The Megan Meier Myspace suicide case *Update: Conviction overturned* see page 23

[Purse=Heaven]

And that woman ruined their family! not only was their daughter killed, but they have now resulted in a divorce. their life was torn apart all because of a stupid scheme to find out if she was "gossiping" about her daughter.

[etagaya]

Oh my goodness. I hope those "adults" live with guilt and understand the pain they have caused the girl's family for the rest of their lives. What a disgusting thing to do, and what disgusting people! Age really has nothing to do with maturity or respect. This is tragic.

[JuiceBox]

The people responsible have had their addresses posted on the internet now. I won't post the link but I hope they get their comeuppence

[kpanda21]

I wonder if Mr. Drew wonders who the hell he's married to.

[midg613]

Originally Posted by sweetlove

A story about it was just on CNN (Anderson Cooper 360, I think) and it was really interesting, though it made me even more upset about it then I previously was. However, I'm very glad they are putting focus on this though, because what these people did is so horribly wrong and the people who did it should not be allowed to walk away like nothing has happened

Its also been shown on O'Reilly.....I read about this and really wonder what goes on in some adult minds. I know some of us were picked on when we were kids back in the days, but this goes beyond that. Seems like this lady never got over whatever problems she had when she was a kid/teen.

[Speedy]

I just read on another blog the authorities are looking into some law they can charge the mother with.

I still can't get over the woman's age... she's 2 years younger than I am. There is no way she can justify her actions by saying she wanted to know what Megan was saying about her daughter? What about teaching her kid that words can't hurt you? Or gee, what about getting proof Megan was talking smack about her daughter and then telling the Meiers' about it?

The businesses they did advertising for are cancelling their contracts with them too. Seems it's all over the Internet to ban those businesses because of this. Which is sad, it's making them guity by association, which is wrong. The companies who used the services of the company they ran shouldn't be held liable nor have vandilism done to them, it's totally not their fault.

What also slays me is, this happened a year ago, and the people who caused this death haven't moved. I wonder if they thought they wouldn't have to, since it's only now coming to light? (The Meiers didn't go public until after the FBI researched it carefully and then told them there was nothing they could arrest them for.... so now the Meiers have gone public to change the laws about cyber-bullying.


I used to belong to a controversial forum who outted sexual predators. At the time I agreed with what they were doing, until I found out they wanted me to mail flyers to the neighborhood of a 72 year old mother of a "bust". I found that despicable, I cannot imagine how the mother would feel about that, especially since her son didn't live with her!

I can see no good coming from this, unless they DO charge her with something. Involuntary manslaughter may fit, depends on the laws in Missouri about that.

I have a feeling that what made Mrs. Drew start the hateful words up is that Megan had invited Josh Evans, the invisable man, to her 14th birthday party. And there was no way Josh could attend, he didn't exsist! I think she decided in her own twisted way to start the "hurting part" on Megan in order to not have to reply to her birthday invite.

The saddest part is, Megan was due to get her braces off the day she died. And she'd lost weight, (although she was still sensative about it) and she was very pretty. I just cry when I think of how cruel kids are, but this was all begun by a woman who is 48 years old! A woman who has her own business! AND a woman who is/was a member of the O'Fallon Chamber Of Commerce! Just how can they justify what they've done?

Next story we'll hear I'm sure will have to do with the vandalism of their propery, or worse, an attack on one of them.

[ladyjane76]

I really cant even imagine what mrs drews daughter must be going through, kids trust there parents, they think they know best, she probably had know idea that this little ideal they hatched up one afternoon would go this far, what happens now? an eye for an eye? when do things end? will she feel regret for the rest of her life, will she carry this untill she cant take it anymore and kill herself, who would possibly let there children come over to hang out with the drews?? NOT I!

[Speedy]

Originally Posted by ladyjane76

I really cant even imagine what mrs drews daughter must be going through, kids trust there parents, they think they know best, she probably had know idea that this little ideal they hatched up one afternoon would go this far, what happens now? an eye for an eye? when do things end? will she feel regret for the rest of her life, will she carry this untill she cant take it anymore and kill herself, who would possibly let there children come over to hang out with the drews?? NOT I!

Excellent thought LadyJane... the Drew's daughter may be shunned at school, etc, and that alone could drive HER to committing suicide. Heaven forbids if it happens, but can you imagine how this would turn if something happened to her?

Oh, what a tangled web we weave, when first we practice to decieve...

[Roo]

http://customwire.ap.org/dynamic/sto...11-22-00-48-43

Nov 22, 12:48 AM EST

Mo. city outlaws Internet harassment

By BETSY TAYLOR
Associated Press Writer


DARDENNE PRAIRIE, Mo. (AP) -- City officials unanimously passed a measure Wednesday making online harassment a crime, days after learning that a 13-year-old girl killed herself last year after receiving cruel messages on the Internet.

The six-member Board of Aldermen made Internet harassment a misdemeanor, punishable by up to a $500 fine and 90 days in jail. Mayor Pam Fogarty said the city had proposed the measure after learning about Megan Meier's death.

"It is our hope that by supporting one of our own in Dardenne Prairie, we can do our part to ensure this type of harassing behavior never happens again, anywhere," Fogarty said, adding, "after all, harassment is harassment regardless of the mechanism or tool."

Several dozen people broke into applause after the measure was passed.

Authorities have said they could not find a crime to charge anyone with in the case of Meier, who thought she had met a good-looking 16-year-old boy on the social networking site MySpace last year. But he began sending her mean messages and others joined in, her family said, then abruptly ended their friendship.

Megan hanged herself within minutes of receiving the last messages on Oct. 16, 2006, and died the next day.

Megan's parents, Ron and Tina Meier, learned about six weeks after Megan's death that the boy, Josh Evans, was not real. The boy was created by a mother down the street who wanted to know what Megan was saying about her own daughter, who had had a falling out with Megan.

Her father said he found a message from Josh, which he said law enforcement authorities have not been able to retrieve. It told the girl she was a bad person and the world would be better without her, he has said.

The four-page measure defines both harassment and cyber-harassment, essentially making it illegal to engage in a pattern of conduct that would cause a reasonable person to suffer "substantial emotional distress," or for an adult to contact a child under 18 in a communication causing a reasonable parent to fear for the child's well-being.

City attorney John Young said constitutionally protected activity would be exempt. The measure would apply when one of the people communicating was in Dardenne Prairie.

During a break in the meeting, Fogarty embraced Megan's mother with tears in her eyes. She said she was sorry there had not been a law previously in place to prosecute Megan's harassers.

Tina Meier said she was thrilled that the city had passed the new measure.

"This is not a stopping point," she said. "We're not done."

City officials also passed a resolution encouraging state and federal officials to outlaw cyber-harassment and cyber-stalking. A state lawmaker has questioned how state law could be altered without running afoul of First Amendment issues.

[ladyjane76]

WOW, well it's a start!

[Speedy]

Good catch Roo! I thought I'd seen something along this line earlier, but I needed my nap.

Thanks for posting.

[sparkles48]

Originally Posted by rubylola

Here is the actual excerpt from IntlSet's link: "Drew felt this incident contributed to Megan's suicide, but she did not feel "as guilty" because at the funeral she found out "Megan had tried to commit suicide before." Drew explained the neighborhood has recently found out her involvement in Megan's suicide and her neighbors have become hostile toward her and her family. Despite the recency of the suicide and several neighbors recommending she not confront the Meier family (especially on Thanksgiving), Meier stated she and her husband attempted to contact the Meier family three times, "banging on the door" although Mr. Meier had already told them to leave. Drew wished the current tension in the neighborhood be documented in case any of her property is damaged. Further, Drew insisted on contacting the Meier family to "inform them of what she knows." Drew stated she "just needed" to tell them to relieve herself of the "responsibility" and apparent guilt."

This woman has to be a certified sociopath. She has NO remorse whatsoever and wants to apologize to feel better about herself? RIDICULOUS!

[kneehighz]

Originally Posted by sparkles48

This woman has to be a certified sociopath. She has NO remorse whatsoever and wants to apologize to feel better about herself? RIDICULOUS!

I agree, and as someone else said, I feel sorry for how her own kid is going to turn out.

[oo_let_me_see]

I have a feeling Lori Drew is regretting the very moment she thought of this messed up plan...not because it resulted in this poor child's death, but because it has changed her life (or the comfort of her life) forever. (How does it feel to be the most hated person in America right now!) Even if she wanted to be healthy about all of this and come clean and take proper blame, which she apparently does not, where would one go from there?! YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR A CHILD'S DEATH! There is no recovering from that! And her poor child, what's to become of her. I'm sure she had her part of harassing poor Megan, but look at her parents, she obviously wasn't taught any better!!! I feel so sad for the Meier family. The mom, the dad, and her little sister! I know this won't help any and I feel almost guilty voicing this opinion, but why why why didn't Tina comfort her daughter right then and there. She saw what was written to her daughter, and how very upset Megan was. There were some things that I can see the Meiers should have done differently, like allowing a 16-year old to enter Megan's life in such a way, but we all know parenting doesn't come with a manual and we can never be perfect parents. BUT, as a parent of an almost 12-year old impressionable girl, I would have held her and comforted her right there on the spot no matter what! I know that doesn't help the Meiers now, but I just had to get that out. I'm sure Tina and Ron blame themselves one way or another, and what a way to live, because it truly wasn't there fault, but that of a complete mental case (adult) who has ruined the lives of two families!

[MissTiss]

Originally Posted by Sunshine

I can not respong to this without using alot of profanity...

My Thoughts Exactly!