Woman indicted in MySpace suicide case

[Moongirl]

Mom indicted in MySpace suicide
Computer charges against woman whose daughter feuded with victim
BREAKING NEWS
The Associated Press
updated 12:16 p.m. PT, Thurs., May. 15, 2008
LOS ANGELES - A Los Angeles federal grand jury indicted a Missouri woman on Thursday for her alleged role in a MySpace online hoax played on a 13-year-old girl who committed suicide.

Lori Drew of suburban St. Louis was indicted on one count of conspiracy and three counts of accessing protected computers without authorization to obtain information to inflict emotional distress.

Drew allegedly helped create a false-identity MySpace account to contact neighbor Megan Meier who thought she was chatting with a 16-year-old boy named Josh Evans.

Meier hanged herself in October 2006 after receiving cruel messages, including one stating the world would be better off without her.

Drew, 49, has denied creating the account and sending messages to Megan.

MySpace is based in Beverly Hills. The indictment noted that MySpace computer servers are located in Los Angeles County.

Because of juvenile privacy rules, the U.S. attorney's office said, the indictment refers to the girl as M.T.M.

Each count in the indictment carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison.

Last month, an employee of Drew, 19-year-old Ashley Grills, told ABC's "Good Morning America" she created the false MySpace profile but Drew wrote some of the messages to Megan.

Grills also claimed Drew suggested talking to Megan via the Internet to find out what Megan was saying about Drew's daughter, who was a former friend of Megan's.

Grills said she wrote the message to Megan about the world being a better place without her, which was supposed to end the online relationship with "Josh" because Grills felt the joke had gone too far.

"I was trying to get her angry so she would leave him alone and I could get rid of the whole MySpace," Grills told the morning show.

Megan's death was investigated by Missouri authorities, but no state charges were filed.

This breaking news story will be updated.


© 2008 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
URL: Mom indicted in MySpace suicide - Crime & courts - MSNBC.com


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[greysfang]

It's about damned time. I hope they fry that bitch's ASS, fucking with a baby like that.

[Mariesoleil]

glad that woman is finally getting what she deserves.

[msdeb]

i am glad

[Sweetie]

I don't know about this. I think the woman was wrong but she didn't kill this girl.

[greysfang]

How is this any different from what Charles Manson did? He told some people to go kill and they did. This woman told a depressed teen to kill herself and she did.

[AliceInWonderland]

Originally Posted by greysfang

It's about damned time. I hope they fry that bitch's ASS, fucking with a baby like that.

omg i totally agree; how a grown-ass adult woman could take part in such ludicriosy is beyond me!

[witchcurlgirl]

Originally Posted by Sweetie

I don't know about this. I think the woman was wrong but she didn't kill this girl.

yes I tell people to go kill themselves a lot.....too bad more don't take me up on the offer.....


I feel bad, but clearly this kid was not long for this world......

[LynnieD]

I'm shocked they actually indicted her--hope it STICKS though. The worst thing at this point would be for her to get off on some dumbass loop hole. This is new territory for most law enforcement....gonna be tricky.

Don't get me wrong, I think the bitch should fry too. I cannot even IMAGINE living down the damn street from the family that did this to my kid. No fucking way.

[cynic]

....and let's hope that she gets some jail time with a jail full of women with children.....mindfucking a 13-year-old that you KNOW has mental issues.....bitch needs put down.....

....I understand the psycho's daughter doing this crap to her ex-friend.....teenage girls can make terrorists look like boyscouts....but the mother?.....put the bitch down.......

....ya gotta read all about this situation before you can appreciate how evil that entire family was.....

[crumpet]

Originally Posted by greysfang

How is this any different from what Charles Manson did? He told some people to go kill and they did. This woman told a depressed teen to kill herself and she did.

If someone told me to go play in traffic I wouldn't do it, would you? Charles Manson, imo, isn't responsible for the spineless drones who lacked the intestinal fortitude to think for themselves. He didn't force them to do anything. He's a psycho for sure, but he didn't make them kill anybody either.

What bothers me about this case is that it involved an adult vs a minor. She contributed to the child's depression, but nobody 'makes' anyone commit suicide.

[greysfang]

So, in your opinion, Charles Manson should never have been convicted and should be free right now, eh? Now that's crazy.

[lisalucy69]

Originally Posted by greysfang

How is this any different from what Charles Manson did? He told some people to go kill and they did. This woman told a depressed teen to kill herself and she did.

I agree. This woman sickens me. It's one thing (not a good thing mind you)for kids to bully each other, but it's f*#king pathetic for a grown adult to get her kicks bulling a child. What a piece of shit.

[western]

Originally Posted by Sweetie

I don't know about this. I think the woman was wrong but she didn't kill this girl.

She may not be responsible for the suicide but she is fully responsible for inflicting emotional distress that led to suicide.

Think of the woman as a stalker of sorts - if you were stalked, harrassed and thought no one was in your corner what escape would you use? It's bad enough when it's a peer bullying you but it's inexcusable when a full-grown ADULT is going after a child.

The woman started it by creating the MySpace account - if not for her actions would this child have committed suicide? The answer is we'll never know but we do know that MySpace account directly impacted the child's decision to commit suicide. So there is accountability on the part of that woman.

[CollegeStudent]

i think if this woman is charged then the 19yr old employee who actually told the girl that the world would be better without her should be charged as well.