Megan Meier Net suicide trial
p2pnet news view | P2P:- Megan Taylor Meier from Dardenne Prairie, Missouri, was only 13 when she hanged herself in her bedroom closet.
It’s said she was driven to killing herself after online text attacks by Josh Evans on MySpace.
But ‘Josh’ was a fake allegedly created and ‘run’ by Lori Janine Drew, the mother of one of Megan’s friends.
Drew was ultimately charged with violating the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act (CFAA) but, declared the Cyberlaw Clinic, Berkman Center for Internet and Society, Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) and Harvard law School in an amicus brief, laying criminal charges, “for a terms of service violation’ is a, ‘dramatic misapplication of the CFAA with far-ranging consequences for American computer users,” said p2pnet, continuing:
“The CFAA is aimed at penalizing computer trespassers, ‘but under the government’s theory, the millions of people who disregard – or don’t read – the terms of service on every website they visit could face computer crime charges,’ says EFF civil liberties director Jennifer Granick.
” ‘That’s a big blank check to give federal prosecutors’.”
Now, “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 to inflict emotional distress,” says the New York Times, going on:
“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.”
‘She’s just a kid’
In December, 2007, a blog went up purporting to have been written by Drew and which kicked off:
“My daughter had nothing to do with this. Everyone needs to leave her alone. None of you can possibly know her involvement, and none of you can possibly know what she’s gone through. She’s just a kid. She doesn’t deserve these brutal verbal attacks. Please stop.”
Around the same time, “No charges will be filed in connection with the October 2006 suicide death of 13-year-old Megan Meier, of Dardenne Prairie, who was the victim of a MySpace hoax involving a boy who never existed,” said the St Charles Journal, and, “I feel it is time to speak out about this tragic affair,” said the supposed Lori Drew blog.
“I cannot count on any media organization to fairly represent my story, as they have grossly misrepresented and sensationalized the story so far. So, I must present my case here, on the blog that has been my only outlet.”
Now, “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’,”" says the NYT, continuing »»»
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 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.”
Megan’s mother, Tina, founded the Megan Meier Foundation to, “bring awareness, education and promote positive change to children, parents, and educators in response to the ongoing bullying and cyber-bullying in our children’s daily environment”.
Stay tuned.
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p2pnet – Amicus brief in Megan Meier suicide case, August 5, 2008
New York Times – Arguments in Case Involving Net and Suicide, November 19, 2008
written by Drew – ‘Megan Meier had it coming’: Lori Drew, December 4, 2007
St Charles Journal – No charges to be filed over Meier suicide, December 4, 2007
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November 21st, 2008 at 12:39 pm
Watch Summer Heights High for an example of teenage girls today. One should learn how to get over oneself.
November 21st, 2008 at 12:40 pm
What a sad, sad story. This woman is obviously despicable, but is she entirely culpable for the girl’s suicide? I’m not sure what I think.
November 21st, 2008 at 8:44 pm
” “My daughter had nothing to do with this. Everyone needs to leave her alone. None of you can possibly know her involvement, and none of you can possibly know what she’s gone through. She’s just a kid. She doesn’t deserve these brutal verbal attacks. Please stop.”
Karma is a , well, you know
” This woman is obviously despicable, but is she entirely culpable for the girl’s suicide? ”
IMO, yes, but from a legal standpoint, the consequences of a successful prosecution on this basis to everyone else are
potentially VERY bad.
She is receiving substantial consequences of her actions, as noted in her above quote.
We may not think that those are enough ( I don’t ), but legally no one can do anything, and this is the wrong
route.
Take comfort in the fact that the very internet that she used to torment that girl to her death will also
be used to make sure that Lori Drew and her family are never forgotten, or allowed to forget what she
did to her.
again .. karma is a ..
November 21st, 2008 at 8:48 pm
Yup,
The internet community will find and out them wherever they go.
The Drews will never be able to hide, or forget, or be left alone, ever
November 21st, 2008 at 10:39 pm
” The internet community is laughing but not at her… as that was only her own fault. ”
Hmmm, I don’t see anyone laughing.
But the Drew family will enjoy the benefits of a lifetime of torment, since they will never be able to
hide where they can’t be found. The internet is worldwide and all of their faces are known, and known
well.
The scorn will follow them and the kids that ms Drew claims to have been protecting for all of their lives
possibly into future generations, and its Lori Drew’s own fault.
She may not get prison, but she will indeed get a lifetime of punishment.
This is good.
I hope it was worth it Ms Drew.
November 22nd, 2008 at 12:00 pm
The internet doesn’t care. In fact, the majority of people that I’ve spoken to about this case on the internet, do not cater to your side of the argument. They see the real fault and the responsibilities that we all have to take as human beings. This argument has already been made, but a mentally ill teenager, such as Megan, should not have been on the net in such a social position. It is her parents fault if blame must be placed beyond that of Megan herself. Mrs. Drew simply fucked up and messed with the wrong kid. This kid, Megan, would have “acted out” in other ways after she ways rejected from others as she was known to do already. The life of a teenager is hard. The life of a mentally ill (see bipolar) is even harder. Extreme emotional up’s and downs should have been the warning signs to either monitor or completely bar Megan’s from internet access… but it wasn’t. Her own mother knowingly allowed her to talk to a sixteen year old. This is not a simple matter of blaming Mrs. Drew. It goes beyond black and white. Those of you that are closely related to this case will never understand that as you will never allow yourself to see consider all the things that led up to this. You are clenching on to a hope that some anger/sadness will be relinquished if you get some sort of revenge against the person you consider to have killed your daughter/friend. We all make our own life decisions. This is stressed to high risk kids throughout their education in less than ideal living areas. The problem is, we don’t see a white suburban kid, *with a little issues*, as high risk. Certainly, steps should be taken but not in the realm of the internet. The job for parenting exists within it’s own root: The Parents.
November 22nd, 2008 at 12:12 pm
As a parent, I believe there is a lot in the above comment. But you will not see this poiint of view balanced against the sorrow the world feels for Mrs. Meier
November 22nd, 2008 at 10:24 pm
” The internet doesn’t care. In fact, the majority of people that I’ve spoken to about this case on the internet, do not cater to your side of the argument. ”
Really ?
Then why do the Drews complain so much about how they are tormented for their actions ?
” They see the real fault and the responsibilities that we all have to take as human beings. ”
No, they don’t.
They made their own bed are are not comfortable lying on it.
As far as human beings though, someone who would torment a teen , KNOWN to be unstable does not
sound like the actions of human beings, let alone resposible adults.
Since I am aware that I am speaking to one of the Drew clan, enjoy your new lives .. you will never be able to
hide from what you have done, and no one will ever let you forget, regardless of what the law does or does not
do.
You will always be found, you will always be made to suffer.
enjoy it, we all will.
November 23rd, 2008 at 5:03 am
So a self conscience, bi polar girl committed suicide? Mrs Drew may have pushed her but had she not whats to say that nothing else would’ve? Then that would have simply been them blaming that object for it’s involvement, the parents shouldn’t have been lenient even if it made the girls life miserable because apparently now she doesn’t have one….
November 23rd, 2008 at 7:53 am
” So a self conscience, bi polar girl committed suicide? Mrs Drew may .. blahh blah robble robble ”
enjoy your new life Lori Drew AND family.
No amount of self serving babble will make it go away.
But keep posting under MORE false names ( thats what got you into this in the first place ),
If it makes you feel better.
December 5th, 2008 at 12:57 am
I’m so threatened by jr high students who think stalking someone online makes them cool.
December 8th, 2008 at 12:18 pm
magan meier was just a kid and for anyone to deliberately send hateful messages to her when they clearly know its going to affect her is morbid and they deserve to go to hell!!!
December 10th, 2008 at 9:26 pm
Checking this again I see Hippie is now using the “If you don’t agree with me you can’t possibly be anyone else then the person accused!” but alas I’m afraid thats not the case. Was she in the wrong? Yes. Is it safe to say this could’ve been prevented? Yes. Can we say it wouldn’t have happened from any other catalyst? No, no it’s not. She had deep issues and her parents being lenient didn’t help… but but but if we were more forceful she might have killed herself! Oh well too late to know now isn’t it?