Woman indicted in Missouri MySpace suicide case

[proud2BlibKansan]

By LINDA DEUTSCH
AP Special Correspondent


In this Monday, Nov. 19, 2007 file photo, Tina Meier holds two pictures of her daughter Megan who committed suicide last October after receiving cruel messages on MySpace, in St. Charles, Mo. A federal grand jury in Los Angeles on Thursday, May 15, 2008, indicted a Missouri woman, Lori Drew of suburban St. Louis for her alleged role in perpetrating a hoax on the online social network MySpace against Megan Meier.

A Missouri woman was indicted Thursday for her alleged role in perpetrating a hoax on the online social network MySpace against a 13-year-old neighbor who committed suicide.

Lori Drew, 49, of suburban St. Louis, who allegedly helped create a MySpace account in the name of someone who didn't exist to convince Megan Meier she was chatting with a 16-year-old boy named Josh Evans, was charged with conspiracy and fraudulently gaining access to someone else's computer.

Megan hanged herself at home in October 2006, allegedly after receiving a dozen or more cruel messages, including one stating the world would be better off without her.

Salvador Hernandez, assistant agent in charge of the Los Angeles FBI office, called the case heart-rending.

more . . . http://www.kansascity.com/637/story/621400.html

[WillYourVoteBCounted]

1. this is so tragic

when I first heard about this, I went on the internet to read more,
and I couldn't stop crying.

This is too horrible to be true, but it sadly is.

I wish they could indict that monstrous woman for murder, instead of for
perpetrating a hoax.

[proud2BlibKansan]

2. There are some interesting comments following the story

Some people are actually defending this woman. :wow:

[IndyJones]

3. That woman had a blog right after that all happened where she

tried to explain/justify what she did. It was really disgusting to read.

I'm actually really glad she's being charged. I can't imagine being so cruel. And the way she had no remorse after was really disturbing. I mean, she is a mother, too, and she seemed to have no sympathy for the parents of the daughter who killed herself.

[LisaL]

10. I am pretty sure that blog was not written by her.

As for being glad she is being charged.
Seems like selective prosecution. I doubt she would be the only one allegded to be using fake profile on My Space.
Use a fake name/give out false information on My Space-off to federal prison?
Why should it be just her who is charged with violating My Space's terms of service agreements?
Should feds start looking at all MY Space profiles to find others and charge them accordingly?

[LanternWaste]

16. What evidence is there that...

What evidence is there that she did not, in fact write the blog?

[Richard Steele]

23. Is there -anything- too vile and despicable for you to DEFEND here at DU? Seriously?

nm

[Jamastiene]

18. Precisely. It's the "no remorse" factor that really kicks this thing

into high gear for me. If she had one ounce of compassion for at least the mother of the child she drove to suicide, it might be different, but she never has shown any remorse whatsoever.

[mrreowwr_kittty]

6. People defended her right here on DU.

Of course, they're some of the same people defending those polygamous cults too. Odd, that.

[proud2BlibKansan]

7. Yes I remember that

Disgusting

[mrreowwr_kittty]

11. One came along right on schedule! Look at post #10. nt

[Jamastiene]

19. There will be some here defending her too. Wait for it.

In 5...4...3...2...

[Richard Steele]

22. No need to wait- one already beat you here.

Check out post #10.

[emilyg]

4. Yes.

[KSinTX]

5. I actually read through the Missouri statutes

Looking for something such as child endangerment that they could charge her with. The way those were written I can see why the prosecutor had to think hard to get an indictment. Glad to see they found somethng.

[proud2BlibKansan]

8. MO passed a law a month or so ago

making internet stalking illegal - just because of this case.

[LisaL]

9. She was charged with a federal crime for violating My Space's

Service Agreement. Which presumably mean you and others here can be charged with federal crime if you register to an internet service with false information. Think about that.

[Nikki Stone1]

12. I heard there were 4 indictments, but I don't remember what they were.

And one of them was for violating TOS?

[ShaneGR]

14. There are 4 total counts and they are:

Count 1 is a conspiracy charge, organizing a group to inflict harm upon a minor basically. She recruited some other minors to help in the lie.

Count 2-4 are all related to using an out of state computer (The Myspace servers located in California) to perpetrate a crime. Previously these kinds of chargers were reserved for hackers. Basically she lied her way through the registration process, and then used the fake accounts to create harm. Since the servers she used to perpetrate the crime were out of state, the crime becomes Federal.

[Nikki Stone1]

21. Thanks for the info NT

NT

[LisaL]

26. To all of you who think it's so great this woman was charged.

Hello?
Have any of you ever registered to an website using a fake name?
Have any of you posted false information about yourself on the net?
Well, you might be accused of the same federal crime.
When none of us can post under aliases, you might wake up, but it will be too late.
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,356435,00.html

[Richard Steele]

27. As always, thanks for your CONCERN.

:eyes:

[ShaneGR]

13. Well, sort of

While it could potentially be a slippery slope in terms of internet registrations, but this woman is being prosecuted not because of a false registration but what she did with it. She purposely misled a minor, consorted with other minors to do it (hence the conspiracy charge), with the sole intent of humiliating the victim. Unfortunately the victim was clearly disturbed already, and killed herself. What is most interesting is that it appears that the mother wasn't the one who posted about the victim being better off dead, it was the minor that the mother recruited to help her carry out the ruse.

[Richard Steele]

24. Yeah, THAT'S why she was charged. Right. Sure. OK.

:eyes:

[KSinTX]

25. It might give some Operation Chaos operatives pause, no?

Not too unlike the infamous Al Capone take down - it wasn't the bloody carnage, it was the taxes!

[ShaneGR]

15. Missouri didn't find anything, these are Federal Charges....

Because the MySpace servers were in another state. It's the United States Southern California District that brought these charges.

[Jamastiene]

17. I read about the woman who did that. She showed no signs of remorse

for playing a role in the suicide of a 13 year old girl. Death is permanent. That is a life ended because of a grown woman's cruelty and lack of conscience. She showed no signs of remorse. I hope she gets at least some prison time for that, personally. I have no pity for a cruel, heartless person like that.

[Highway61]

20. Lori Drew

This woman claims she did nothing wrong? One word....MOTIVE! What was her motive behind all of this? Special hell for people like that. Megan's parents divorced since this happened...didn't survive the loss of a child. May Megan rest in peace.