Comments on Megan Meier: a 13-year old driven to suicide by a neighborhood mom?

Question

"Megan gets an e-mail, or a message from Josh on her MySpace on Oct. 15, 2006, saying, 'I don't know if I want to be friends with you any longer because I hear you're not nice to your friends,'" Tina Meier said.

Someone using Josh's account was sending cruel messages and Megan called her mother, saying electronic bulletins were being posted about her, saying things like, "Megan Meier is a slut. Megan Meier is fat," according to the Associated Press.

The cyber exchange devastated Megan, who was unable to understand how and why her friendship unraveled. The stress and frustration was too much for Megan, who had a history of depression.

Tina Meier discovered her daughter's body in a bedroom closet on Oct. 16, 2006. Megan had hanged herself and died a day later.

But six weeks after Megan's death, the Meiers learned Josh Evans never existed. A mother, who had learned of the page from her own daughter, told the Meiers a neighborhood mom had created and monitored Evans' profile and page.

http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/Story?id=3882520&page=1

Answer 1

Not only is it unbelievable that a grown woman would do something like that to a child, it's unbelievable that there is no law that this woman can be prosecuted under. That poor girl, I cant even imagine what her family must be feeling.

Answer 2

Remember hearing about this story when it first was reported....I believe the neighborhood mother ('Josh') has 'peter pan' syndrome...she never grew up! It was a very immature way for her to deal w/ the adolescent disagreements that existed between her daughter and Megan.

EDIT: Probably the actual and complete content of emails and extraneous communications & knowledge surrounding the history of the girls' relationship will become important.

The situation may rise to the pt of manslaughter or criminal neglience. At the least, if not deemed criminally responsible, the mother may be held responsible in a wrongful death civil action.

Answer 3

I was so upset when I read this a few days ago (still am, actually). I can't believe there isn't any way to prosecute that mother. Child endangerment, stalking, harassment and fraud comes to mind.

I think the absolute worst part of this story is that it was an adult who was behind the fake account. An adult who really should know better, who should be more responsible and mature about things. It's jut sick and pathetic that this was the only way this woman felt she could deal with this situation - pretend to be a young girl's friend.

Answer 4

That is totally ridiculous. If the mother who created the fake account had a problem with Megan Meier, then she should have talked to Megan's parents about the situation, like an adult, not stalk Megan. I feel the mother's actions are akin to stalking & harrassment, & it seems like there should be some sort of stalking law that would cover this sort of incident. I definitely feel the person/s behind the fake account should be punished.

Answer 5

Lori Drew is a psychopath. That part is clear.

But more disturbing than that are the actions of authorities: If it had been an adult MALE that "carried on" in a sexually explicit way with a 13 year old girl, even if it WERE for the purposes of revenge for his teen daughter, he'd be locked up as a pedophile.

Second, there are al-READY laws on the books that cover this type of harassment. For chrissake: just implement them!

What is particularly chilling to me, is that Lori Drew knew that the victim was known to be suicidal in the past. That means that her statement to her that the "world would be better off without you" or whatever it was... is even MORE chilling: it means she was TRYING to steer this girl to suicide. It means she had a desire to push it in that direction, and did so.

Reminds me of Charles Manson. He never "technically" put his own hands upon his victims either, but he "made it happen" by manipulating people, I mean that's the premise upon which he was convicted: that he had INCITED it.

Same thing here. Lori Drew incited this suicide and should be just as responsible as Manson was when he incited those murders---and she should also be treated just like any other adult who engages in online relationships of a sexual nature with under-aged children.

Answer 6

It's horrible and I, of course, think the mother should get the full arm of the law. Unfortunately, I doubt she'll get charged with anything.

I'm sure if the neighbor was a man then the system would push very hard to get him charged with something. He would also get thrown on the sex offender list - simply because he was pretending to be someone he wasn't with an underage girl in the same neighborhood. Even with no evidence, I'm sure the prosecution would have referred to him as a pervert trying to lure her off the net.

I think the investigation would probably have went underway quicker and much harder if a man was the culprit.

Answer 7

It's really sad and sickening to read. That neighborhood mother sure sounds like a case of arrested development. She may not have intended for the girl to commit suicide but she is responsible for that girl's death. It was her childish and foolish actions that led an emotionally unstable young teen to hang herself. That mother has to live with that for the rest of her life.

Answer 8

I feel so sorry for the Meier family. I wish the mother who created "Josh" could go to jail. How horrible to tell a child that!

EDIT: The mother who created "Josh" may not be held criminally negligent, but she can be held negligent in civil court, should Megan's parents sue for punitive damages.

Answer 9

What happened was horrible yes but given the fact that no criminal charges can be brought upon the mom; there isn't much anyone can do.

For a girl to go off herself because of what a "boy" said to her online... she obviously had some sort of mental problems going on that she needed treatment for. People say mean things to each other all the time in person and on the internet and not everyone is running into closets looking to hang themselves. It's sad but the girl didn't have a full deck.

Answer 10

I saw this when it was originally released. It's endangerment of a child, harassment and probably several other things a lawyer could come up with. I hope they give this woman the books.

It's sad that many parents are no longer parents, but friends that lack adult judgment and morals.

Boy- A 13 year old is not a woman, she is a child.