We've been haunted by the Megan Meier story for days now. If you missed it, here's the Strollerderby wrap-up: Megan Meier, a thirteen-year-old girl, met a sixteen-year-old boy named Josh on MySpace. He told her she was pretty and they had an online relationship. Then Josh abruptly told her he didn't want to be her friend anymore because he heard she was mean. He began posting bulletins: Megan is a slut. Megan is fat. Megan, who took medication for depression and ADHD, went upstairs to her room and hung herself. She died the next day.
Six weeks after Megan died, her parents learned that Josh was not a real person--he was created by the parents of a girl who lived down the street, a girl who had once been Megan's friend.
There are so many more awful details, many found in this St. Charles Journal article:
- Megan had been overweight and even though she'd slimmed down and started to feel pretty, but she was still deeply insecure and clinically depressed.
- When the Meiers found out "Josh" was in fact a fake profile created by their neighbors, Curt and Lori Drew, they took the foosball table they'd been storing for the couple in their garage, hacked it to bits, and left it on the Drews' lawn.
- Mrs. Meier was cooking dinner when her daughter hung herself upstairs; she blames herself. The couple is divorcing.
- The Drews are not being tried with any crime.
The most telling part of all this to us is that the Meiers did everything they were supposed to: monitoring their daughter's MySpace usage, prohibiting her from using the computer at times; trying to console her when her "boyfriend" broke up with her. And none of it worked, because just a few doors down were these monsters -- their friends! -- bent on emotionally destroying their vulnerable daughter.
There has to be something to charge the Drews with, right? Alas, it seems like as much as the police and the community would like to bring the law down on them, in this case there's just no such law.
Reader Comments ( Page 4 of 6)
46. THIS IS A SAD THING THAT HAPPENED. THAT GIRL AND HER FAMILY ARE IN MY PRAYERS. IT DOESN'T MATTER IF SHE HAD ISSUES OR WAS ON MEDICATION, SHE WAS A CHILD. THE GIRL AND MOTHER WHO DID THIS CRUEL TRICK SHOULD BE 100% RESPONSIBLE FOR WHAT HAPPENED. THE MOTHER SHOULD BE SENT TO A MENTAL HEALTH FACILITY AS SHE SEEMS TO BE SCREWED UP IN THE HEAD TO ALLOW THIS MY SPACE CRAP TO HAPPEN. LADY YOU ARE SICK TO PICK ON A 13 YEAR OLD GIRL. I HOPE YOU AND YOUR DAUGHTER ROT IN HELL. GOD WILL TAKE CARE OF YOU!!!!!!!!RUN RUN FAR AWAY. IT WILL ALWAYS BE BEHIND YOU! I HOPE EVERYNIGHT YOU LOOK IN YOUR DAUGHTERS FACE AND SEE MEGAN. MAYBE SHE DIDN'T WANT TO BE FRIENDS WITH YOUR DAUGHTER BECAUSE SHE WAS A BULLY, A SLUT OR JUST MEAN? MAYBE SHE JUST NEEDED TIME TO MATURE OR GET HERSELF BETTER? ARE YOU THAT INSECURE TO NEED EVERYONE TO LIKE YOUR KID? I HAVE RAISED 4 DAUGHTERS AND HAVE SEEN FRIENDS COME AND GO. I HAVE SEEN FRIENDS COME AND STAY. NEVER WOULD I EVER DREAM TO DO WHAT YOU HAVE DONE. THIS IS WHY OUR WORLD IS SO SCREWED UP. PARENTS ARE TEACHING OUR KIDS NOTHING ABOUT COMPASSION,OR LETTING THEM BE ACCOUNTABLE FOR THEIR ACTIONS. THEY ARE HANDED EVERYTHING AND NOT APPRECIATIVE FOR ANYTHING AS THEY DIDN'T HAVE TO WORK FOR IT. MEGAN'S FAMILY, I WILL PRAY FOR YOU. IN SEPT, MY BEST FRIEND LOST THEIR DAUGHTER AT THE HANDS OF ANOTHER SHE WAS 17. I MISS HER DEARLY AND MY FRIEND IS GOING THROUGH A ROUGH TIME, THIS WAS HER ONLY CHILD BUT I SEE SHE TAKES ONE DAY AT A TIME AND SHE WILL LIVE ON FOR HER DAUGHTER. I KNOW YOU CAN TOO. PLEASE HANG IN THERE! I HAVE FAITH IN YOU.
KATHY at 12:06AM on Dec 21st 2007
47. they may have disappeared from the neighborhood, but they're still defending their actions online.
http://meganhaditcoming.blogspot.com/2007/12/im-lori-drew.html
eris at 2:09AM on Dec 5th 2007
48. how is it her parents fault??? the DREWS SHOULDNT EVER BE ABLE TO WALK DOWN THE STREET WITHOUT SOMEONE THROWING SOMETHING AT THEM i have 2 brothers that are 12 and 15 years old and they get on myspace hell alot of kids by 13 are pregant or even worst you cant watch ur kids 24/7 all you people blaming the family ur f**kn dum get a clue
autumn at 7:23PM on Dec 4th 2007
49. The Drew's should be stoned at the town hall. That is what they did to a child. THIS WAS AN ADULT, that not only did wrong, but then admitted guilt when she tried to cover it up. Let the parents throw the first stone. I don't think people would stop until justice is served. What would your limit be?
Kimberly Garcia at 7:37PM on Dec 4th 2007
50. this is far from a prank. lori drew, the 47 year old woman who pretended to be the young man, has some serious mental and emotional issues. to do as she did, when she knew this young woman's situation is cruel and unconscionable. shame on all those who are blaming the young woman's parents. i'm pretty sure most or many of you have your own set of problem that you would not want anyone to exploit or manipulate. and you're adults. or should be.
hedy lamar at 8:05PM on Dec 4th 2007
51. My prayers are with the parents of Megan. God will take care of the Drews. What goes around, comes around. It may not happen soon, but someday the people that tormented that 13 year old girl will get their due. They will never know when the Lord will take revenge. Shame on them!
Bev Frase at 8:15PM on Dec 4th 2007
52. nary get a heart. this iant the parents fault they did everything right its the monsters you seemingly defend that caused this. if you condone what them monsters did in pretending to be someone who cared about the girl is ok you a re a rotten person like they are and your time will come when you will suffer great humilaition and no amount of money will save you from it god and christ see through you , me and everyone so dont go pretending your all that and a bag of chips cuz underneath it all you are a slimeball like the rest of them.
harley at 8:12PM on Dec 4th 2007
53. why don't you all shut up? It isn't for you to decide who's "fault" it is like you are all God or something...why not try to understand why anyone would be so cruel to a fellow human being. That is the big question here - NOT who is at fault.
ladadeladada at 8:15PM on Dec 4th 2007
54. If the result wasn't so horrible, we wouldn't be clamoring for justice. What Meghan's neighbors did was insidious and embarrasingly immature for adults to take part in. However, against the law? What if Meghan found out who her boyfriend was and threw a rock through thier window? Would that have been the neighbor's fault? The bottom line is that we should be responsible for our actions. I hate to lay blame on Meghan's parent's because of thier loss, but they are responsible for the well-being of thier children. Drew's, you really should be ashamed of yourself, even if this hadn't turned out so tragic. What kind of example are you providing for YOUR kids? Being mean and hurtful is OK? Don't even think of moving next to me.
Chris at 8:51PM on Dec 4th 2007
55. This is stupid and shouldnt have happened..the pervert neighbors are lucky to get out of the neighborhood alive
she was actually quite pretty i think
thinking about this makes me sick how they could do that to a young girl
and this really has nothing to do with myspace they couldve dont this over e=mail or even the mail txt messages you name it
just a tragedy
those nighbors are just lucky they dont live next to me....and in my opinion they should see jail time
think about it they drove a young girl to F**KING SUICIDE!! who does that? for eveyone whos had a crappy relationship end badly should be able to relate
johnk0529 at 9:10PM on Dec 4th 2007
56. Well hopefully they will get theirs real soon. Maybe not legally but someone will find out who they are and they will get theirs. F-n scumbags. If I were the parents of that child I would do everything in my power to destroy them.
Yolanda at 9:23PM on Dec 4th 2007
57. The parents of the girl seem to have done nothing wrong. It's common enough for depressed teens to have no medication or treatment at all. The fact that she was allowed on myspace is not a flaw in their parenting. Myspace can give children a chance to develop an identity, meet people from around the world, as well as keep in touch with friends close by. It is not as though they were going to allow her to fly four states away to meet the boy. The parents of the other girl however, should be held responsible for their actions. Once you hit 30 I think you lose the right to start trouble in chat rooms and mess with people online. Hopefully their dissapearance has something to do with a hitman.
matthew at 12:06AM on Dec 5th 2007
58. The Drews don't want this inconvenient event to affect their precious daughter's chances of getting in an Ivy League college someday. Some inferior kid's suicide is just a minor bump on the way to Harvard.
WackyWade at 10:06PM on Dec 4th 2007
59. I think there's probably much more to this story. Why would a parent go to those lengths to check up on what her daughter's former friend was posting? Parents, think about this.
Could it be that the deceased was actually a bully acting out her own insecurities against her former friend in some very cruel ways? Could it be that the former friend's mother took steps to teach this little bully a lesson by giving her a taste of her own medicine? Could it be that this horrible tragedy occurred because the bully couldn't take that dose of her own medicine?
Just playing devil's advocate here. It's never as black and white as it seems.
DrDM at 10:17PM on Dec 4th 2007
60.
Although I can understand the rage that led to this post, I seriously doubt that the Drews view the suicide as a minor bump. I would guess they feel devastated and numb, at the very least.
DrDM at 10:28PM on Dec 4th 2007