The Megan Meier Tragedy: A Perpetrator Speaks
The sad case of Megan Meier, the girl who killed herself after being bullied by her neighbors in an online hoax, is back in the news again. One of the perpetrators of the hoax is speaking out for the first time, as federal prosecutors explore filing charges against the mother at the center of the hoax.
It was perhaps the most disturbing cyberbullying case reported last year. As I blogged last November, a teenage girl named Megan Meier killed herself after receiving an online message stating “The world would be a better place without you.” The message appeared to come from a local boy named Josh Evans, but in reality he was a fake MySpace account created by a local woman, Lori Drew, and her friend Ashley Grills, so they could snoop on Meier to see what she thought of Drew’s teenaged daughter.
This past week, Grills spoke out for the first time on ABC News. “We were just combining ideas about how we can figure out what Megan was saying about Lori’s daughter,” the 19-year-old explained. Creating a fake MySpace account seemed like a good way to go, because they could use the profile to message back and forth with Meier.
Their disturbed plan took a turn for the worse as Meier grew fond of the boy she thought she was corresponding with. “She was wanting to meet him … and me and Lori’s daughter were both telling Lori that we thought it was going too far ‘cause none of us can meet her, none of us are guys,” Grills said. “And she [Lori Drew] was like, it’s fine, you know, we can set her up. We can have her go meet him at the mall and go there and just laugh at her, and I thought that was wrong.”
Rather than setting up Meier with the embarrassment of a public rendezvous, they decided to break up the “relationship” by messaging her online. “I was trying to get her angry so she would leave him alone and I could get rid of the whole MySpace,” Grills said. Meghan’s response to the final message was to hang herself in her closet.
“I was in shock,” Grills continued. “I went back and Curt [Lori Drew’s husband] was yelling at us to get rid of the MySpace, so we did that. And then I just sat down and didn’t say anything.”
“I thought it was my fault,” Grills concluded. “[Lori Drew] had then finally mentioned that Megan was depressed and suicidal. She says, ‘And maybe we pushed her overboard.’”
From all accounts, it seems as if it was their fault. Outrage quickly spread around the country as the media covered Megan’s death, and local prosecutors explored the possibility of arresting Lori Drew. But they couldn’t find any law on the books that was applicable for their conduct, so no charges were ever filed.
Now, though, the feds are involved. Justice Department officials are investigating it from a very different angle - not as a case of harassment against Megan, but as a case of fraud perpetuated against MySpace. Whether or not they file charges against Drew or Grills remains to be seen. Meanwhile, a teenager is dead, her family shattered - and I continue to be filled with disgust. -andy
Filed under : Safety
Responses
When I first heard about this case I was shocked that those women couldn’t be charged with anything! I’m hoping that something is done to (at least) set a precedent.
By Alexandra 2:52PM on 07 Apr 08
Shame on ABC news for giving this scummy woman national attention in their ever-lasting quest for ratings.
We worry about the terrorists, and our children are in far more danger from the creep down the street. My heart goes out to Megan’s parents, they didn’t deserve this, no one does.
By Cheryl 9:04PM on 07 Apr 08
I would have expected this kind of stupid behavior from MS or HS kids, but not adults! What were they thinking!
By Jim 8:29AM on 09 Apr 08
I used this story as a teaching tool for my fourth and fifth graders when it came out. They were stunned and horrified—as they should be. It also made them aware that all may not be as it seems in the online world; a valuable lesson for persons of all ages.
By Rhonda 12:32PM on 12 Apr 08
those people should be accused of assist of suicide!!!
By donaven palmer 10:29AM on 18 Apr 08
MY GOD, A CHILD KILLED HERSELF OVER THE LOSS OF AN IMAGINARY BOYFRIEND. No, she killed herself over an empty life, thrown away by the restless death rattle of the American dream. No one is home for our children; not the harried parents, nor the scattered families, nor the over-burdened schools, and certainly not BIG media.
Wake up, people. SLOW DOWN. PAY ATTENTION. ACT! TAKE YOUR POWER BACK. There’s POWER in numbers. DEMAND your congressmen LISTEN. TELL THEM that you want the war ended and our poor, sad soldier children returned to their homes; that environmental concerns should be funded because our lives depend on it; that you want the schools funded adequately; that health plans should make care accessible and affordable.
Your congressmen want to be re-elected. You can do it nicely or any way you want, but do it. THE ALTERNATIVE IS THE CONTINUING DEATH OF OUR CHILDREN WHO KILL THEMSELVES OVER THE LOSS OF IMAGINARY BOYFRIENDS. So terribly, terribly sad.
It’s a set up, folks. The government spends OUR time, OUR money, and OUR poor soldiers’ souls staying in Iraq so that their cronies can make billions of dollars. Meanwhile, the Republican-led government encourages our real enemies, greed and ignorance, because they lead to compliance with the government’s conduct and acceptance of the lack of support of American values.
Instead of parents having time to be with their children, everyone is working to pay for the war. When they aren’t working, they’re running from one corner to the next. And the health plans that should be offering support in the form of paying for mental health care, instead put limits on accessibility but no limits on cost.
This poor child should have been able to confide in someone. If she was depressed, why wasn’t she being assisted by someone? There’s more interest now in Britney Spears or Tom Cruise than in our own country’s rolling ever faster down the slippery slope to the end of America as we know it.
WAKE UP, PEOPLE.
More…
I read last week that many of our congressmen have stock in the companies that are making billions of dollars from the war; so are the friends of VP Cheney.
By Barbara Passero 12:20AM on 20 Apr 08
We hear of many cases of child victims that sacrifice their lives as a result of lack of understanding from all possible ‘directions’. A week ago a girl hanged herself just because had been recorded drunk on a scout camping and shown to the others.
By Ireq 7:55PM on 14 May 08