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  • Myspace Hoax Victim Kills Herself

    I haven't seen this addressed here yet, but I imagine most have heard about it. Who should be held responsible?

    Reforms urged after MySpace hoax's victim kills herself

    By Betsy Taylor
    Associated Press
    from pantagraph.com

    DARDENNE PRAIRIE, Mo. — Megan Meier thought she had made a new friend in cyberspace when a cute teenage boy named Josh contacted her on MySpace and began exchanging messages with her.

    "Megan, a 13-year-old who suffered from depression and attention deficit disorder, corresponded with Josh for more than a month before he abruptly ended their friendship, telling her he had heard she was cruel.

    "The next day Megan committed suicide. Her family learned later that Josh never actually existed; he was created by members of a neighborhood family that included a former friend of Megan's...

    '''But when adults are involved and continue to screw with a 13-year-old, with or without mental problems, it is absolutely vile,'' she told the Suburban Journals of Greater St. Louis, which first reported on the case."
    Lots of things happened since this story was originally posted.

    No charges will be filed against the family who created the fake MySpace site, the identity and address of the mom responsible for creating the hoax was posted online, which prompted vigilantes of the virtual and real-life kind to take justice into their own hands (you have to scroll down the article).

    Finally, the mom responsible for the hoax went so far as to starting her own blog to "set the record straight": Megan Had It Coming. A very sad and terrifying read. What kind of mom does this?

    Judging from the title of the blog alone (assuming that it's really her), it doesn't seem as if she has any remorse for her hand in Megan Meier's suicide. She may be breathing a sigh of relief that she and her husband dodged criminal charges, but she better be damn scared as hell for those vigilantes who are ready and willing to take justice into their own hands.

    I hope this haunts and eats away at her for the rest of her life.
    Tessie, "Nuf Ced" McGreevey shouted
    We're not here to mess around
    Boston, you know we love you madly
    Hear the crowd roar to your sound
    Don't blame us if we ever doubt you
    You know we couldn't live without you
    Tessie, you are the only only only

  • #2
    Re: Myspace Hoax Victim Kills Herself

    I refuse to look at the "Megan had it coming" site, but whether or not it's legit, we are still talking about adults who went to great lengths to set a thirteen-year-old girl up for major let-down. I don't have to tell you that as a teacher of teenagers, I find this as appalling as anyone.

    What these adults did was irresponsible, infantile, and as damnable as anything I can think of, but I can't find it in me to call it illegal. Yes, we should all know how fragile a thirteen-year-old's psyche is, and we should all know that you just don't mess around like that, especially not when you're a grownup and should know better. If the responsible adults are not at all remorseful, it's probably because people like me aren't doing our jobs well enough.
    But I'm disturbed! I'm depressed! I'm inadequate! I GOT IT ALL! (George Costanza)
    GrouchyTeacher.com

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    • #3
      Re: Myspace Hoax Victim Kills Herself

      Originally posted by scrivener View Post
      If the responsible adults are not at all remorseful, it's probably because people like me aren't doing our jobs well enough.
      I highly doubt that you are not doing your job well. In fact, judging by the things you do for your kids, you are probably one of the best, most concerned teachers I have ever "met" (in quotes since I've never met you in person). I wish I had had a teacher like you when I was in school. I have very few memorable teachers (but luckily I do have a couple).

      The woman/monster in the article shows no remorse and therefore is not human, to me. PARENTS like this are the reason horrible things like this happen. She'll get her punishment either now by the vigilantes, or when she meets her maker....
      So long...and thanks for all the fish!

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      • #4
        Re: Myspace Hoax Victim Kills Herself

        U.S. prosecutors seek to file charges in MySpace suicide case
        U.S. prosecutors are mulling ways to charge a woman who authorities think is responsible for the suicide of a teenager girl after she posed as a boy at the popular social networking website MySpace, a report said Tuesday. A federal grand jury in Los Angeles has begun issuing subpoenas in the case of a Missouri teenager who committed suicide after being rejected by the person she thought was a 16-year-old boy shemet at MySpace, according to the Los Angeles Times. The case created a public furor across the United States when authorities revealed that the "friend" was really the mother of one of the girl's former friends. When the woman abruptly ended the online relationship and sent cruel messages to the 13-year-old girl, telling her that the world would be a better place without her, the girl hanged herself in a closet.

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        • #5
          Re: Myspace Hoax Victim Kills Herself

          The delineated difference between behaving badly and unlawfully constitutes the degree of freedom we have in this country. In other words, the more 'bad' behavior we make unlawful, the less freedom we enjoy. I support our freedoms.

          The Christian Bible says charging interest on loans is bad behavior - should we make it unlawful? Of course not, it provides a public service (availability of capital).

          In this case, one may as easily hold the parents accountable, as they 'allowed' their child to commit the crime. Ultimately, however, a suicide victim must carry their own blame.
          May I always be found beneath your contempt.

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          • #6
            Re: Myspace Hoax Victim Kills Herself

            Remember....MySpace users under the age of 16 are supposed to be "private" accounts. The person impersonating a 13 year old should be charged the same as the cyber pervs who get caught trying to meet underaged kids for sex.

            This woman can also be sued for emotional abuse and mental anguish...at last, the lawyers should take this angle.

            This person should be tried as a criminal, or at least sued by the parents of the girl who committed suicide - IMO.
            http://tikiyakiorchestra.com
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            • #7
              Re: Myspace Hoax Victim Kills Herself

              Originally posted by tikiyaki View Post
              The person impersonating a 13 year old should be charged the same as the cyber pervs who get caught trying to meet underaged kids for sex.
              That's an interesting angle. Though I also agree, in a suicide, the final decision (whatever the motivation) is really made by the "victim." I'm always concerned when there's talk of new law or reconfiguring old law to satisfy some sense of vengeful justice... I think ultimately the civil court system is where this battle should play out.

              Guilty of a crime? Maybe. Hard to say. Harassment, minimally. But guilty of poor judgement that led to an adverse outcome? Absolutely. Make 'em pay, but jail is crowded enough.

              Interestingly, the targeted parent/family in this story is probably more concerned about harassment and threats from neighbors and, frankly, the entire righteous Internet mob. Perhaps with good reason.

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              • #8
                Re: Myspace Hoax Victim Kills Herself

                Originally posted by tikiyaki View Post
                This woman can also be sued for emotional abuse and mental anguish...at last, the lawyers should take this angle.
                If you're talking about the emotional abuse of the poor girl who killed herself, I'm not sure how that works. Who is the complainant? Can a family sue someone for the emotional abuse of someone else? Mental anguish makes more sense. The surviving family can say, "The actions of the offending family wrongfully caused us mental anguish." I can see that happening and possibly winning.

                But tikiyaki, I just don't see how it should be illegal for someone to tease someone else, even if that teasing causes mental anguish. Sure, it's wrong, but should the guilty pay for it?
                But I'm disturbed! I'm depressed! I'm inadequate! I GOT IT ALL! (George Costanza)
                GrouchyTeacher.com

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                • #9
                  Re: Myspace Hoax Victim Kills Herself

                  Originally posted by pzarquon View Post
                  That's an interesting angle. Though I also agree, in a suicide, the final decision (whatever the motivation) is really made by the "victim." I'm always concerned when there's talk of new law or reconfiguring old law to satisfy some sense of vengeful justice... I think ultimately the civil court system is where this battle should play out.

                  Guilty of a crime? Maybe. Hard to say. Harassment, minimally. But guilty of poor judgement that led to an adverse outcome? Absolutely. Make 'em pay, but jail is crowded enough.
                  .
                  Originally posted by scrivener View Post
                  If you're talking about the emotional abuse of the poor girl who killed herself, I'm not sure how that works. Who is the complainant? Can a family sue someone for the emotional abuse of someone else? Mental anguish makes more sense. The surviving family can say, "The actions of the offending family wrongfully caused us mental anguish." I can see that happening and possibly winning.

                  But tikiyaki, I just don't see how it should be illegal for someone to tease someone else, even if that teasing causes mental anguish. Sure, it's wrong, but should the guilty pay for it?
                  Both good points...Obviously my first response to reading this is emotional.
                  The idea that a grown adult is playing head games with a 13 year old is really infuriating, and I definitely posted in anger...

                  Still, I think this person needs to get SOME form of punishment, at least for impersonating a minor and communicating with another minor. I wonder if there are traceable transcripts of the messages, because if there is anything sexual in there, you have the perv crime right off the bat.

                  Furthermore, if there is anything threatening there is even more to incriminate. It could go many ways, but the thing that irks me most is that this harrassment was done by an ADULT to a 13 YEAR OLD.

                  What kind of "adult" person does this kind of thing ?

                  This will be a very interesting and unprecendented case for sure.

                  This is a situation where the technicality of the "law" can definitely protect someone really ought to be punished.
                  Last edited by tikiyaki; January 9, 2008, 02:46 PM.
                  http://tikiyakiorchestra.com
                  Need a place to stay in Hilo ?
                  Cue Factory - Music for your Vision

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                  • #10
                    Re: Myspace Hoax Victim Kills Herself

                    Originally posted by tikiyaki View Post
                    Both good points...Obviously my first response to reading this is emotional.
                    What kind of "adult" person does this kind of thing ?
                    A sociopath. Regardless of age, they will prey on weak victims.

                    Don't worry. If the law won't get to her, somebody will. Accidents happen.
                    Beijing 8-08-08 to 8-24-08

                    Tiananmen Square 4-15-89 to 6-04-89

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                    • #11
                      Re: Myspace Hoax Victim Kills Herself

                      There was some speculation over whether Lori Drew could be charged as a sexual predator or as someone who had inappropriate sexual contact with a minor (contact being over the internet not physical contact) since she was posing as a boy who was sexually/romantically interested in Megan.

                      Part of the difficulty about holding the Drews legally responsible for Megan's death is that what is apparently the most damning statement, that the world would be a better place without Megan, was allegedly seen by Megan's dad but then disappeared from the MySpace account and there is some speculation about whether that statement can be proven to have existed and whether it can be proven that any of the Drews posted that statement (Lori Drew claims other people had access to posting on the fake MySpace account).

                      Originally posted by Lei Liko View Post
                      I haven't seen this addressed here yet, but I imagine most have heard about it. Who should be held responsible?



                      Lots of things happened since this story was originally posted.

                      /snip

                      Finally, the mom responsible for the hoax went so far as to starting her own blog to "set the record straight": Megan Had It Coming. A very sad and terrifying read. What kind of mom does this?

                      /snip

                      I hope this haunts and eats away at her for the rest of her life.
                      The lawyer for Lori Drew claims that the meganhaditcoming site *is* a hoax, not made by Lori Drew but made to make Lori Drew look even more reprehensible than she already did and to incite more animosity towards the Drews. I don't have enough web-fu to know who actually created the website but there are other possibilities than Lori Drew (the mom who created the fake myspace account).

                      Actually, this case has become an interesting and terrifying study of 'net rage (akin to road rage). I think that people, in general, want a sense of justice fulfilled. Finding out earlier that the Drews would likely go unpunished under the law for their part in tormenting Megan caused a huge backlash against the Drews and a desire by some to seek "rough justice". There were efforts to strike back at the Drews but those efforts also had collateral damage. Lori Drew owned and ran an advertising company. People found a list of all the companies advertising with her and called for people to protest to those companies and boycott those companies. Very quickly, those companies cut ties with Drew and her business closed. However, many of those companies suffered harrassing or threatening calls, faxes and letters and loss of business, wrongfully the companies claim, because the companies didn't have anything to do with the MySpace fiasco or Megan but were just legitimately trying to promote their own businesses. CNN ran a news story that showed the Drews' home and very quickly people figured out where they lived. The Drews became subject to drive-bys, thrown objects, and threats . Some may think that the drive-bys and threats involving the Drews' home is no more than they deserve, but it has also disrupted and disturbed what was formerly a peaceful neighborhood. People over the internet began intensely seeking information on the Drews, including pictures of them, their phone numbers, where they work. The Drews said they were now in fear of their own lives and especially the life of their own daughter. and over time, people began fueling each other's rage over this incident. What, before the popular use of the internet, would have been a local incident with probably very little national news coverage (the tormenting of a teenager and the teenager's subsequent suicide, not specifically how the internet was used to communicate with Megan) became fair game for people all over the place and became very personal to more than a few people who would have been otherwise unconnected to the people involved.

                      Also, there was a lesser backlash against the backlash. Someone (say, Person X) found and published some information on Lori Drew and then someone else found and posted over the internet personal information on Person X and then there were threats against Person X.

                      There is some irony that the Drews used the internet with Megan for their own purposes and to mess with her life and now cannot control what's happening over the internet and how that affects their own lives. I'm not saying that what Lori Drew (and anyone else who helped her) wasn't wrong. And it does seem that the Drews have expressed no remorse for what they did and for Megan's death. But what's happening in the aftermath is pretty damned scary.
                      Last edited by Adri; January 10, 2008, 11:03 PM.

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                      • #12
                        Re: Myspace Hoax Victim Kills Herself

                        Originally posted by Adri View Post
                        The lawyer for Lori Drew claims that the meganhaditcoming site *is* a hoax, not made by Lori Drew but made to make Lori Drew look even more reprehensible than she already did and to incite more animosity towards the Drews. I don't have enough web-fu to know who actually created the website but there are other possibilities than Lori Drew (the mom who created the fake myspace account).
                        As much as I am proud of my dark sense of humor, she is definitely NOT funny.

                        What would be funny is she trip and fell into an active volcano or an imu (and I started burying her while she's being cooked).

                        If she is coming off as defensive, she's doing a lousy job, but then it's all she can do for having turds for brain.
                        Beijing 8-08-08 to 8-24-08

                        Tiananmen Square 4-15-89 to 6-04-89

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                        • #13
                          Re: Myspace Hoax Victim Kills Herself

                          Originally posted by Random View Post
                          As much as I am proud of my dark sense of humor, she is definitely NOT funny.

                          What would be funny is she trip and fell into an active volcano or an imu (and I started burying her while she's being cooked).

                          If she is coming off as defensive, she's doing a lousy job, but then it's all she can do for having turds for brain.
                          I'm confused. Who's not funny? Me? Lori Drew?

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                          • #14
                            Re: Myspace Hoax Victim Kills Herself

                            Lori Drew.

                            Why? You have the same sense of humor as her?
                            Beijing 8-08-08 to 8-24-08

                            Tiananmen Square 4-15-89 to 6-04-89

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                            • #15
                              Re: Myspace Hoax Victim Kills Herself

                              Originally posted by Random View Post
                              Lori Drew.

                              Why? You have the same sense of humor as her?
                              I have no idea what kind of sense of humor she has but I doubt she finds anything about this funny since Megan died, especially if Lori Drew really didn't make that website.

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