Sunday, August 03, 2008
Hiatus
Keeping quiet.
Thursday, May 15, 2008
INDICTMENT: And Lori Drew would have gotten away with it
If it weren't for the meddling with *MYSPACE*.
Although Missouri authorities declined to file charges against Drew for her participation/ approbation of a scheme to fool a child into revealing confidences to a Trojan Boy (a false internet persona created exclusively to reel her in and gain her confidence), Federal prosecutors in Los Angeles have charged her with illegal misuse of the protected computers of the California-based Myspace company.
Despite protestations of Lori Drew's (latest) attorney, Los Angeles-based federal prosecutors do have jurisdictional standing to bring charges, because the crimes charged are actually crimes against the Beverly Hills-based Myspace, and through it one of its clients.
Scott Glover, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer reports:
From ABC news:
Although Missouri authorities declined to file charges against Drew for her participation/ approbation of a scheme to fool a child into revealing confidences to a Trojan Boy (a false internet persona created exclusively to reel her in and gain her confidence), Federal prosecutors in Los Angeles have charged her with illegal misuse of the protected computers of the California-based Myspace company.
Despite protestations of Lori Drew's (latest) attorney, Los Angeles-based federal prosecutors do have jurisdictional standing to bring charges, because the crimes charged are actually crimes against the Beverly Hills-based Myspace, and through it one of its clients.
Scott Glover, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer reports:
A federal grand jury in Los Angeles today indicted a woman of fraudulently using a MySpace.com account to "cyber-bully" a Missouri teenager who later hanged herself because she believed she was being rejected by a 16-year-old boy she met on the social networking website.
Lori Drew, 49, of O'Fallon, Mo., faces three counts of accessing protected computers without authorization to obtain information to inflict emotional distress on the girl and one count of conspiracy. ..
Drew's attorney, H. Dean Steward, said he plans to wage a vigorous defense, suggesting that prosecutors in Los Angeles were overstepping their jurisdiction.
"There are a lot of issues we are going to need to raise, including why it's happening in Los Angeles," Steward said. "It seems like a Missouri case no matter how you cut it."
From ABC news:
"This adult woman allegedly used the Internet to target a young teenage girl, with horrendous ramifications," said U.S. Attorney Thomas P. O'Brien in a written statement.
"After a thorough investigation, we have charged Ms. Drew with criminally accessing MySpace and violating rules established to protect young, vulnerable people."
Labels: indictment, Lori Drew, Los Angeles, Megan Meier, Myspace
Friday, January 18, 2008
Pending Correction by the Washington Post
A correction for the record:
"A Deadly Web of Deceit" in the Washington Post dated January 10,
2008 article states "Wells posted the Drews' names and address on her blog".
I published only Lori Drew's common name.
I did not myself reveal her address, or publish it on any post, or comment authored by me, on my blog, or ever in fact provide it, myself, to any other person.
I also published a screen capture of a police report from CNN, which named Drew as well, but did not contain her address.
Comments not authored by me did appear in my then unmoderated comments section, containing her publicly available contact information. These were widely distributed on other weblogs and sites. They appeared on other, more widely-read blogs, before any appeared on Bluemerle blog.
I will keep this post bumped pending correction of the article.
"A Deadly Web of Deceit" in the Washington Post dated January 10,
2008 article states "Wells posted the Drews' names and address on her blog".
I published only Lori Drew's common name.
I did not myself reveal her address, or publish it on any post, or comment authored by me, on my blog, or ever in fact provide it, myself, to any other person.
I also published a screen capture of a police report from CNN, which named Drew as well, but did not contain her address.
Comments not authored by me did appear in my then unmoderated comments section, containing her publicly available contact information. These were widely distributed on other weblogs and sites. They appeared on other, more widely-read blogs, before any appeared on Bluemerle blog.
I will keep this post bumped pending correction of the article.
Monday, December 03, 2007
No charges against Drew in Megan Meier case
Read the whole thing. Color me unsurprised.
A quick note or two now, this is immediate reaction. I'll update later with more detailed reaction to this statement by the prosecutor.
Here is one place where I part company with Jack Banas, the St. Charles prosecuting attorney, who justified his decision not to charge Drew with a criminal offense related to the internet harrassment of Megan Meier:
He stated
That is rather an understatement of Drew's participation, and Drews self-serving description is contradicted by other persons whom the police have interviewed, still unnamed, who report Drew boasted of "messing" with Megan.
She was aware enough of what occurred to contact at least one participant minor before the ambulance had left the Meier home, with Megan's body in it, to tell this child her to keep her mouth shut, and she certainly confessed to knowlege of "arguments" breaking out over the period of the afternoon, and to immediately begin covering her tracks by deleting the fraudulent "josh Evans" myspace account. I have more to say on that, but I'll address it later this evening.
Bottom line for the moment - A civil remedy should still be attempted, in my view, because at bottom, Drew used an employee of hers and granted her persmisson and access to the account to set up a specific situation, a fraud that must inevitably result in loss, pain and/or disapointment on Megan's part, and Drew did so deliberately, with reckless disreguard for Megan's mental health issues, including at minimum an awareness of her reactive personality.
She has admitted being aware of the nature of discussions between the "Josh" persona and Megan, but perhaps she was not as involved as she told police. Either way, the account existed at her instigation, with her persmission and using her own employee to carry out the scheme, with her permission and approbation; and probably at her direction.
And in the light most favorable to Drew, it was a malicious trick designed to fool Megan into believing she had a friend, when she did not, in order to use the information self-serving reasons. And if Drew only learned of Megan being jerked around after the fact, she was heavily complicit in covering up Ashley Grills acts.
Drew also actively encouraged other minors to participate in the fraud, according to at least one minor child, and her mother, and in addition attempted to persuade the minor to keep silent about the account.
If I have anything else to add at this time, regarding my own opinon of Drew, its that for me, it was always enough that Drew instigated this account and allowed and/or actively encouraged minors to participate in it. In the light most favorable to her, her actions were not merely selfish and reckless but vile enough to deserve all the scorn and ingnominy a half-dormant invisible fluff blog can heap on her head. Anonymity should not protect a person who would do such a thing, for such a petty, ridiculous reason as the ordinary upheaval of a middle-school teenaged friendship. That's what 13 year-olds do. 13. year. olds.
A 48 year old woman who sets up a fake boyfriend and lets teens and tweens play around with it for the specific purpose of punking a 13 year old? That's just evil.
A quick note or two now, this is immediate reaction. I'll update later with more detailed reaction to this statement by the prosecutor.
Here is one place where I part company with Jack Banas, the St. Charles prosecuting attorney, who justified his decision not to charge Drew with a criminal offense related to the internet harrassment of Megan Meier:
He stated
"The actions of the Drews and Grills are not criminal under existing state law, Banas said, because their intent was never to harm, stalk, endanger or harass.
"They did it so they could find out what Megan was saying about Mrs. Drew’s daughter," Banas said. "That is undisputed.
"The only purpose was to find out what one little girl was saying about another little girl" .
That is rather an understatement of Drew's participation, and Drews self-serving description is contradicted by other persons whom the police have interviewed, still unnamed, who report Drew boasted of "messing" with Megan.
She was aware enough of what occurred to contact at least one participant minor before the ambulance had left the Meier home, with Megan's body in it, to tell this child her to keep her mouth shut, and she certainly confessed to knowlege of "arguments" breaking out over the period of the afternoon, and to immediately begin covering her tracks by deleting the fraudulent "josh Evans" myspace account. I have more to say on that, but I'll address it later this evening.
Bottom line for the moment - A civil remedy should still be attempted, in my view, because at bottom, Drew used an employee of hers and granted her persmisson and access to the account to set up a specific situation, a fraud that must inevitably result in loss, pain and/or disapointment on Megan's part, and Drew did so deliberately, with reckless disreguard for Megan's mental health issues, including at minimum an awareness of her reactive personality.
She has admitted being aware of the nature of discussions between the "Josh" persona and Megan, but perhaps she was not as involved as she told police. Either way, the account existed at her instigation, with her persmission and using her own employee to carry out the scheme, with her permission and approbation; and probably at her direction.
And in the light most favorable to Drew, it was a malicious trick designed to fool Megan into believing she had a friend, when she did not, in order to use the information self-serving reasons. And if Drew only learned of Megan being jerked around after the fact, she was heavily complicit in covering up Ashley Grills acts.
Drew also actively encouraged other minors to participate in the fraud, according to at least one minor child, and her mother, and in addition attempted to persuade the minor to keep silent about the account.
If I have anything else to add at this time, regarding my own opinon of Drew, its that for me, it was always enough that Drew instigated this account and allowed and/or actively encouraged minors to participate in it. In the light most favorable to her, her actions were not merely selfish and reckless but vile enough to deserve all the scorn and ingnominy a half-dormant invisible fluff blog can heap on her head. Anonymity should not protect a person who would do such a thing, for such a petty, ridiculous reason as the ordinary upheaval of a middle-school teenaged friendship. That's what 13 year-olds do. 13. year. olds.
A 48 year old woman who sets up a fake boyfriend and lets teens and tweens play around with it for the specific purpose of punking a 13 year old? That's just evil.
Wednesday, November 28, 2007
"A Hoax Turns Fatal but Draws no Charges
The Deciders New York Times reports on the suicide of Megan Meier. To the credit of the reporter, there is no fainting about naming the Drews.
Tuesday, November 20, 2007
The Smoking Gun has It -
A full copy of the police report screencap (shown in a post below) that names Lori Drew, and contains an narrative of her statements.
She is apparently aggrieved that her neighbors are "hostile" and wishes to gain a hearing and/or absolution from the Meiers. She tried three times. On the Thanksgiving weekend just following Megans death. By banging on the door.
After being asked to leave. So she called the police. Lori did.
She is apparently aggrieved that her neighbors are "hostile" and wishes to gain a hearing and/or absolution from the Meiers. She tried three times. On the Thanksgiving weekend just following Megans death. By banging on the door.
After being asked to leave. So she called the police. Lori did.
Deciding - you mean ordinary people do that?
It's near fiction that by calling Lori Drew by name, I exposed her to the contempt of the world. That her name was ever really concealed or concealable, once the first story about this emerged, and so many clues given, is perhaps a comforting fiction for those of use who live in the modern world, but it is pure pretense. It was readily available to anyone who wanted it ; it would take a few minutes at most for a modestly skilled searcher with the clues given in the original article to find it (and have a high degree of confidence in it.) It took me a little more. Others found it without my instruction. All that remained was for someone to be sure enough Lori Drew was not just someone listed as owner of her house, but the actual subject of the story published. I made sure.
"Give it a rest"
Already the contempt of her neighborhood, the enormity of her action seems thus far to have escaped her. The Trojan boy was a personification of treachery, to be sure, but Drew's own actions after Megan's suicide, as in described the story picked up by local reporter Steve Pokin, combined with the seeming lack of remedy from any kind of court (in fact, the perverse use of the courts to punish her victims), seems to be responsible for turning shock and disgust, into shock and disgust requiring relief, action, a *public* demand for justice.
I know what made me reconsider my delay in, and reluctance to, give her name, though I was certain of it.
"But what good would naming her do? Wouldn't her neighbors already know well enough what happened?" I had my share of misgivings. Did she deserve scorn, or shunning, or loss of reputation, or renewed legal pressures? Well, yes. Yes she did.
Would naming her interfere with or impede that outcome ? Well, no; and in fact it would put pressure on the Drews to do what they might have done and should have done, just to ease the pain and anger of their neighbors (quit the neighborhood, ask for charges to be dropped or nolle prossed, stop blaming the Meiers, stop demanding the Meiers forgive or understand or give her a hearing so that neighbors will like them again; stop defying the hostile reactions of all with casual snark.) It would put pressure on prosecutors to treat the "lawn" case with a little more disdain. To look a little harder at what criminal remedy might be pursued against the Drews. It could help make law firms reconsider whether a civil lawsuit might have enough merit to prevail; and for the Meier's, have enough public impact to make a difference for the good.
What would it unleash, if I put her name where the people I wanted to find it first would find it, especially should they enter her actual name - People who were already looking for Lori Drew, specifically. What was already coming, that is, only perhaps a day or two sooner.
Why do it at all? A non-exhaustive list would include a combination of certainty in ID, and a court date for Ronald Meier just a few days away on the docket in the Missouri courts. The recount of the police report narrative, in which she dragged the matter into the public sphere, and which contained self-worded admissions and descriptions of her conduct.
And guess what? Outrage. I feel what she did was outrageous, and her actions have only compounded the original injury. She should face, if not a court action, something called disgrace. Which you earn your way out of. Let her defend herself, or show in a public way she understands how wrong she was, and start by easing what victims of her light entertainments (including her neighbors) endure, and try a fresh start where they don't have to look at her every day and remember how she yanked around a vulnerable little kid she meant to fool and knew she would hurt.
I published her correct name, and a screencap from CNN. Outrage?
"Give it a rest"
Already the contempt of her neighborhood, the enormity of her action seems thus far to have escaped her. The Trojan boy was a personification of treachery, to be sure, but Drew's own actions after Megan's suicide, as in described the story picked up by local reporter Steve Pokin, combined with the seeming lack of remedy from any kind of court (in fact, the perverse use of the courts to punish her victims), seems to be responsible for turning shock and disgust, into shock and disgust requiring relief, action, a *public* demand for justice.
I know what made me reconsider my delay in, and reluctance to, give her name, though I was certain of it.
"But what good would naming her do? Wouldn't her neighbors already know well enough what happened?" I had my share of misgivings. Did she deserve scorn, or shunning, or loss of reputation, or renewed legal pressures? Well, yes. Yes she did.
Would naming her interfere with or impede that outcome ? Well, no; and in fact it would put pressure on the Drews to do what they might have done and should have done, just to ease the pain and anger of their neighbors (quit the neighborhood, ask for charges to be dropped or nolle prossed, stop blaming the Meiers, stop demanding the Meiers forgive or understand or give her a hearing so that neighbors will like them again; stop defying the hostile reactions of all with casual snark.) It would put pressure on prosecutors to treat the "lawn" case with a little more disdain. To look a little harder at what criminal remedy might be pursued against the Drews. It could help make law firms reconsider whether a civil lawsuit might have enough merit to prevail; and for the Meier's, have enough public impact to make a difference for the good.
What would it unleash, if I put her name where the people I wanted to find it first would find it, especially should they enter her actual name - People who were already looking for Lori Drew, specifically. What was already coming, that is, only perhaps a day or two sooner.
Why do it at all? A non-exhaustive list would include a combination of certainty in ID, and a court date for Ronald Meier just a few days away on the docket in the Missouri courts. The recount of the police report narrative, in which she dragged the matter into the public sphere, and which contained self-worded admissions and descriptions of her conduct.
And guess what? Outrage. I feel what she did was outrageous, and her actions have only compounded the original injury. She should face, if not a court action, something called disgrace. Which you earn your way out of. Let her defend herself, or show in a public way she understands how wrong she was, and start by easing what victims of her light entertainments (including her neighbors) endure, and try a fresh start where they don't have to look at her every day and remember how she yanked around a vulnerable little kid she meant to fool and knew she would hurt.
I published her correct name, and a screencap from CNN. Outrage?
Aged Space Cheddar
Kept in a cool place: Wired's list of top 10 cheesiest Star Trek classic creatures.
What, no Paige Davis?
Via Neatorama
Saturday, November 17, 2007
Lori Drew CNN capture - Police report names Drew
Updated
I did not attempt any sophisticated sharpening of the image, though I did some very minimal unsharp mask/luminosity adjustments.
The capture is otherwise unaltered and available for viewing at CNN.com within a video segment on the Drew Hoax, including an interview with Megan Meier's parents.
Watch it here.
I'll be back to transcribe what's on the page, but wanted to slap that right up top for you to see.
Update: A quick transcript (of the above report as shown on CNN 360.):
-------------------------------------------
[Top folded (a pparently to conceal information)]
[partial view of "251 Waterford Crystal Ln ( tops of letter forms missing]
[Two phone numbers]
In reference to their daughter's suicide, Drew explained she wanted to "just tell them" what she did to contribute to the Meier's daughter's suicide. She instigated and monitored a "my space" account(<---blurred) which was created for the sole purpose of communicating with Meier's daughter. Drew said she, with the help of temporary empoyee named "Ashley", constructed a profile of "good looking" male on "my space" in order to "find out what Megan (Meier's daughter) was saying on-line" about her daughter. Drew explained the communication between the fake male profile was [?aimed? illeg] at gaining Megan's confidence and finding out what Megan felt about her daughter and other people. Drew stated she, her daughter, and Ashley all typed, read, and monitored the communication between the fake male profile and Megan. Drew went on to say, the communication became "sexual for a thirteen year old." Drew stated she continued the fake male profile despite this development.
According to Drew "somehow" other "my space" users were able to access the fake male profile and Megan found out she had been duped. Drew stated she knew "arguments" had broken out between Megan and others on "my space". Drew felt this incident contributed to Megan's suicide, but she did not feel "as guilty" because at the funeral because she found out "Megan had tried to commit suicide before."
Drew explained the neighborhood had recently found out her involvement in Megan's suicide and her neighbord have become hostile to toward her and her family. Despite the recency of the suicide and several neighbors recommending she not confront the Meier family (especially on Thanksgiving), Meier stated she and her husband attempted to contact the Meier family three times, "banging on the door" although Mr Meier had already told them to leave.
[Reporting officer name typed below - need to enlarge/sharpen]
[end transcription]
-----------------------------
Wow, is she not a piece of work. Her remarks are remarkably self serving. Obviously they are displayed here not for the truth of the matter asserted, but what she had to say about it. And this is her side. This is as good as it gets.
__________
UPDATE:
Thanks to commenter JuJubee who writes to inform the full version of the police report screencapped above is up at
The Smoking Gun ----> Link
I did not attempt any sophisticated sharpening of the image, though I did some very minimal unsharp mask/luminosity adjustments.
The capture is otherwise unaltered and available for viewing at CNN.com within a video segment on the Drew Hoax, including an interview with Megan Meier's parents.
Watch it here.
I'll be back to transcribe what's on the page, but wanted to slap that right up top for you to see.
Update: A quick transcript (of the above report as shown on CNN 360.):
-------------------------------------------
[Top folded (a pparently to conceal information)]
[partial view of "251 Waterford Crystal Ln ( tops of letter forms missing]
[Two phone numbers]
In reference to their daughter's suicide, Drew explained she wanted to "just tell them" what she did to contribute to the Meier's daughter's suicide. She instigated and monitored a "my space" account(<---blurred) which was created for the sole purpose of communicating with Meier's daughter. Drew said she, with the help of temporary empoyee named "Ashley", constructed a profile of "good looking" male on "my space" in order to "find out what Megan (Meier's daughter) was saying on-line" about her daughter. Drew explained the communication between the fake male profile was [?aimed? illeg] at gaining Megan's confidence and finding out what Megan felt about her daughter and other people. Drew stated she, her daughter, and Ashley all typed, read, and monitored the communication between the fake male profile and Megan. Drew went on to say, the communication became "sexual for a thirteen year old." Drew stated she continued the fake male profile despite this development.
According to Drew "somehow" other "my space" users were able to access the fake male profile and Megan found out she had been duped. Drew stated she knew "arguments" had broken out between Megan and others on "my space". Drew felt this incident contributed to Megan's suicide, but she did not feel "as guilty" because at the funeral because she found out "Megan had tried to commit suicide before."
Drew explained the neighborhood had recently found out her involvement in Megan's suicide and her neighbord have become hostile to toward her and her family. Despite the recency of the suicide and several neighbors recommending she not confront the Meier family (especially on Thanksgiving), Meier stated she and her husband attempted to contact the Meier family three times, "banging on the door" although Mr Meier had already told them to leave.
[Reporting officer name typed below - need to enlarge/sharpen]
[end transcription]
-----------------------------
Wow, is she not a piece of work. Her remarks are remarkably self serving. Obviously they are displayed here not for the truth of the matter asserted, but what she had to say about it. And this is her side. This is as good as it gets.
__________
UPDATE:
Thanks to commenter JuJubee who writes to inform the full version of the police report screencapped above is up at
The Smoking Gun ----> Link
Labels: Anderson Cooper, CNN, Lori Drew, Megan Meier, Police report, transcript
