Michigan Mother Secretly Harassed Her Own Daughter Online for a Year — Shocking Messages Revealed
What began as a terrifying mystery for a teenage girl in Michigan turned into one of the most disturbing cases of parental betrayal in recent years.
In 2021, 16-year-old Lauryn Licari, a high school student from Beal City, started receiving a string of vile, threatening, and deeply unsettling messages. The texts, which came from an anonymous source, grew so relentless and frightening that Lauryn began to fear for her safety.
But she wasn’t the only one targeted. Her boyfriend, Owen Kenny, soon found himself receiving the same type of harassment. The attacks extended beyond private texts, spilling over into social media, where both teens were tormented for months with cruel words and ominous threats.
The situation escalated so badly that the teenagers finally turned to adults for help. Both Lauryn’s and Owen’s mothers, along with school officials, worked closely with law enforcement to try and identify the stalker. For an entire year, the mystery tormentor remained hidden — careful to use VPNs and other tools to disguise their location.
No one could have guessed the truth.
When investigators, with help from the FBI, traced the messages back to their source, the revelation shocked everyone: the anonymous bully was none other than Lauryn’s own mother, 42-year-old Kendra Licari.
“The Worst in Human Nature”
Kendra was arrested in 2023 after finally confessing to orchestrating the year-long harassment campaign against her own daughter and her daughter’s boyfriend. She later pleaded guilty to two counts of stalking a minor.
At her sentencing, Judge Mark Duthie condemned her actions as unfathomable:
“I can’t imagine any parent saying such horrible things to her own daughter. This case has shown the very worst in human nature.”
Kendra was handed a maximum sentence of five years in prison, though she was released in August 2024 after serving part of her time.
The Netflix Spotlight
The bizarre and heartbreaking case recently resurfaced thanks to the Netflix documentary Unknown Number: The High School Catfish. The series sheds light on the twisted web of lies and cruelty, even revealing some of the horrifying messages Lauryn had endured.
According to Superintendent Bill Chillan, the messages were so vile they “would make a 53-year-old man blush.” Many contained graphic insults, and over time they grew even darker — suggesting Lauryn should harm herself.
Lauryn admitted in the documentary that the words took a heavy toll on her mental health:
“When I first read that, I was totally in shock. It made me feel awful. I was in a really bad mental state.”
Why Did She Do It?
In her own words, Kendra claimed she spiraled into the harassment without knowing how to stop.
“I started out thinking I needed answers, and then it just kept going. It snowballed. I don’t think I even knew who I was anymore,” she confessed in the documentary.
Kendra described it as though she had been wearing “a mask,” disconnected from reality and her true self.
A Broken Bond
As part of her plea deal, Kendra is forbidden from seeing Lauryn. Yet, in the Netflix series, Lauryn admits that she still hopes for reconciliation one day — though her trust remains shattered.
“I think I want to trust her now, but I don’t think I can,” Lauryn said quietly. “I just want her to get the help she needs so that, if we ever see each other again, it doesn’t go back to the way it was before.”
The case stands as a chilling reminder that sometimes the most dangerous betrayal doesn’t come from strangers — but from those we trust the most.