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 5 of 6)
61. This is absolutly devastating,anyone who could stand by and say such horrible things to that poor child is sick, They should be tried for murder and those two girls that help should be tried too, they knew what they were doing and they did it with hatred and mallace,sounds like a hate crime to me, and further more to blame those parents is crap. If the meirs had done that to the drews what do you want to bet that the drews would be pitching a fit to get justice!Rest in Peace Megan Meir And GOD BE with your family and hope for his MERCY on the DREWs where ever those cowards are hiding
Rebekah at 10:48PM on Dec 4th 2007
62. There is such a thing in civil law as an "eggshell" standard - meaning that if a person was as fragile as an eggshell before the incident, the person who caused them harm is still liable, because it is not fair to arbitrarily hold a victim responsible for the injury inflicted by another. The question is whether a lawsuit would gain Megan's family anything. I'm sure that these adults who found entertainment in torturing a mentally fragile 13-year-old to death are total losers and will never have much worth taking from them.
I like that people are tormenting THEM, however, and hope they are found and hounded over and over. It is the best vengeance and the best justice for them to see how "innocent" such torture is, when it is turned back on them until their collective dying day.
Wolfster at 11:06PM on Dec 4th 2007
63. What is equally horrible is that someone, tabbed as being from the state of Washington, set up a couple of blogs in which he pretends to be Lori Drew commenting on the whole situation. Why do people do that?
My blog has a link to that horrible place. In can be readily seen in the comments section of the 3 entries in that blogspot blog, people actually believe that it is Lori Drew or her daughter Sarah Drew who are making the blog entries.
The entries themselves are crass creations based upon news reports and innuendo.
Why do people do things like that??
sauer kraut at 11:25PM on Dec 4th 2007
64. this story is so sickening. My heart goes out to the parents of this girl. Part of the problem is that the laws have not caught up with technology! In regard to myspace, facebook,etc is that they say you need to be 18--but require no real proof! I think anyone opening an account on this type of site should have to provide private info for security records in cases like this, etc. Why not require your driver id # or something like that...it keeps honest people honest, and if nothing else it gives police something they can charge a person with...fraud or mis representation. Because no matter how hard you try, kids will be kids...only its more dangerous than ever...
dee at 12:05AM on Dec 5th 2007
65. I am still so shocked by this story, I'm still not sure how to respond. One thing I do know is that I will not let my almost 13 y.o. step-daughter have a my-space account no matter how much she begs. I agree that there are sick people out there.... Megan's parents did what they could by monitoring their daughter's use. The Drew's claim that they were not aware of the last few messages? Sorry, sounds a lot like Columbine when the parents of the boys said "Sorry, we didn't know our sons were in the basement planning a masacre". And as far as ADHD being real, don't make judgements until you have experience with an ADHD child. I used to say the same thing about it being a crock, but now that I also have an ADHD child, its the medicine that helps them to control their impulses. Add that this poor girl was also suffering from depression and poor self-esteem? I can't imagine how tormented she was. Anyone that says she hung herself because she was weak must never have been picked on in school. There are just some things a 13 y.o. can not handle on their own. Thats why kids are not considered 'adults' until the age of 18. They just are not emotionally able to handle stuf like this, or to make good judgements on what is right or wrong. Granted, some older people still don't make good judgements, but by then they should. My heart still cries out to this family in their time of loss, and I pray that somehow the Drew's will be prosecuted for what they allowed to happen through their daughter. I also pray that through this case, new laws can be formed to protect innocent lives.
Shell at 12:21AM on Dec 5th 2007
66. #7, Joshua Morale,I think it best if you never have any children. To have such a smug, sanctimonious attitude toward people who have emotional problems...especially children, doesn't exactly qualify you for humanitarian of the year. Good Lord man! This was a depressed, troubled child who got a small bit of pleasure from an online friendship that turned deadly. Yes, maybe having an online friendship is not the best..or healthiest idea..but it was all the girl had at the time, and her parents, right or wrong saw the greater good in making the child happy. The adults who did this to her should be made to pay for this somehow; if not in criminal court (it's already been decided that there was no basis for an arrest..go figure)then hopefully in civil court, if they can find the cowards. The people that did this were worse than mean....they went OUT OF THEIR WAY to deliberately hurt this girl. This is pathological behavior!
April at 1:24AM on Dec 5th 2007
67. Well if they moved and left the neighborhood, I think that proves that they are guilty for killing such a young girl.Like a little china doll she broke in a million pieces when Josh said the world would be a better place without her. I hope the Drews and that other girl live with that the rest of there lives and Megan, now your an angel.Keep an eye on your family, they still need you.
Tasmangel1 at 5:15AM on Dec 5th 2007
68. Back in the late 70's when I was a teenager, going through the harsh transition of childhood to becoming an adult, I also contemplated suicide by hanging, a few times. I was also taking drugs, although the illegal variety of cannabis. What kept me from wrapping the noose around my neck and taking the final plunge was my belief in God and the afterlife. (I didn't want to spend eternity burning in hell). After raising three teenagers, I feel sympathy for the parents. In today's busy society parents don't have the luxury of spending the quality time, and monitoring every aspect of their kid's lives. And they seem like quality folks. The cyber idiots probably have regrets and will live with that guilt. Depression is a normal human emotion. Don't let the pharmaceutical drug pushers turn our fragile kids into confused zombies.
eric at 5:46AM on Dec 5th 2007
69. The trgedy is so pornographically in-humane I cringe to think any parent could hatch, let alone condone and continue to harass another child in the way the Drews allegedly harassed Megan. Yet the knee jerk reactionaries I've read have it thatDrews are not "totally" to blame; and that Megan's parents are to blame; and, most provacative of all, the belief that Megan being on a downward spiral shares SOME responsibility for her own death!!!!! Trying to blame myspace or making cyberstalking a crime or even to believe its fair to harass the Drew family goes far beyond the most basic understanding of this "case." Indicting one or the other is not the way to approach this. To discover that one's neighbors were involved in hurting another human being let alone a child (YOUR child!),is inconceivable to believe it happened. That child did not enjoy peer conformity yet was deliberately and maliciously the subject of sustained,conscientous,ruthless psychological brutality is beyond evincing anger or horror: it is to turn one's world inside out. To ravage a friendship and devalue the people that shared that friendship OMG! That is the tragedy! It is a tragedy for ALL of us. This could happen again. Perhaps is happening right now. The very marrow of this is the Drew's complacency! The ease with which they sought to injure Megan, disregarding their intimacy with her family, ignoring the child's frailties and writing the script for Josh is criminal. Criminal for the their lack of morality. For deliberating maiming the Golden Rule ("do unto others...etc"). For believing their method did not conflict with regard to the most basic human respect! And that they did so immunizing themselves from feeling any moral depredation or degradation!This is the truth. The tragedy is that they made this so simple. That Megan's parents only destroyed the Drews foostable is in itself a miracle of restraint.And humanity.
boredwell at 6:51AM on Dec 5th 2007
70. Isn't this type on behavior, an adult to a child harassment, child abuse, an cyber stalking?? These people were acting like predators on a look out for a kid?? There has to be some kind of law that can fit the crime. If it happened to an celebrities child a law would be found quickly. Or if a black family did it to a white family they would fine a law . What would have happened if a white family did it to a black child ? They would probably us it as a hate crime. Too all the lawyers and pre-law students keep looking
Emie at 12:33PM on Dec 7th 2007
71. Thirteen is a very hard age....harassment and teasing of kids nowadays is totally out of hand. Why would you blame parents because a young girl is depressed, does that automatically make it their fault? Myspace is an evil site that should be shut down. It is an immature site where people use it to hurt other people, solicit sex, and a free dating site. This young girl started to feel good about herself thinking a young boy was interested in her. What is wrong with the people that posted on here about 13 being too young for an online crush? It was online not like she was out of her own safe home. These sick people and what they did is reprehensible. They were adults, didn't they have better things to do with their lives then harass a poor young girl? Who does that? Aren't they supposed to be good influences on their own children? This whole story makes my stomach sick and I felt so bad seeing the parents on tv of the little girl who killed herself. Her dad looked beaten down.
abbey_7306 at 6:00PM on Dec 6th 2007
72. To Mary, Um, Pac, and others:
I thank GOD you aren't my parents.
You are all so high and fucking mighty-- you have NO idea what it is to live with depression and mental illness. I've been mentally ill my whole life-- and yes, ADHD is REAL, so get over your fucking selves. A young girl commits suicide, and you play the BLAME GAME with people you don't even KNOW? Jesus Christ, what's WRONG with you?? Have you absolutely no compassion or sympathy? Do you need to to kick someone when they're down to make yourselves feel better about your miserable lives?
You all are sick, reprehensible people who don't deserve to have children. And I hope you all burn in the lakes of eternal fire.
Have a nice day.
Ivy at 8:00AM on Dec 5th 2007
73. My heart goes out to the Meiers. People aren't human and it is so sad. Not enough people have their eyes open yet to how life in this day really is. How dare those people attend her funeral. Message to the Drews: I have family from the northern tip of Illinois down through central Illinois...I beg of you, don't come here. Buy an island somewhere, stay away from people and don't use the internet! And I hope there is enough coverage about this story that your daughter will never be abe to befriend anyone again.
J Von Powell at 8:04AM on Dec 5th 2007
74. Where are all the racist comments? On every story that mentions a person of color or of religion that is not Chritian, I see vile and racist comments. Is this tragedy a normal "white people" thing?
Warrior King at 8:50AM on Dec 5th 2007
75. I hope that the perpertrators Daughter gets caught up in some shit and hangs HERSELF. Then They'll know the pain they've caused.
Dayna at 8:53AM on Dec 5th 2007