[iPhone. Photo Credit to Pixabay]

On August 19th, Netflix garnered global attention with the release of a documentary about Kendra Licari, the mother who anonymously sent hateful messages to her own daughter, Lauryn Licari. 

The documentary is titled "Unknown Number: The High School Catfish,” and was directed by Skye Borgman. 

Since its release in August, the documentary has consistently remained a top-10 show on Netflix.

Borgman has received praise for her accurate portrayal of how police uncovered the person behind the anonymous, hateful messages and subsequently served justice for the daughter. 

The documentary details how the relentless harassment negatively affected the girl's life. 

For instance, it led her to lose relationships with her boyfriend and friends, struggle with long-term mental health issues, and carry lasting emotional scars.

Beginning in October 2022, Lauryn Licari reportedly received around 40 to 50 vile messages every day.

Many of these messages body-shamed her, contained sexually explicit remarks about her then-boyfriend, Owen McKenny, and even urged the 13-year-old girl to take her own life.

One of the most striking segments of the documentary reveals actual messages taken from the 17,000 sent by the anonymous number. 

Some of these messages stated, “You are the ugliest person I’ve ever seen,” and “[Owen’s] life would be better if you were dead.”

The documentary includes a video of police officers visiting Lauryn Licari’s home to question her mother about the anonymous texts. 

In the footage, investigators inform her that they traced the messages back to her phone, revealing that she had been the sender all along.

After the shocking truth, Lauryn Licari describes the hurt and confusion she felt upon discovering that her own mother had been the anonymous texter. 

Licari stated, “She told me to kill myself. It makes me feel a little bit sad. Why is my own mom telling me to do that?”

After it was revealed that Kendra Licari had been sending the terrifying texts to her own daughter, she was arrested and charged.

In December 2022, she received a prison sentence ranging from a minimum of 19 months to a maximum of 5 years, convicted on multiple charges, including cyberbullying and stalking.

Kendra Licari was released on August 8th, 2024, after serving only the minimum sentence; however, she remains legally barred from visiting her daughter. 

Currently, Lauryn Licari is 18 years old and resides with her father, while her parents remain separated.

Since the documentary’s recent release and subsequent popularity online, interest in the case has re-sparked, and people online are expressing their opinions about the entire situation. 

One commenter on a TikTok wrote,  “[Kendra Licari] only [staying] 19 months in prison is insane. [She] told [her daughter] to unalive herself multiple times.” 

Many online users defended Lauryn Licari, expressing empathy for her situation and frustration at the justice system. 

Consequently, the case has also reignited public debate over whether existing stalking and cyberbullying laws are strong enough to protect minor victims.