnn.com/2008/CRIME/05/15/internet.suicide/index.html

 

[Gunny]

LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- A Missouri mom was indicted Thursday for her alleged role in the death of a teen who killed herself over a failed Internet romance that turned out to be a hoax.

A federal indictment accuses Lori Drew, 49, of O'Fallon, Missouri, of using the social networking Web site MySpace.com to pose as a 16-year-old boy and feign romantic interest in the girl.

The girl, Megan Meier, committed suicide after her online love interest spurned her, according to prosecutors, telling her the world would be a better place without her.

Drew faces up to 20 years in prison on charges of conspiracy and accessing protected computers to obtain information to inflict emotional distress.

The indictment, which was filed in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles, accuses Drew and others of registering on MySpace as "Josh Evans" and using the account to lure Meier into an an online romance.

Authorities have previously said that Drew set up the account to find out what Meier, who lived in her neighborhood, was saying about her daughter.

Prosecutors allege that Drew and the others violated MySpace's terms of service by using false information to create the account so they could "harass, abuse or harm" Meier, according to the indictment.

The two corresponded for about four weeks before "Josh" broke off the relationship, authorities said. Within an hour, Meier hanged herself in her room and died the next day.

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Read the indictment (PDF)
The indictment does not allege that Drew sent the final message telling Meier the world would be a better place without her. Instead, it blames her unnamed co-conspirators, who authorities have previously said include a teenage girl.

After Drew learned of the teen's suicide, the indictment alleges, she directed one of the teens involved to "keep her mouth shut" and deleted the account.

Meier's mother, Tina Meier, told CNN in November that her daughter had self-esteem issues and had struggled with depression since childhood.

She said when her daughter began receiving messages from "Josh" telling her she was pretty, she was thrilled.

When "Josh" broke off the relationship, Tina Meier said, her daughter was devastated.

"She was looking for me to help calm herself down like I always did and be there for her. And I was upset because I didn't like the language she was using, and I was angry she didn't sign off when I told her to," Tina Meier told CNN. Watch Tina Meier's reaction to the charges »

"She said to me, 'You're supposed to be my mom, you're supposed to be on my side,' and then took off running upstairs," Tina Meier said.

Tina Meier found her daughter hanging by a belt shortly afterward.

"It's as if my daughter killed herself with a gun," Meier's father, Ron, told CNN. "And it's as if they loaded the gun for her."

Drew is scheduled for arraignment in June.

"This adult woman allegedly used the Internet to target a young teenage girl, with horrendous ramifications," U.S. Attorney Thomas P. O'Brien said in a written statement.

"Any adult who uses the Internet or a social gathering Web site to bully or harass another person, particularly a young teenage girl, needs to realize that their actions can have serious consequences," O'Brien said.

http://www.cnn.com/2008/CRIME/05/15/internet.suicide/index.html

This woman needs to do some time. This is bullshit.

 

[Dr Grump]

This woman needs to do some time. This is bullshit.

hmmmm two threads with exactly the same titles!!

That aside, dunno if she should do time, but she definitely needs to do some sort of penance..

 

[Gunny]

hmmmm two threads with exactly the same titles!!

That aside, dunno if she should do time, but she definitely needs to do some sort of penance..

No problemo. Now it's one thread.

 

[jillian]

I don't know about this one. Justifiable prosecution, but is the woman really legally culpable? This one will come down to litgation.

why do you think she wouldn't be culpable? her entire effort was directed at destroying this girl.

 

[Dogger]

I'm a little troubled that an act committed in MO with consequences in MO gets her indicted in CA because the myspace server is located there. Where is the server for this Board, gunny?

It also seems like the indictment could apply to a harmless prank with no consequences. I'll need to reflect on it some more.

I am all for punishing this woman, but the real crime appears to be some form of child abuse.

 

[CrimsonWhite]

why do you think she wouldn't be culpable? her entire effort was directed at destroying this girl.

You are just reading the article. How would you pursue? How do you build a case on anythng but harassment? She is culpable, but for the girls death. Remeber what they taught you your first year. Justice and the law are not mutually inclusive.

 

[RetiredGySgt]

The finally message basicly told her to kill herself. In my opinion that is enough. This woman made a conscious choice to harm a teenage girl. She knew there would be damage of some sort to the girl and if a jury believes she should have reasonably known it could lead to her death she is guilty.

 

[jillian]

You are just reading the article. How would you pursue? How do you build a case on anythng but harassment? She is culpable, but for the girls death. Remeber what they taught you your first year. Justice and the law are not mutually inclusive.

Gee... thanks for the reminder of what I *learned*

You build a case by showing the woman's motivation; how she gained the girls information; then trust; then made the kid reliant on her; then told her the world would be better off if she killed herself.

I figure she told the kid to die.... knew the kid would or at least *could* do it, so I'd say that proved her intent.

 

[Anguille]

Gee... thanks for the reminder of what I *learned*

You build a case by showing the woman's motivation; how she gained the girls information; then trust; then made the kid reliant on her; then told her the world would be better off if she killed herself.

I figure she told the kid to die.... knew the kid would or at least *could* do it, so I'd say that proved her intent.

"The indictment does not allege that Drew sent the final message telling Meier the world would be a better place without her. Instead, it blames her unnamed co-conspirators, who authorities have previously said include a teenage girl."

I have read elsewhere, in a New Yorker article that most of the IMs, including the last IM was sent by the teenage girl, an employee of Lori Drew who had a nervous breakdown soon after Megan Meier's suicide. Also. Megan had previously set up hoax MySpace accounts herself. There is more to this story.

 

[Shogun]

just a taste of the local flavour

http://www.ofallonbrewery.com/Aboutourbeer.html

Among others, this is a tasty beer for the autumn season

O'Fallon Pumpkin Beer (September release) 5.6% ABV Like pumpkin pie in a bottle...we add 120 pounds of real pumpkin to the three-barley mash and then season the finished beer with cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves.

O'Fallon Smoked Porter (available all year) 6.0% ABV Our Gold Medal Winner took first in the Smoked Beer category at the 2004 Great American Beer Festival®. This is a robust porter with a black mahogany color, brewed with sixty-three percent Bamberg Smoked Malt. The malty sweetness and burnt chocolate undertones balance the bitterness of the hops and the smoky flavor and aroma to make this a wonderfully complex porter.



not as good as Boulivard out of KC or Schafly's out of Stl but damn fine in it's own experimental regard.

 

[doeton]

shogun...wtf is the relevance?

 

[Ravi]

shogun...wtf is the relevance?

My guess is that people drink a lot in Missouri and are abusive?

 

[Shogun]

thought I'd share.


Hey ravi, domestic violence is only a misdemeanor, right? Who cares about those?

 

[Ravi]

thought I'd share.


Hey ravi, domestic violence is only a misdemeanor, right? Who cares about those?

Not you or I imagine you'd be lobbying your congresscritters instead of crying that Mexicans might give you cooties.

 

[Shogun]

hey, I guess that means men can get back to telling their wives the FIRST time given your quickness to disregard 8 million misdemeanors!


Way to think three steps ahead, Ravi. Feel free to assume that I hate women now that I've taken a few laps around your silly logic.

 

[CrimsonWhite]

Gee... thanks for the reminder of what I *learned*

You build a case by showing the woman's motivation; how she gained the girls information; then trust; then made the kid reliant on her; then told her the world would be better off if she killed herself.

I figure she told the kid to die.... knew the kid would or at least *could* do it, so I'd say that proved her intent.

Roll your eyes all you want to, but they didn't charge her with murder one, manslaughter, or any other type of homicide. They are charging her with conspiracy and accessing protected computers. The indictment doesn't even accuse her of sending the final message that apparently "killed" her. The US government is prosecuting for violating MySpace's EULA. Is she really legally culpable for that? It reads to be more of a civil case than criminal. That's all I'm getting at.