'My Space' hoax ends with suicide of Dardenne Prairie teen

[Ptarmigan]

Law lags as taunts ruin lives

[Beam]

Good GOD, this thing is all kinds of hosed up. For starters, the whole article in the first post is terribly written. No wonder that journalist works for the "St. Louis Suburban Journals", a paper I've never heard of, and I live in a suburb of St. Louis!

Horrible writing aside, this whole thing is real. Trust me, it's been all over the news here. A whole family really did make a false identity on MySpace and used it to win this girl's trust, and then torment her. I'm sure they didn't mean for her to commit suicide, and the girl should have logged off when her mother instructed her to, but even so, WOW. This whole mess is completely twisted. There are no charges, there's no law regarding this kind of thing, the parents are leaving each other, it's just now coming to public attention after a FREAKING YEAR, and everyone's trying to figure out who to be outraged at.

It all gives me a headache.

[gtalum]

This is a bizarre case and indeed fishy. However, the adults should be charged with impersonation. Impersonation (even of an imaginary person) is a crime. No basis whatsoever for murder or manslaughter, though.

Is impersonation really a crime? In every state? i've never heard of it, and if true I wonde rhow actors get around the law...

That being said, adults who would do that to a thirteen year old girl are truly sick individuals.

Regardless of legality, this is certainly true.

[Squarethecircle]

The story, methinks, is probably exaggerated, however true it is. It's not an excuse for whoever did it though. The lesson here is not necessarily to be kind, because that is already accepted, but instead to think about the potential repercussions of acting out. It seems to me that, tragically, the person who really instigated the whole thing, and ended it, was the friend, and whatever emotion she is feeling right now, sadness, frustration, guilt, anger, anything, seems to end the story on a very upsetting note.

[DaylilyDawn]

This case has made it on to the Court TV Crime Library site. I just visited it and saw it there.

[Regit]

This is a bizarre case and indeed fishy. However, the adults should be charged with impersonation. Impersonation (even of an imaginary person) is a crime. No basis whatsoever for murder or manslaughter, though.

Is impersonation really a crime? In every state? i've never heard of it, and if true I wonde rhow actors get around the law...

Well it's illegal if the impersonation is with the intent to deceive or defraud another person or gain any benefit. It varies from state to state. I'd be curious how it would apply to this case.

[Ptarmigan]

Well it's illegal if the impersonation is with the intent to deceive or defraud another person or gain any benefit. It varies from state to state. I'd be curious how it would apply to this case.

That would be a state-by-state basis likely. I read that Lori Drew admitted that she made sexual remarks towards Megan Meier. I think that might be illegal. I know if someone poses as an adult and makes sexual remarks on minors that can get them in trouble, like on Dateline's Catch A Predator. Lori Drew could be considered a child predator. Child predators are demonized and for good reasons.

[vbhoutex]

What is saddest of all about this whole story, besides the fact that a suicide occurred, which is the biggest tragedy of all, is the fact that so called adults have nothing better to do than set up a fake identity to manipulate an innocent teen, then attack her and harass her to the point that she apparently felt worthless enough to do what she did. To me they are the definition of what worthless is!!!

[gtalum]

Lori Drew could be considered a child predator.

It takes more than some offhand sexual remarks to be considered a sexual predator. They'd have to prove that she intended to have sexual contact with the girl, which she clearly did not.

Harassment is the proper charge. The lack of such a charge makes the whole story suspicious.

[feederband]

Harassment is the proper charge. The lack of such a charge makes the whole story suspicious.

Thus the reason why they are trying to get the laws changed...Because they way they did it is not illegal...Cheez how many time time have we said this?

[gtalum]

Thus the reason why they are trying to get the laws changed...Because they way they did it is not illegal...Cheez how many time time have we said this?

The parents say that. But I don't believe them.

If their story is true as told, it's an open and shut case for harassment, and maybe even for criminal negligence. There are just too many holes in their story for it to be true.

[Squarethecircle]

If I were to intervene for a second, it seems to me that these parents may or may not have had a daughter committing suicide, but that whatever the case may be, they can't settle with just a harassment charge. Either they have no evidence, or the story is false. If the former is true, then there is much more going on here than what meets the eye...

[vbhoutex]

Even thouugh it appears that at least portions of this story are true, I still have to go back to the fact that there is no computer evidence of what has been alleged as far as emails, etc. I am no computer guru, but I know that unless you completely reformat a hard drive there are ways to retrieve emails etc. that "aren't there". That is where my suspicsions are aroused with respect to this story. I still stick to what I have posted earlier, but I do have suspiscions.

[Ptarmigan]

Here's a vile blog written by someone who will only identify herself as Kristen. However, it turns out, it is the daughter of Lori Drew. The blog gets nasty responses. Also, there was another accomplice who has been named as a 19 year old, Ashley Grills.

Vile Blog

Net harassment now a crime

[fwbbreeze]

No Charges to be filed!

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071203/ap_on_re_us/internet_suicide

[feederband]

No Charges to be filed!

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071203/ap_on_re_us/internet_suicide

Yeah the way the laws were worded they couldn't do anything...

Since then they have now changed the wording so the could file charges in future cases...

[Squarethecircle]

This is a warning to all you people out there: USE FACEBOOK!*



* This poster is an employee of Facebook

[feederband]

Wow sucks to be them.....

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,315823,00.html

Next door neighbour------"I just really hope that no one comes out here and does something insane," Buckles said. "If they do, I hope they get the right house"