'Unknown Number: The High School Catfish' And The Bizarre Truth Behind The Anonymous Texting Scandal

Unknown Number: The High School Catfish has been making headlines for a while now. However, did you know there is a real twisted story behind the docuseries? For over two years, a teenage couple, Lauryn Licari and Owen McKenny, were harassed by an anonymous texter. Nonetheless, what the cybercell finally found out shocked everyone, including the couple, investigators, their small town and the entire world.

The disturbing true crime case has been converted into a Netflix documentary, which was released on August 29, 2025. The film features interviews with Lauryn Licari and her ex-boyfriend, Owen McKey, who were just 13 years old when the torturous texting began. The documentary also interviews Licari's parents and various investigators, including those from local law enforcement and the FBI. So, without any further ado, let's take a look at what really happened. 

What happened to Lauryn Licari and Owen McKenny?

The small town of Beal City, Michigan, saw the biggest cyber case in its history when the 'golden couple' of the town was harassed by an anonymous texter. The incident occurred a few days before Halloween in 2020, when Lauryn Licari and Owen McKenny received a group text from an unknown number. The text which read:

"Hi Lauryn, Owen is breaking up with you. He no longer likes you and hasn't liked you for a while. It's obvious he wants me."

Lauryn Licari and Owen McKenny initially ignored the texts, despite finding them extremely weird. However, a year later, the anonymous texter returned with much greater intensity, escalating to over 50 texts daily. The texts grew sexual in nature, and some even told Lauryn that Owen would break up with him because she was not 'satisfying him s**ually'. As reported by Time.com, a text read

"He wants s**, bl**jobs and making out, he doesn't want your sorry a**."

Lauryn Licari and Owen McKenny struggled to keep up with the harassing texts. However, they were unable to block them because the perpetrator was using software that made their number and area code untraceable. Ultimately, their high school had to get involved, and the principal reached out to state police, who questioned friends in the couple's inner circle.

While initially a student, Khloe was suspected of being the texter after she was caught with several burner phones, one of them using the language that resembled that of the texts; she claimed that she was being framed. The police eventually cleared her after a thorough check-in. However, one thing everyone could agree on was that the stalker was someone Lauryn Licari knew, especially after the sender started calling her by her nickname, Lo.

The texter would also comment on her outfits in school and how she had styled her hair on that specific day. Unfortunately, the burden got too much for the couple, and they eventually broke up. However, the texts only got worse, including physical threats and messages telling her to die by suicide. Other texts referenced Owen's new girlfriend, taking the stalking to a new level.

Who was the real texter?

The texts had left everyone unsettled when Isabella County Sheriff, Michael Main, enlisted the help of federal authorities, who linked investigators with a cybercrimes expert from the Bay City Police Department. However, what the police eventually found out left everyone shocked. According to NBC News, the cybercrime unit revealed.

"An IP address from a Spectrum host from the Mt Pleasant area and a user who opened the link with an Apple iPhone. There was only one number that matched anyone involved in this case was — Licari's mother, Kendra Licari."

Now, the next question arose: why would a mother torture her own daughter? Well, the police confronted Kendra. However, that was not the only secret she had been hiding. She had been lying about her employment for the last year. The Sheriff later shared that initially, Kendra asserted that she had nothing to do with the texts. He stated that Kendra insisted she hadn't sent the early texts, but then she just fed off of it and began to send them. She also added that she got caught up in sending the messages, and it just continued.

Lauryn Licari also recalled how her mother had asked her to avoid the texts and not get caught up in them. Additionally, Owen McKenny's mother, Jill, also shared how Kendra had access to all the information that was used to harass the children. For example, the texter sent a photo of Owen taken at their Christmas party, which Kendra had attended. Jill also shared that Kendra would often question her about her son after Owen and Lauryn broke up, which explained how she knew about his new relationship. 

Kendra Licari was charged with stalking and obstruction of justice

In December 2022, Kendra was arrested and charged with two counts of stalking a minor, two counts of communicating with another to commit a crime and one count of obstruction of justice. The stalking counts and computer counts together could result in a jail time of up to 15 years. Beal City Public Schools Superintendent William Chilman IV expressed their shock over the incident. In April 2023, Kendra was found guilty of two stalking counts and was sentenced to a minimum of 19 months in jail after the other two charges were dismissed.

Where is Kendra Licari now?

Kendra was released on parole in August 2024. However, by then, Shawn Licari had divorced her, receiving full custody of their daughter, Lauryn. Kendra is currently living with her family and is not allowed to contact her daughter. At the time of filming Unknown Number, the mother still wanted to be a part of her daughter's life, but Lauryn revealed that she was not yet ready for it. As for why she did what she did, Kendra suggested that it stemmed from past trauma, including being raped at 17. She revealed that Lauryn was growing up, and she became scared, wanting to protect her.

The story of Lauryn Licari and Owen McKenny is truly saddening. What are your thoughts on Unknown Number? Let us know.

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