Megan Meier, 13, Commits Suicide - Cruel MySpace Hoax by Adults

[MuffyBee]

Dec 6, 3:46 PM EST

Mo. Family Shunned Over Hoax, Suicide

By CHRISTOPHER LEONARD
Associated Press Writer
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/I/INTERNET_SUICIDE?SITE=FLTAM&SECTION=US

 DARDENNE PRAIRIE, Mo. (AP) -- Waterford Crystal Drive is one of those suburban streets that seem so new as to have no history at all. But the suicide of a teenage girl - and allegations she had been tormented by a neighbor over the Internet - have brought a reaction that is old, almost tribal, in its nature.

Residents of the middle-class subdivision have turned against the neighbor, Lori Drew, and her family, demanding the Drews move out. In interviews, they have warned darkly that someone might be tempted to "take matters into their own hands."

"It's like they used to do in the 1700s and 1800s. If you wronged a community, you were basically shunned. That's basically what happened to her," said Trevor Buckles, a 40-year-old who lives next door to the Drews.

Drew became an outcast after she admitted inventing "Josh Evans," a good-looking teenage boy who chatted online with 13-year-old Megan Meier. Megan received cruel messages from Josh that apparently drove her to hang herself in her closet in 2006.

Through her lawyer, Drew, a mother of two in her 40s, has denied saying hurtful things to the girl over the Internet, and prosecutors have said they found no grounds for charges against the woman. Neverthess, the community reaction has been vengeful and the pressure on the Drews intense.

Hundreds of residents gathered in front of their home on a recent evening, holding candles and reciting stories about Megan.

Last December, after neighbors learned of the Internet hoax, someone threw a brick through a window in the Drew home. A few weeks ago, someone made a prank call to police reporting that there had been a shooting inside the Drew's house, prompting squad cars to arrive with sirens flashing.

Someone recently obtained the password to change the Drew's outgoing cell phone recording, and replaced it with a disturbing message. Police would not detail the content.

Clients have fled from Drew's home-based advertising business, so she had to close it. Neighbors have not seen Drew outside her home in weeks.

Death threats and ugly insults have been hurled at Drew over the Internet, where she has been portrayed as monster who should go to prison, lose custody of her own children, or worse. Her name and address have been posted online, and a Web site with satellite images of the home said the Drews should "rot in hell."

Some of the threats "really freak me out," Buckles said while standing on his front porch after dark Tuesday night. As he spoke, a car slowed and stopped in front of Drew's home. It sat there idling for a few long minutes, then sped away. Buckles said it is a common occurrence.

"I just really hope that no one comes out here and does something insane," Buckles said. "If they do, I hope they get the right house."

Sheriff's Lt. David Tiefenbrunn said patrols have been stepped up around Drew's house. "There could be individuals out there with a vigilante-type attitude that might want to take revenge," he said.

The Drews - Lori, husband Curt and two children - live a one-story ranch. An older man at the house who described himself only as a relative said Lori Drew would not comment. He would not say if the family planned to move.

Ron and Tina Meier's home is four houses away from the Drews'. The sidewalk is curved, so the neighbors can't see each other from their front doors. The breach between the once-friendly families seems beyond repair.

"I think that what they have done is so despicable, that I think it absolutely disgusts people," Tina Meier said. "I can't take one ounce of energy worrying about who does not like Lori Drew or who hates Lori Drew. I could not care less."

Just a year ago, Waterford Crystal Drive was the kind of quiet suburban street where joggers waved hello while kids played in their front yards. Lately the road has been choked with TV news trucks, and neighbors hustle inside to avoid questions.

The row of brick-facade homes, with basketball nets and American flags out front, was carved out of the woods and pastures in the mid-1990s. Between rooftops, residents can see the neon signs of the strip mall restaurants near a highway that carries commuters some 35 miles to jobs in downtown St. Louis.

The subdivision and those surrounding it have street names evoking the good life, from Quaint Cottage Drive to Country Squire Circle.

The Drews used to fit in just fine, said John McIntyre, who described Lori Drew as an intensely social woman who never hesitated to stop and talk. She and Curt came over to McIntyre's home to look at his glassed-in porch because they were thinking of adding their own, he said.

McIntyre fondly remembered another guest - Megan. She came across the street to baby-sit McIntyre's 4-year-old daughter Genna and arrived with a clipboard and notes, determined to do the job right. He said the activity was good for Megan, who suffered from depression for years.

"She was a good kid," McIntyre said.

Megan became friends with the Drews' young daughter and the girls remained close for years, according to a report provided by prosecutors. But the girls had a falling-out in 2006.

Lori Drew and an employee, referred to only as a teenager named Ashley in the report, created a fake MySpace page so they could monitor what Megan was saying online about Drew's daughter, the report said. Ashley sent Megan most of the messages from "Josh," and Lori Drew was aware of them, prosecutors said.

On Oct. 16, 2006, there was a heated online exchange between Megan and Ashley, who was posing as Josh. It ended when "Josh" said the world would be better off without Megan.

Tina Meier said her daughter went to her room, crying and upset. About 20 minutes later, Megan was found hanging from a belt tied around her neck.

Drew's attorney Jim Briscoe said on NBC on Tuesday that Drew "absolutely, 100 percent" had nothing to do with the negative comments posted online about Megan and wasn't aware of them until after the girl took her life.
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[Dihannah1]

The other part of this tragic story is her own two kids have to live through this too.  She put them in worse danger than anything Megan could have done.   I wonder how her kids are doing in school?  Probably not able to go. Gee I guess hindsight is 20/20....  I would recommend they move far away and start over for there own children's sakes.  Sad all these kids have suffered the most and at such an impressionable age....   

What disturbs me now, is it sounds like Stacy, the girl who worked for Lori and made alot of the posts to Megan, at the direction of an adult, is in such a sad state, she is in a mental hospital?   Lord!  All the victims are kids, caused by one adult's poor judgement....

[MuffyBee]

Dec 8, 7:38 AM EST

Mo. Police Probe Blog in Web Hoax Case

By BETSY TAYLOR
Associated Press Writer
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/I/INTERNET_SUICIDE?SITE=FLTAM&SECTION=US
 ST. LOUIS (AP) -- A woman linked to an online hoax played on a 13-year-old girl who committed suicide and has been vilified for it may be the subject of a deception - someone on the Internet is posing as her and blogging about the case.

Lori Drew's attorney said Friday that she is not the writer. The St. Charles County sheriff's department is investigating who is behind the blog postings on Blogger.com to see if a crime has been committed, a spokesman said.

The family believes the postings are an effort to damage its reputation following the death of the Megan Meier.

"Any Internet message that purports to be a member of the Drew family is being managed by an impostor and undoubtedly is being done for the purpose of further damaging the Drews' reputation," the family said in a statement.

A blog entitled "Megan Had It Coming" surfaced more than two weeks ago. Earlier this week, the person writing the blog claimed the messages were being written by Lori Drew.

The detailed blog lays out Drew's would-be motives for getting involved with the MySpace hoax against Meier.

Lori Drew's lawyer, Jim Briscoe, said they have contacted Google Inc., which owns Blogger.com. "We have contacted Google, telling them that was an impostor," Briscoe said.

A Google spokesman said the company is currently reviewing the impersonation allegation.

Meier thought she was corresponding over MySpace with a cute boy named "Josh Evans" online. The boy never existed. Instead, Drew, her 18-year-old employee and 13-year-old daughter, and Megan's one-time friend, helped create the hoax.

When messages from the fictional boy and others on the Internet turned cruel, including one stating the world would be better off without her, Megan hanged herself in October 2006.

Drew, a mother of two in her 40s, has denied saying hurtful things to the girl over the Internet, and prosecutors have said they found no grounds for charges against the woman.

Details of the case emerged last month, and the story drew international attention.

Since then, the Drews have been besieged with negative publicity, and Meier's death prompted her hometown of Dardenne Prairie to adopt a law engaging in Internet harassment a misdemeanor.

Now, elected officials say the law's first use could be to prevent possible harassment against the Drews.

"I would say that would be a possibility, that they could be the first," Mayor Pam Fogarty said Friday. "A law is a law is a law. You can't discriminate."

Briscoe said the Drews have not asked police to look into the blog postings.

St. Charles County Prosecutor Jack Banas said he heard about the postings through the news media and asked the sheriff's department to investigate.

Banas said he had no idea if someone might be charged under the Dardenne Prairie measure. He explained any charges he brings are under state law, not under local ordinances.

The prosecutor said Internet harassment and stalking are crimes in Missouri under state law, but noted the sheriff's department is still investigating if a crime has been committed.

[kissyface]

You know, if it wasn't her posting all that crap on the "had it coming" site, it does'nt matter.  She still has taken no responsibility for anything.  Her actions and involvement in the whole situation suck and whether she is blogging or not, she has failed to apologize for any wrongdoing.  In my opinion, at the very least she needs to say she was wrong for allowing her child and employee to harrass and humiliate Megan.  Personally, I don't believe the employee created this alone.  I still believe that Lori Drew came up with this scheme (with or without help) and whether she admits it or not, she was directly involved in the public humiliation of a child.  I do not feel any kind of sympathy for what her or her family are going through now.  To completely ignore her part in it is a crime in itself.

[MuffyBee]

You know, if it wasn't her posting all that crap on the "had it coming" site, it does'nt matter.  She still has taken no responsibility for anything.  Her actions and involvement in the whole situation suck and whether she is blogging or not, she has failed to apologize for any wrongdoing.  In my opinion, at the very least she needs to say she was wrong for allowing her child and employee to harrass and humiliate Megan.  Personally, I don't believe the employee created this alone.  I still believe that Lori Drew came up with this scheme (with or without help) and whether she admits it or not, she was directly involved in the public humiliation of a child.  I do not feel any kind of sympathy for what her or her family are going through now.  To completely ignore her part in it is a crime in itself.

kissyface ~  I agree with you totally. 

[MuffyBee]

Dec 18, 6:43 PM EST

Mom Pushes for Internet Harassment Laws

By CHRISTOPHER LEONARD
Associated Press Writer

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) -- The mother of a teenage girl who committed suicide after being taunted online urged a state task force on Internet harassment Tuesday to recommend criminalizing such behavior.

Gov. Matt Blunt formed the task force in response to the death of Tina Meier's 13-year-old daughter, Megan, who killed herself last year after being teased on her MySpace page by a fictional teenage boy named "Josh." A neighborhood mother and two girls played a role in creating the hoax because they wanted to keep tabs on Megan's gossip.

"I can start MySpace (accounts) on every single one of you, and spread rumors about every single one of you, and what's going to happen to me? Nothing," Tina Meier told the task force at its first meeting here. "People need to realize that this is 100 percent not OK, that you're going to go to jail."

A local prosecutor decided Lori Drew, her daughter and a teenage employee did not violate state laws against stalking, harassment or child endangerment. Drew's attorney Jim Briscoe has said the children designed the account and sent the messages to Megan. Drew wasn't aware of the hurtful messages sent prior to Megan's suicide, he said. A few other Internet users joined in with cruel taunts before her death.

The task force, which includes legislators, academics and law enforcement officials, hopes to have a draft law written to submit to state lawmakers when they convene in January.

A member of the panel, University of Missouri law professor Doug Abrams, said U.S. courts have largely upheld the right of people to say things anonymously, whether on the Internet or a street corner. But it could be constitutional to outlaw using fake identities online to harass someone or solicit sex.

Lawmakers could "make it a misdemeanor to misrepresent the sender's identity. ... That's what goes on in a lot of these cases," Abrams said.

Industry groups are not necessarily opposed to new regulations, said MySpace lobbyist William Guidera, who is a task force member. For example, Internet companies supported passage of a law that make it illegal for someone to lie about their age when setting up a sexual encounter online, Guidera said.

"Is there a silver bullet? No," Guidera said. "Are there multiple areas where you can be innovative to prevent this sort of thing? Yes."

Any law proposed by the task force would likely build upon existing legislation, said Mark James, director of the Missouri Department of Public Safety and chairman of the task force. A bill that would ban online harassment already has been filed in the state Senate.
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/I/INTERNET_SUICIDE_HEARING?SITE=FLTAM&SECTION=US

[MuffyBee]

Woman indicted in Missouri MySpace suicide case

By LINDA DEUTSCH – 1 day ago

LOS ANGELES (AP) — A Missouri woman was indicted Thursday for her alleged role in perpetrating a hoax on the online social network MySpace against a 13-year-old neighbor who committed suicide.

Lori Drew, 49, of suburban St. Louis, who allegedly helped create a MySpace account in the name of someone who didn't exist to convince Megan Meier she was chatting with a 16-year-old boy named Josh Evans, was charged with conspiracy and fraudulently gaining access to someone else's computer.

Megan hanged herself at home in October 2006, allegedly after receiving a dozen or more cruel messages, including one stating the world would be better off without her.

Salvador Hernandez, assistant agent in charge of the Los Angeles FBI office, called the case heart-rending.

"The Internet is a world unto itself. People must know how far they can go before they must stop. They exploited a young girl's weaknesses," Hernandez said. "Whether the defendant could have foreseen the results, she's responsible for her actions."

Drew was indicted by a federal grand jury on one count of conspiracy and three counts of accessing protected computers without authorization to get information used to inflict emotional distress on the girl.

Drew has denied creating the account or sending messages to Megan.

Dean Steward, a lawyer representing Drew in the federal case, said a legal challenge to the charges was being planned. He characterized them as unusual and puzzling.

"We thought when prosecutors in St. Louis looked at the case and all the facts, it was clear no criminal acts occurred," Steward said.

A man who opened the door at the Drew family home in Dardenne Prairie, Mo., on Thursday said the family had no comment.

Megan's mother, Tina Meier, told The Associated Press she believed media reports and public outrage helped move the case forward for prosecution.

"I'm thrilled that this woman is going to face charges that she has needed to face since the day we found out what was going on, and since the day she decided to be a part of this entire ridiculous stunt," she said.

Megan's father, Ron Meier, 38, said he began to cry "tears of joy" when he heard of the indictment. The parents are now separated, which Tina Meier has said stemmed in part from the circumstances of their daughter's death.

Tina Meier has acknowledged Megan was too young to have a MySpace account under the Web site's guidelines, but she said she had been able to closely monitor the account. Meier's family has also acknowledged that Megan was also sending mean messages before her death.

Megan was being treated for attention deficit disorder and depression, her family has said. Meier has said Drew knew Megan was on medication.

MySpace issued a statement saying it "does not tolerate cyberbullying" and was cooperating fully with the U.S. attorney.

U.S. Attorney Thomas P. O'Brien said this was the first time the federal statute on accessing protected computers has been used in a social-networking case. It has been used in the past to address hacking.

"This was a tragedy that did not have to happen," O'Brien said at a Los Angeles press conference.

Both the girl and MySpace are named as victims in the case, he said.

Rebecca Lonergan, a former federal prosecutor who now teaches law at the University of Southern California, said use of the federal cyber crime statute may be open to challenge.

Lonergan, who used the statute in the past to file charges in computer hacking and trademark theft cases, said the crimes covered by the law involve obtaining information from a computer, not sending messages out to harrass someone.

"Here it is the flow of information away from the computer," she said. "It's a very creative, aggressive use of the statute. But they may have a legally tough time meeting the elements."

She said, however, that because "a very bad harm was done," the courts may grant some latitude.

MySpace is a subsidiary of Beverly Hills-based Fox Interactive Media Inc., which is owned by News Corp. The indictment noted that MySpace computer servers are located in Los Angeles County.

Due to juvenile privacy rules, the U.S. attorney's office said, the indictment refers to the girl as M.T.M.

FBI agents in St. Louis and Los Angeles investigated the case, Hernandez said.

Each of the four counts carries a maximum possible penalty of five years in prison.

Federal officials said Drew will be arraigned in St. Louis and moved to Los Angeles for trial. Her lawyer, however, said Drew did not have to surrender in Missouri but would be arraigned in early June in Los Angeles.

The indictment says MySpace members agree to abide by terms of service that include, among other things, not promoting information they know to be false or misleading; soliciting personal information from anyone under age 18 and not using information gathered from the Web site to "harass, abuse or harm other people."

Drew and others who were not named conspired to violate the service terms from about September 2006 to mid-October that year, according to the indictment. It alleges they registered as a MySpace member under a phony name and used the account to obtain information on the girl.

Drew and her coconspirators "used the information obtained over the MySpace computer system to torment, harass, humiliate, and embarrass the juvenile MySpace member," the indictment charged.

The indictment contends they committed or aided in a dozen "overt acts" that were illegal, including using a photograph of a boy that was posted without his knowledge or permission.

They used "Josh" to flirt with Megan, telling her she was "sexi," the indictment charged.

Around Oct. 7, 2006, Megan was told "Josh" was moving away, prompting the girl to write: "aww sexi josh ur so sweet if u moved back u could see me up close and personal lol."

Several days later, "Josh" urged the girl to call and added: "i love you so much."

But on or about Oct. 16, "Josh" wrote to the girl and told her "in substance, that the world would be a better place without M.T.M. in it," according to the indictment.

The girl hanged herself the same day, and Drew and the others deleted the information in the account, the indictment said.

Last month, an employee of Drew, 19-year-old Ashley Grills, told ABC's "Good Morning America" she created the false MySpace profile but Drew wrote some of the messages to Megan.

Grills said Drew suggested talking to Megan via the Internet to find out what Megan was saying about Drew's daughter, who was a former friend.

Grills also said she wrote the message to Megan about the world being a better place without her. The message was supposed to end the online relationship with "Josh" because Grills felt the joke had gone too far.

"I was trying to get her angry so she would leave him alone and I could get rid of the whole MySpace," Grills told the morning show.

Megan's death was investigated by Missouri authorities, but no state charges were filed because no laws appeared to apply to the case.

http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5gg5xCtQtLBF6vJqWXStItGEOsJfwD90MKBT00

[MuffyBee]

Missouri lawmakers pass bill against cyber-harassment after MySpace suicide case
Megan Meier, 13, hanged herself in 2006. A neighbor's mother was indicted in Los Angeles on Thursday in the case.
From the Associated Press
May 17, 2008

JEFFERSON CITY, MO. -- Responding to the suicide of a Missouri teenager who was teased over the Internet, state lawmakers Friday gave final approval to a bill making cyber-harassment illegal.

The measure updates state laws to keep pace with technology by removing the requirement that the communication be written or over the telephone. Supporters say the bill will cover harassment from computers, text messages and other electronic devices.

The measure now goes to Republican Gov. Matt Blunt for his signature. He issued a statement praising lawmakers:

"Social networking sites and technology have opened a new door for criminals and bullies to prey on their victims. These protections ensure that our laws now have the protections and penalties needed to safeguard Missourians from Internet harassment."

Many of the bill's provisions came from a gubernatorial task force that studied Internet harassment after reports last fall on details of Megan Meier's suicide. Police say Megan, 13, hanged herself in 2006 after being deceived on MySpace.

A neighborhood mother, along with the mother's 18-year-old employee and 13-year-old daughter, are accused of creating a fake profile of an attractive teenage boy to determine what Megan was saying about the daughter online.

The mother, Lori Drew, 49, was indicted Thursday by federal prosecutors in Los Angeles on charges of conspiracy and accessing protected computers without authorization to get information used to inflict emotional distress. An attorney for Drew said a legal challenge was planned.

Missouri police didn't file charges in part because there was no applicable state law

http://www.latimes.com/technology/la-na-suicide17-2008may17,0,5544114.story

Be sure to read previous post about Lori Drew's charges.

[Nut44x4]

L.A. judge considers dismissing MySpace hoax suicide case

LOS ANGELES -- A federal judge wants more time to consider a defense motion to throw out a case against a woman in a MySpace hoax that allegedly led a 13-year-old girl to commit suicide.

On Thursday, U.S. District Judge George H. Wu indicated he would likely reject the motion but wanted to look at arguments more closely. The trial is slated to begin Nov. 18.

Lori Drew of O’Fallon, Mo., is accused of helping create a false-identity account on the social networking site and harassing her young neighbor with cruel messages. She has pleaded not guilty to conspiracy and accessing computers without authorization.

Prosecutors say Megan Meier hanged herself in 2006 after receiving messages from Drew saying the world would be better off without her.
http://www.pantagraph.com/articles/2008/10/31/news/doc490a5da34f563824349812.txt

[MuffyBee]

Arguments in Case Involving Net and Suicide
Article Tools Sponsored By
By JENNIFER STEINHAUER
Published: November 19, 2008

LOS ANGELES — Federal prosecutors in court on Wednesday depicted a woman accused of creating a phony account on MySpace to taunt a 13-year-old girl as cravenly preying on the “vulnerable” and “boy crazy” teenager, who had a history of depression and suicidal thoughts.

The girl, Megan Meier, committed suicide, prosecutors said, after receiving nasty messages that she believed had come from a teenage boy but had actually been written by the accused woman, Lori Drew.

In a highly unusual use of computer-fraud statutes, Ms. Drew is charged with conspiracy and three counts of accessing a computer without authorization via interstate commerce to obtain information inflict emotional distress. Each count could lead to a maximum of five years in prison.

Ms. Drew, who lives in a small town in Missouri, is accused of creating a phony account in 2006 under the name Josh Evans, with the goal of learning about Megan and things she might have been saying about Ms. Drew’s daughter, Sarah, a former friend.

After a few weeks of chatting, “Josh Evans” began to send Megan nasty messages via the MySpace account, ending with one that suggested “the world would be a better place” without her. Megan responded, “You’re the kind of boy a girl would kill herself over,” before hanging herself in her home.

Ms. Drew found herself face to face with Megan’s parents and other residents of her town near St. Louis, O’Fallon, Mo., in a courtroom in downtown Los Angeles, where the United States attorney has claimed jurisdiction because MySpace servers and corporate headquarters are in the county. MySpace, a unit of Fox Interactive Media, is based in Beverly Hills.

Missouri law enforcement officials said they had not found enough evidence to bring charges in the case.

Federal prosecutors decided to wield a federal statute that is generally used to prosecute fraud that occurs across state lines. Some critics have said that the use of these statutes in this case is overreaching.

In opening statements, Tom O’Brien, the federal prosecutor, said Ms. Drew had “hatched a plan in order to prey on the psyche of a vulnerable 13-year-old.” The goal, Mr. O’Brien said, was “to embarrass her, to humiliate her, to make fun of her and to hurt her.” Ms. Drew knew of Megan’s history of depression and attention-deficit disorder, he said, because Ms. Drew had given Megan her medicine when she vacationed with the Drew family.

Ms. Drew’s lawyer argued that she was not at home when the fateful message was sent, and that while she knew about the account, she did not play an active role in sending messages to Megan. He argued that those messages were written by an employee of Ms. Drew’s and other young girls, and that Ms. Drew would not have understood how to set up a fake account.

Christina Meier, Megan’s mother, testified calmly abut the messages and said she had once alerted the police when she felt they had become sexual.

“There are two sides to every story,” said Dean Steward, Ms. Drew’s lawyer, who depicted Megan as a fickle friend who had taunted Sarah Drew by spreading “horrible” rumors about her. Mr. Steward implored jurors to remember that “this is a computer abuse and fraud case, not a homicide case.”

Judge George H. Wu instructed jurors before opening arguments that Megan’s suicide would be “the subject of some testimony” that could be relevant to their conclusions but that Ms. Drew was not charged with having anything to do with Megan’s death.

Ms. Steward’s contention that Ms. Drew had no role in setting up the account was called into question by the first witness, Susan Prouty, who manages an interior design shop and did business with Ms. Drew, who runs a magazine coupon business. Ms. Prouty testified that Ms. Drew had said “she created the account” and had intended to print out a thread of flirtatious messages to take to Megan’s school to “humiliate her.”

Ms. Prouty testified that Ms. Drew told her daughter Sarah what to type, “and had even typed some herself.” Ms. Prouty said that Ms. Drew, upset with Megan’s behavior toward Sarah, had told her, “As a mother you have to protect your daughter.”
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/20/us/20myspace.html?ref=us

[MuffyBee]

Nov 21, 7:50 PM EST

Hoax witness: Neighbor hoped to 'mess with Megan'

By GREG RISLING
Associated Press Writer

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- A friend of the Missouri woman accused of sending cruel Internet messages to teenage neighbor Megan Meier, who later committed suicide, testified Friday that the defendant told her she had concocted a false online identity "to mess with Megan."
<snipped>
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/I/INTERNET_SUICIDE?SITE=FLTAM&SECTION=US

[Nut44x4]

Guilty verdict on lesser charges in MySpace case   November 26, 2008

A Los Angeles federal jury today convicted a Missouri mother of misdemeanor charges in the nationally watched MySpace cyber-bullying case involving the suicide of a 13-year-old girl. But the jury rejected more serious felony charges against Lori Drew.

Drew, 49, was accused of violating federal computer statutes and one count of conspiracy for creating the MySpace account in the name of a fictitious 16-year-old boy and using it to engage in an online relationship with 13-year-old Megan Meier.

Meier, of Dardenne Prairie, Mo., hanged herself Oct. 16, 2006, after the fictitious boy, “Josh Evans,” told her the world would be a better place without her, prosecutors alleged.

During the five-day trial in front of U.S. District Judge George H. Wu, prosecutors sought to portray Drew as a callous and reckless woman who gleefully took part in the hoax on Meier, despite knowing the girl had struggled with depression for years and had a vulnerable psyche. Among the government’s witnesses were a close friend of Drew’s, a business associate and her hairdresser, each of whom testified that Drew had admitted playing a role in the hoax.

Drew’s attorney, H. Dean Steward, had accused the government of overreaching by prosecuting his client for something that people routinely do on the Internet: Create bogus identities. He also sought to cast Megan as a deeply troubled teen who had already considered suicide and who was taking an antidepressant medication that carried a warning of suicidal tendencies as a potential side effect. Authorities in Missouri investigated the circumstances surrounding Megan’s death in the months after it occurred but concluded there was no statute under which Drew could be charged.

Thomas P. O’Brien, the U.S. attorney in Los Angeles, claimed jurisdiction over the case based on the fact that MySpace is based in Beverly Hills.

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2008/11/a-federal-court.html

[Nut44x4]

Lori Drew Convicted of Misdemeanor Charges, Not Guilty of Felony Charges


A suburban mother was found guilty today of lesser misdemeanor charges for her role in an online hoax that prosecutors said led to the suicide of her teenage neighbor.

Lori Drew, 49, was convicted on three misdemeanor counts of unauthorized access to computers in a case that drew nationwide attention both for its novel use of a computer hacking law to combat alleged cyberbullying and for its tales of suburban neighborhood rivalries and teenage suicide.

The jury could not reach a verdict on a single felony conspiracy charge. Drew, who lives in a suburb outside St. Louis, was acquitted of several felony counts of unauthorized access to computers in order to inflict emotional distress on 13-year-old Megan Meier.

Drew faces a possible sentence ranging from probation to three years in prison for the misdemeanor charges. She could have faced up to 20 years in prison if convicted of the felony charges.

Meier committed suicide in October 2006 after the end of her online relationship with a 16-year-old boy named Josh Evans. "Josh Evans" was the fictitious creation of Drew, her daughter and her assistant, who created the fake MySpace account to spy on Meier, prosecutors said.

Legally, as Drew's lawyer Dean Steward repeatedly reminded the jury, the case was not about whether Drew caused Meier to commit suicide. Instead, Drew was accused of violating MySpace's terms of service by accessing personal information to inflict emotional distress on the teen.

But the emotional pull, and much of the testimony in the trial in federal court in Los Angeles, revolved around the suicide. "The tragedy in this case is not just Megan Meier's suicide. It's the fact that it was so preventable," U.S. Attorney Thomas O'Brien said in his closing statement.

Meier killed herself after "Josh" told her the world would be better off without her, prosecutors said. The assistant, 20-year-old Ashley Grills, testified under a grant of immunity that she was the one who sent the final message. Drew's daughter Sarah also was not charged.

Sarah told jurors her mother thought inventing "Josh" was a good idea but changed her mind two weeks later and told Grills to shut it down. But Grills testified that Drew orchestrated the hoax and knew Meier was depressed and suicidal. Prosecutors also said Drew later bragged about the prank to her friends and co-workers.


Groundbreaking Case
Steward has said that Drew did not encourage or participate in the hoax and was not aware of the mean messages being sent to Meier. He repeatedly asked U.S. District Judge George Wu to exclude testimony about Megan's suicide and twice sought a mistrial.

The case is believed to be one of the first of its kind to use the statute barring unauthorized access to computers, which has previously been used to combat computer hacking, to address so-called cyberbullying. Drew's lawyers and outside legal experts have argued that the unusual prosecution could broaden the scope of what's considered criminal conduct on the Internet. Drew was charged for violating the MySpace terms of service, a set of rules that many users probably do not read. According to prosecutors, for several years, the Meiers and the Drews were friendly. Both families had girls the same age who attended school together, and they had gone on family trips together.

Megan's mother, Tina Meier, told jurors that her daughter was taking medication for attention deficit disorder and depression, and that she struggled with low self-esteem. Concerned about her daughter's safety, Meier said she had Megan's father reverse the lock on her bedroom.

"I was nervous she would do something," said Meier, adding that Megan had previously tried to commit suicide.

Prosecutors contend that Drew suspected that Megan was spreading rumors about her daughter. They said Drew, her daughter and Grills set up a fake MySpace account in the name of Josh Evans, an attractive 16-year-old boy who was new in town, to spy on Megan.

They allegedly used the Josh Evans account to contact and befriend Megan. Within a few days, Drew encouraged her daughter and Grills to flirt with Megan and planned to lure the teenager to the mall to confront her with the hoax and taunt her, prosecutors said.

Grills, who helped Drew with her coupon magazine business, testified that she told Drew they might get in trouble for the scheme, but that Drew replied, "It was fine and people do it all the time."

Grills said Drew thought the MySpace account was a funny idea and was present about half of the time when Grills and Sarah sent messages to Megan.

In October 2006, another neighborhood girl obtained the password to the Josh account and sent Megan a message saying that Josh no longer wanted to be her friend. The next day, an online argument escalated until Grills, posing as Josh, told Megan the world would be a better place without her in it, prosecutors said.

About 20 minutes later, Tina Meier found her daughter hanging from her belt in her bedroom closet. She died at the hospital the next day.

Grills said during an interview with "Good Morning America" she wrote that final message in an effort to end the online relationship with Josh because she felt the joke had gone too far.

Drew had previously denied involvement in the hoax, saying she didn't know about the mean messages being sent to Megan.

Her daughter has not been charged.

more on page 2 at link

http://abcnews.go.com/TheLaw/Technology/story?id=6338498&page=1

[MuffyBee]

MySpace hoax trial
conviction comes
A jury convicted a mother of cyber
bullying

Last Edited: Wednesday, 26 Nov 2008, 1:39 PM CST
Created On: Wednesday, 26 Nov 2008, 1:39 PM CST

LOS ANGELES (AP) - A jury has convicted a Missouri mother of lesser, misdemeanor crimes in the MySpace cyber-bullying case linked to a 13-year-old girl's suicide. The Los Angeles federal court jury on Wednesday rejected felony charges of accessing a computer without authorization to inflict emotional distress on young Megan Meier.

However, the jury found defendant Lori Drew guilty of three counts of the lesser offense of accessing a computer without authorization. The jurors could not reach a verdict on a conspiracy count. Prosecutors said Drew violated the MySpace terms of service by conspiring with her young daughter and a business assistant to create a fictitious profile of a teen boy on the MySpace social networking site to harass Megan.

Megan, who had been treated for depression, hanged herself in 2006 after receiving a message saying the world would be better without her.
http://www.kxan.com/dpp/news/national/MySpace_hoax_trial_conviction_comes

[MuffyBee]

Lawyer: Probation recommended in MySpace hoax case
By GREG RISLING
Associated Press Writer

May 4, 5:29 PM EDT
LOS ANGELES (AP) -- A Missouri mother involved in a MySpace hoax on a 13-year-old neighbor girl who committed suicide should be placed on probation for one year and fined $5,000 for her misdemeanor convictions, probation officials recommended.
The recommendation was included in court documents filed Sunday by Lori Drew's attorney, Dean Steward.
Drew could face up to three years in prison and a $300,000 fine on three counts of accessing computers without authorization. A jury convicted her in November, but Steward has asked U.S. District Court Judge George Wu to throw out the verdicts.
Prosecutors wouldn't comment but will likely file a response before Drew's scheduled sentencing on May 18.
Prosecutors said Drew violated MySpace service rules by helping create a fictitious teen boy on the social networking site and sending flirtatious messages from him to Megan Meier, a neighbor in suburban St. Louis.
The fake boy then dumped Megan in a message saying the world would be better without her. She hanged herself a short time later.
Jurors found Drew was not guilty of the more serious felonies of intentionally causing emotional harm while accessing computers without authorization. The jury could not reach an unanimous verdict on a felony conspiracy charge.
Drew was not directly charged with causing Megan's death. The trial was held in Los Angeles because the servers of the social networking site are in the area.
Steward said in his court filing that Drew can't pay the $5,000 fine because she no longer draws income from the coupon book business she had for nine years. Drew stopped working in November 2007 because of the case.
Steward also said Drew has been harassed by neighbors and has received threatening letters in the mail. A brick was thrown through a window at the family house, Steward said.
"The harassment from neighbors in O'Fallon, Mo., was vicious and nonstop, until the Drews moved from the neighborhood some months back," Steward wrote.
Steward doesn't want Megan's mother, Tina Meier, or other family members or friends to speak at the sentencing hearing. MySpace, not Megan's family, is the victim in this case, he said.
"Bottom line, it's still a computer fraud case," Steward said.
A message left for Tina Meier was not immediately returned Monday.
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_INTERNET_SUICIDE?SITE=FLTAM&SECTION=US

[MuffyBee]

http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2009-05-18-internet-drew_N.htm
Sentencing delayed for mom in MySpace hoax
LOS ANGELES (AP) — A federal judge in Los Angeles has delayed the sentencing of a Missouri woman for her role in a MySpace hoax directed at a 13-year-old neighbor who ended up committing suicide.

U.S. District Judge George Wu on Monday rescheduled Lori Drew's sentencing to July 2.

The judge says he wants to review testimony by prosecution witnesses. He did not rule on a defense motion to dismiss Drew's convictions on three misdemeanor counts of accessing computers without authorization.
<snipped>

[Toler]

acquits woman in MySpace caseBuzz up!
Digg it
AP foreign, Thursday July 2 2009 LINDA DEUTSCH

AP Special Correspondent= LOS ANGELES (AP) — A Los Angeles federal judge has tentatively thrown out the convictions of a Missouri mother for her role in a MySpace hoax directed at a 13-year-old neighbor girl who ended up committing suicide.

In his ruling Thursday, U.S. District Judge George Wu has acquitted Lori Drew of misdemeanor counts of accessing computers without authorization. Wu says his ruling will become final when he issues it in writing.

Drew was convicted in a trial, but the judge says that if she is to be found guilty of illegally accessing computers, anyone who has ever violated the social networking site's terms of service would be guilty of a misdemeanor.

Prosecutors had sought the maximum three-year prison sentence and a $300,000 fine.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/feedarticle/8589236

[MuffyBee]

http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/31722986/ns/today_people/
MySpace victim’s mom disappointed by ruling
Tina Meier says justice was served, even though judge tossed conviction
By Mike Celizic
TODAYShow.com contributor
updated 8:28 a.m. CT, Fri., July 3, 2009

Tina Meier had hoped to see her neighbor and former friend, Lori Drew, go to prison for her role in the online hoax that caused Meier's 13-year-old daughter, Megan, to end her life. But even though a judge is throwing out Drew's conviction, Meier believes Drew didn't get away with anything.

“I wouldn’t want to be in Lori Drew’s shoes and live her life. I think she’s already basically living a life conviction right now,” Meier said Friday on TODAY, a day after U.S. District Judge George Wu indicated he was vacating a jury’s verdict and acquitting Drew of misdemeanor counts of accessing computers without authorization.

“People used to say that it was vengeance that I wanted. That’s ridiculous,” Meier told TODAY’s Natalie Morales in her first interview since Thursday’s ruling from the bench.
Meier admitted, however, that she was disappointed in the decision.

“As Megan’s mom, I wanted to see her go to jail, because I think it needed to set a precedent,” Meier said. “I think it needed to let people know: You get on the computer, you use it as a weapon to hurt, to harm, to harass people, this is not something that people can just walk away from. This is many times the teen’s lifeline.”

Still, Meier said, her daughter’s death focused attention on cyber bullying and led to several state laws and a proposed federal law to address the growing problem. In that sense, she said, there is some justice for her tragedy.

“For me, because we’ve continued to be able to get the word out and hopefully share the story and hopefully make changes in households, making teens maybe think once or twice, absolutely I think there is justice in Megan's name,” Meier told Morales.

Meier’s daughter, who had suffered from attention deficit disorder and depression, committed suicide by hanging herself in her suburban St. Louis bedroom in 2006 after a boy she had met on the MySpace social networking site told her “the world would be a better place without you.”

The boy, “Josh Evans,” and his MySpace page had been created by Drew as a way to find out if Megan was spreading rumors about Drew’s daughter, Sarah, who had once been Megan’s friend. After befriending Megan, who became infatuated with the boy, “Josh” turned on her.

The last message Megan typed to “Josh” was: “You are the kind of boy a girl would kill herself over.”

A federal case
When it was learned that Josh was the creation of Drew, her daughter and a business associate, Missouri prosecutors investigated but determined that there was no state cyber bullying statute under which Drew could be prosecuted. Federal prosecutors took over the case and indicted Drew under a statute that was written to prosecute hackers. The case was tried in Los Angeles, because that’s where MySpace had its servers.

Judge Wu said that the jury essentially found Drew guilty of violating MySpace’s terms of service by setting up an account for a fictitious person.

[Red]

Justice Interrupted: Lori Drew MySpace Hoax that Caused Megan Meier’s Suicide Tentatively Thrown Out by Judge

http://scaredmonkeys.com/2009/07/03/justice-interrupted-lori-drew-myspace-hoax-that-caused-megan-meiers-suicide-tentatively-thrown-out-by-judge/

Will there really be no justice for deceased 13 year old Megan Meier and her family? A federal judge on Thursday tentatively threw out the MySpace computer fraud conviction against Lori Drew. How is it possible that the Missouri mom, Lori Drew, walks away from the cyberbullying and suicide of Megan Meier with no conviction, but with blood on her hands?

Tina, Megan Meier’s mom

[MuffyBee]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/07/03/AR2009070302467.html?hpid=sec-tech
Dismissal of MySpace Case 'Proper,' Defendant Says
By Linda Deutsch
Associated Press
Saturday, July 4, 2009

LOS ANGELES, July 3 -- A Missouri mother said she never should have been prosecuted for her role in a MySpace hoax directed at a 13-year-old girl who ended up committing suicide.

A federal judge this week acquitted Lori Drew of misdemeanor counts of accessing computers without authorization, finding that the law she allegedly violated was unconstitutionally vague. U.S. District Judge George Wu stressed that the ruling is tentative until he issues it in writing.

Friday, on NBC's "Today" show, Drew said she never should have been prosecuted. 

"In my view, it was proper that this case was dismissed, primarily because I simply did not do what the U.S. attorney in Los Angeles accused me of doing," Drew said. 

Drew was found guilty in November, but the judge said that if she were convicted of illegally accessing computers, anyone who has ever violated the social networking site's terms of service would be guilty of that offense. "You could prosecute pretty much anyone who violated terms of service," he said.

Prosecutors said at a news conference that they will decide to appeal after reviewing the written ruling. Drew's attorney, H. Dean Steward, said the ruling should mark the end of her criminal case.

The parents of Megan Meier, the teenager who killed herself, were in court for the ruling. Later, her mother, Tina Meier, said that in spite of the disappointment, she thought that justice was done because "we got the word out."

Much attention has been paid to Drew's case, primarily because it was the nation's first cyberbullying trial. The trial was held in Los Angeles because the servers of the social networking site are in the area.

Prosecutors said Drew sought to humiliate Megan by helping create a fictitious teenage boy on the social networking site and by sending flirtatious messages to the girl in his name. The fake boy then dumped Megan in a message, saying the world would be better without her.

She hanged herself a short time later, in October 2006, in the St. Louis suburb of Dardenne Prairie, Mo.
During the trial, prosecutors argued that Drew violated MySpace service rules by setting up the phony profile for a boy named "Josh Evans" with the help of her daughter Sarah, then 13, and business assistant Ashley Grills.

"Josh" then told Megan she was "sexi" and assured her, "i love you so much."

Prosecutors think that Drew and her daughter, who was friends with Megan, created the profile to find out if Megan was spreading rumors about Sarah.

Grills, who testified under a promise of immunity, allegedly sent the final, insulting message to Megan before she killed herself. Prosecutors said Megan sent a response saying, " 'You are the kind of boy a girl would kill herself over.' "

**************************

Where is the justice for Megan Meier?  I feel sickened by the likes of Lori Drew-a woman that obviously thinks a lot of herself and has no conscience.  JMHO