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Saturday, November 17, 2007

Lori Drew CNN capture - Police report names Drew

Updated

drew2

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: , , , , ,


Comments:
Ladies and gentlemen...By the admission of Lori herself,she conducted an online relationship-as an adult with a 13 yr old. By her own admission,she states that the tone of this correspondence was sexual. She did not stop this correspondence. Ladies and gentlemen,that is a crime. The only conclusion that I can reasonably deduce as to why the authorities in the community have not issued charges against Lori, is that the perp has friends in high places among law enforcement and/or the business community. If that is the case,then I can reasonably conclude that these people condone such behavior.
 
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
 
Lori Drew and her company Drew Ad Vantage are a member of the St. Peters chamber of commerce.

http://www.stpeterschamber.com/home/memdir/index.html?uid=6140&company=&firstname=lori&lastname=drew&pull1=&pull2=&pull3=&keyword=&submit=detail

If this URL doesn't work go to stpeterschamber.com and search under the member directory for Lori Drew.
 
At the very least, this woman should be prosecuted for sexually abusing a child, sued for everything she owns, and have her own children removed from her custody. Of course, if she is convicted of sexually abusing a child, her children would be removed from her custody as she'd then be imprisoned as a sex offender.

I fail to see how these things should NOT happen to this woman.

I feel so bad for the Meier's. What a tragic situation.
 
Is that woman on crystal meth?
 
Turns out her business, "Drew Advantage" distributes porn. I feel so so sorry for her own daughter. What kind of a life she must have had, and what kind of a future?
 
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
 
What amazes me - is the total lack of any remorse by these very evil people (lori and curt drew).

One article mentions that an employee of her company was in on this. Who is the employee? Is he/she not culpable?

We do not believe in an violent retribution - but we do have the right to write letters to these evil people, and their clients and the local government officials. Would you do business with Lori or Curt Drew? Even as things stand, we see them as immature and exhibiting poor decision making and judgement. This alone is enough to say no to their businesses (her ad business, his real estate).

Evil is as Evil does - and Lori and Curt Drew - their daughter and the unnames employee should be shamed totally. So says http://www.what-a-world.com.
 
Boycott and drive these evil people out of business. Lori Drew = EVIL, Curt Drew=EVIL

they should fuckin rot in hell. Far away from heaven where Megan Meier rules.

How can these this evil bitch show her face in the supermarket or stores or neighborhood.

Lori Drew you are evil. No go away, far away. BITCH!
 
Thank you Sarah for posting all this.

I myself have no problem unleashing the wrath of the mob through the Internet since this woman saw fit to use this same medium to destroy a girl and her family.

It is karma, as far as I'm concerned.

Until the day comes when she ties the noose around her neck and ends it all, the debt isn't fully paid, in my opinion.

So, keep unearthing information on them my friends. Hound them relentlessly and let slip the dogs of war that they first unleashed. Drive them all to the same horrible end that they sought for that poor girl.

They deserve no rest in this life ever again. Not them, not their daughter: she has as much blood on her hands as they do.

Bad seeds, all of them.
 
What Lori did she did out of hate, that makes this a hate crime as well as sexual abuse with a minor with an electronic devise as she would be charged had this happened in Michigan.

Sounds like now a civil law suit will be their recourse for justice in this state.
 
I think this woman is evil and should be punished by both criminal and civil means, and I wrote down her name and number trying to decide if I would send them hate mail or a phone call...and then I stopped. We are all angry about Megan's death. The senslessness of it and the lack of justice. But none of this will bring Megan back. None of it will restore her family or ease their pain. All it does is allow Lori Drew's vileness to see into us all via the internet. Instead, direct your ire at government officials. Send letters demanding they create laws to punish these people. Write myspace.com (and sites like them) and demand they require credit cards to register (to prove you are of age and to be able to track identities)and encourage them to charge a nominal membership fee that pays the salary of people to police the site looking for bullying, predators, and other illegal activity. And finally, make sure your kids know about this story, so they won't be preyed on in the same way.
Make something positive come out of Megan's tragedy and don't let Lori Drew suck you into her swirling vortex of evil.
 
i just found out about this and immediately went to the internet where i knew i would find out their names. if this was a neighbor of mine they would get no rest and would be shunned by everyone. she is a piece of shit and her entire families lives should be ruined. If it was my daughter i can say that i probably would be in jail right now for killing the entire family. i know its wrong but grief can make you do crazy things.
 
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
 
Lori Drew as been quoted as saying "I did it for the lulz"
 
Here is the problem:

Law enforcement, including the city attorney, are just not bothering to go after folks on these cyber crimes.

Megan's story came to light (or further light) after this related story became public.

Read through the story about the black man being beaten (an outrage in of itself) to the story of another girl cyberstalked, harrased and threatened. The boy was charged with LITTERING!!! And the city attorney/prosecutor never bothered to speak with the victim or the victims family.

There are laws to go after Lori Drew and her employee. Some have posted "she must die". No, she must go to prison. She needs to be taken away from her daughter just as she has taken Tina Meier from her daughter. She needs to be on every registry so that she is prevented from interacting with those under 18 again. This includes school volunteer work, church work, sports leagues etc. (After all, would you want your child befriending this family?)

County Prosecuting Attorney Banas has said that he will investigate to see if charges could be/should be brought against Lori Drew. I am sure he sat on this until the outrage grew because he is an elected official .

But, then again, according to the story the Dardenne Prairie police department did not forward the case to his office since they (the police) felt no law was broken.

Thus, I strongly believe we need institutional change of mindset. We need our police and our prosecutors to take cybercrimes as serious as "traditional" crimes of stalking and harassment.
 
Below is a letter I e-mailed to the St. Peters Chamber of Commerce, to recommend that they cancel Lori Drew's membership. Maybe others would do the same. I'd recommend too that you keep your comments respectful, which is more likely to be persuasive than an overly emotional plea.

Their website is www.stpeterschamber.com. There you will find e-mails to all staff and Board members.

Thanks, Ian


Esteemed Staff and Board Members of the St. Peters Chamber of Commerce:

I write you today to recommend respectfully that you consider withdrawing Drew Ad Vantage's membership from the St. Peters Chamber of Commerce. And if you have already done so, let me say 'thank you;' your decision to do so represented your doing your part to protect children's safety in your community by holding violators appropriately accountable.

I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker who specializes in child abuse prevention and intervention, though I write you today as a fellow citizen who cannot help but to grieve as I learned of the circumstances of what appears to have been the preventable death of a child.

Please let me say also that I make it a firm point in my personal and professional communications to engage in advocacy in a way that is respectful and reasonable. I certainly would not be part of any campaign that is hot-headed, prejudicial, or hostile toward anyone personally. So I write you, not with any personal hostility toward Ms. Drew, but with a belief that her conduct seems incompatible with your organization's value system.

In an effort to make this recommendation on very solid grounds, I had hoped to find a copy of your organization's By-Laws, to see if it contained a section regarding Members' Conduct, and provisions for removal if their conduct is so inappropriate that it unfairly tarnishes the reputation of the Chamber. I can only imagine it does contain some section to that effect.

And I would expect that you would not have to consider yourselves bound by a 'due process' problem, since it is now known from the official police report that Ms. Drew directly disclosed having created a false My Space profile to manipulate then thirteen-year-old Megan. Whether or not Ms. Drew's behavior constitutes an official crime, her behavior was certainly harmful to a child. Based on Ms. Drew's own statements, it seems clear that her actions were calculated, manipulative, ongoing, harmful, and so sadly, lethal.

Further, I would also submit that her conduct relates to her professional practice as well as her personal life, as she also stated in the police report that she enlisted assistance from an "Ashley," who was an employee of hers. If you were somehow feeling bound from withdrawing Ms. Drew's membership because her behavior was in the domain of her personal life only, I would respectfully suggest that she utilized human resources from her business to execute her plan. This fact alone I think makes the issue a matter for your attention.

Let me close by saying I am sorry for your grief, as I am sure the tragic loss of Megan Meier has left you and thousands of others in your community in pain over the past year. And I don't mean to be an outsider throwing opinions around. I just felt motivated to urge you to take action in a way that might make a difference toward supporting child safety in your community in the future, a message from your perspective, that business owners who harm children will face appropriate accountability.

I think my next step in my research process will be to discern whether Ms. Drew's actions constitute a violation of her business license in your locality. I would also think that given your collective expertise, you might be able to answer that question quite easily yourselves.

Thank you for your time and review of this note. I remain yours...

Respectfully and Gratefully,

Ian
 
Ian, Brilliant!
The fact is that the Meiers have asked everyone to write to the law makers on Megan's behalf.

Here's another letter:

Jack Banas, Prosecuting Attorney
Courts Administration Building
Room 601
300 North Second Street
St. Charles, MO 63301

Dear Mr. Banas,
I am a concerned mother pleading that you be accountable and responsive to the citizens of St. Charles County in the case of Megan Meier. I believe you have been merely thinking inside the box in this clearly criminal case. The fact that the unnamed neighbor emerges from this tragedy with no charges against her is appalling.

She broke no laws, you say? How about:
Criminal harassment
Distribution of harmful material to minors
Child endangerment
It doesn’t take much imagination to think of charges.

Are you worried about your stats? The citizenry will think more of you if you seek justice. To emotionally prey upon an innocent and fragile young girl is evil, and the perpetrator must be held accountable. In the last hours before Megan hanged herself, she said: "Everybody in O'Fallon knows how you are. You are a bad person and everybody hates you. Have a shitty rest of your life. The world would be a better place without you". How can anyone read these words and deny they contributed greatly to Megan’s death?

We are watching. We are waiting. We are voting. We will not forget your handling of this case. You have the opportunity to acquit yourself in the court of public opinion. Do the right thing!

If you insist on ignoring criminal cases, may I suggest that of a certain foosball table? Or the criminal charge concerning damages to a lawn? I’m sure your constituents wouldn’t mind if you dismissed those charges.

Thank you,
 
That IS her side, and its not automatically wrong simply because it is, by definition, a self-serving statement. Innocent until the mob has its say I suppose. You all make me really wonder whether I shouldn't go into criminal defense instead of prosecution... not sure I want to make the world into a more bouncy-castle safesafe place for you all.
 
Anonymous : 3:09 PM

I'm wondering about your choice of the law as profession, since your remark indicates you did not comphrehend the distinction made between "what she said" and the "truth of the matter she asserted."

You must understand that is not a declaration of falsehood.

The characterization of her remarks as self-serving
is an observation that she is minimizing her conduct, and perhaps shading for her own benefit. But it is the official police narrative of her statements.

And what is amazing is that this is her side. As good as it gets. And it is very, very, very bad.
 
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
 
"You all make me really wonder whether I shouldn't go into criminal defense instead of prosecution..."


I daresay you might end up with a higher conviction rate.
 
"But none of this will bring Megan back. None of it will restore her family or ease their pain. All it does is allow [I don't want to get sued]'s vileness to see into us all via the internet. Instead, direct your ire at government officials."

Bingo. People are approaching this with a fervency and urgency as if calling and yelling at the family is going to save a life. If there are legal repercussions in the books for what the family did, then getting authorities to follow them and create a law enforcement precedent could at least find justice in this, and maybe prevent other lives from being lost in the future.
 
Here's another bit of information. I believe he is a realtor.

http://www.cbgundaker.com/search/agent/detail.jsp?publicid=CCUDREW
 
Frankly, I think the prospect of permanent reputational ruin might have at least as much deterrent effect as a $400 fine.

Something to consider.
A big army of intenet meddling kids is almost worse.
 
"Frankly, I think the prospect of permanent reputational ruin might have at least as much deterrent effect as a $400 fine."

Well, hey, I said my piece. I'm all for justice, and if what's been said is true, the family are horrible people, and deserve whatever punishment is probably in the books, but this is getting to be madness.

It's as if, as revenge for inadvertently driving one person towards suicide, everyone is trying much, much harder to drive three people to suicide, including another minor (who, in a shocking change of pace for a 13-year-old, happens to be a little petty and cruel).

Just bug local authorities to follow up on the case until they do, and we'll see what happens. Vigilante justice can have some horrible side effects.
 
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
 
Kindly stop suggesting here ways Lori Drew might end her days. Let her live a long life, burdened by either lonliness and disgrace, or the never-ending task of trying to atone.
 
If the drews would have remembered the old saying. "sticks and stones may break my bones but WORDS CAN NEVER HURT ME." Maybe Megan would be alive. The mother should have just minded her own business, instead of creating a myspace.

GG, CA
 
These parents lose a child to suicide then blame everyone but themselves. Nobody killed their daughter, she died by her own hand while under their parental supervision. By the way, Sarah Wells, what is your home address?
 
Now Marta,are you implying that the posting of the Drew's information can do them harm? If so,you're kinda cutting your own argument at its knees. I understand you're probably stupid-- as only a very stupid person would empathize with the nasty Lori Drew.You state that no one made Megan kill herself. If you believe that,then why do you think an internet article can bring the Drew's some harm? By your very own logic,If someone is going to harm the Drew's,they're going to do it--internet exposed or not. If a 47 yr old woman doesn't have the ability to cause a 13 yr old girl to commit suicide,then how does this "website page" have the power to force someone to harm the Drews? If you're going to defend the indefensible,shouldn't you use a practical and sensible argument to bolster your case? You make no sense. You're stupid. And only a stupid person would defend this vile couple.
 
Consolidated information on the Drews. Let ‘em know how you feel.

Curt and Lori (The Bitch) Drew: 636-272-2670 - home

Curt Drew: (314) 520-8688 - cell
(636) 379-8500 - office

Lori (The Bitch) Drew: (314) 520-7916 - cell
 
Consolidated information on the Drews. Let ‘em know how you feel.

Curt and Lori (The Bitch) Drew: 636-272-2670 - home

Curt Drew: (314) 520-8688 - cell
(636) 379-8500 - office

Lori (The Bitch) Drew: (314) 520-7916 - cell
 
Send Lori Drew a text message. Her cell is on, but she doesn't pick it up (no surprise).

1) Go to http://www.txt2day.com (free internet text message service)

2) Enter Lori's cell number: 314-520-7916 (exclude the hyphens so it looks like 3145207916). Her husband's # is 314-520-8688

3) Provider is Cingular

4) Type a loving message to Lori

5) Send
 
No, Mr./Ms. "Anonymous," I don't defend any vile behaviour in people. But there is the very same behaviour being encouraged herein. Therefore all who endorse it should post their own numbers, lest they be morally equivalent to Lori Drew. Even worse, Lori Drew did not knowingly intend death as a consequence, yet some here request it.
 
Marta...stick it in your azz. Lori deserves everything she gets. She's obviously a vile and evil bitch. Didn't intend? Ever hear of Manslaughter? I seriously hope she either gets hit by a bus or a terminal disease brought on by stress.
 
You know, it's hypocritical to respond with hate and venom. If harrassment and uncivility is the beef against Drew, then you have no credibility when you act uncivilized yourself. You can't say you're advocating for a child by advocating harrassment or worse, violence. Evolve.

The point is to expect accountability as members of a civilized community. If this string just becomes hateful bile, then I'm jumping ship. Have it; I'll go elsewhere.
 
Marta,

You are correct, no one should illegally harrass the Drews.

You are missing one point - the harm to Megan was forseeable, and the "punking" set up by a woman 35 years older than she who knew her vulnerabilities, is despicable.

She need not have "murdered" Drew to deserve scorn, shunning by all, and legal action by the Drews. Her brazeness and duplicity in the aftermath has offended everyone who knows about her part in the Josh Evans scheme.

If she's not sorry now, for what she did, she will be sorry she was caught. She will be censured and despised wherever she is known, unless there is some major reformation.
 
See you, "Mr. / Ms. Evolved" @ 12:59. Go post at the New Yorker site or similar. Don't let the door hit your fat ass on the way out.
 
It's official! The Drews have been outed in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Wow... they've had a brick through the window, lawn vandalism, paintball attacks and false 911 calls. Finally, they know what it's like to not be able to sleep at night!!!

http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/news/stories.nsf/stcharles/story/77D27634D36233968625739800167159?OpenDocument
 
Let the Drews know what you think. Here's their email address:

TheDrewCrew@aol.com
 
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
 
getting somewhere 2:35

You failed to note most of those incidents took place between the revelation to the neighborhood of the Drew's involvement and the local story that has sparked national interest.

The paintball attacks, the brick, the yard damage all occurred well before the early November article appeared.
 
Alls fair, I'm not sure what your point is.

I blog under my real name, and make it a point to be responsible for what I say and what I do.

If naming the correct person, and posting a screen cap of an official police report from CNN constitutes a breach of ethics comparable to a woman deliberately yanking the emotional chains of 13 yo, 35 years her junior, I'd like you to explain how.

Why do you feel her identitfy should be shielded?

And violent action should not be suggested by you or anyone. Not even "Nice army you have there, shame if anything should happen to it" bully crap.
 
Sarah, if you think identities should not be shielded and your real name is public, why did you remove your own address, phone number, and e-mails, yet leave the Drew info posted publicly?
Strange..

But perhaps you are on to a great idea!! Injustice happens all the time, even in the courts. Everybody knows a few stories of witnesses and police who lie in court, unfair judges, etc.. Lets let them know how we really feel.

How about you start off by asking your husband for the names of any police, judges, witnesses, etc. who ought to be publicly censured. Post them here along with the stories and then we can get their addresses, phone numbers, and hold them accountable. Of course, you should discourage harassing phone calls and bricks thrown through their windows... But of course you never did actually request that, did you?

So, will you delete this comment also?
 
To be honest, allsfair, you aren't making a coherent point. What is your point? State it plainly, please.

Naming everyone who does something wrong in the world, and naming no one, is a false choice.
This is a specific incident with unique set of very aggravating circumstances.

Why should someone who has admitted what she has be protected? What is your answer?

I can't quite make out what you mean in the last bit there. Are you saying I made no specific request for people to behave in a civil manner? Or made no request for anything bad to happen to all the other people in the world, or, what exactly did you mean?
 
First of all if you have nothing to hide and post under your real name, why dont you post your real address, phone numbers, and e-mails? After all, you have nothing to fear, right? You did not harrass anyone, did you? (This is a rhetorical question and I do not expect an answer, nor am I saying you should post your number.)

My point is you are encouraging vigilantism and fanning the flames of mob justice. Your web site is enabling and facilitating these sentiments and actions by publicizing the address and phone numbers and vitriolic comments including death threats.

You maintain a web page calling for the death of an individual or individuals and then give their address, phone numbers, and e-mails. Your site also calls for their business to be boycotted and destroyed. Interestingly, no one seems to care about the welfare of the Drews child or how she will eat if her parents are put out of business or killed.

I am assuming you have asked your husband about the implications of maintaining a web site which encourages and enables violence. It may be covered under federal terrorism and hate crime laws, but he should know. Furthermore, regardless of whether you yourself wrote the death threats, the fact that you have left them in place on your web site while selectively editing out your own personal address and phone number demonstrates your approval and is tantamount to you yourself writing them.

If you honestly believe that the Drews should not be harmed or harrassed, what on Gods earth is your rationale for having the Drews phone numbers, e-mails, and address posted on your site? What legitimate legal purpose does it serve to post them? Please answer that question.

Are you not concerned about someone using this information obtained here, or being inspired by your web site to commit a crime against the Drews? It looks to me as if you do not care, but I am not on your jury and you have not been charged with a crime.

Now, if you feel so strongly about your beliefs and the righteousness of your cause, you would not have any reason to delete this post, would you?
 
Lori Drew brought all this upon her self. Her lack of maturity and inability to differentiate wrong from right, has caused Megan's and her own family immeasurable suffering. This will never end for them. Curt and Lori will not be able to be involved in the community, have gainful employment or be able to be anonymous ever again. Their names and phone numbers have been plastered all over the internet, and they are possibly the most hated internet bullies the internet has seen since it's conception. This is a warning to people who decide to play a 'prank' over the internet. Do you want YOUR details to be posted everywhere? I am sure Curt and Lori Drew are now subject to death threats, and other terrors. Because of HER actions, they now have the police called on them randomly, their house paintballed, their lawn destroyed, and I am sure this is just the beginning. This whole thing is very very sad.
 
do you know that he ran the leadership club at the ymca, they were involved heavily in the cheerleading and soccer my daughter used to be in. do you know that was a positive peer influence group that they ran at our local YMCA and they ran it for years? this just makes it much worse. Here is a man and a woman who were in charge of teaching children morals and respect. I am sickened!!
 
All's fair,

I do not approve of any violent action against Lori Drew. There are legitimate reasons for attempting to contact her, and I am surprised you cannot imagine any. And, one may wish to simply know how to avoid her, avoid her personal company and avoid doing business with her, or anyone who associates with her.

I find your focus on this blog a little strange. My own posts have never included anything but her common name.

The contact information you object to so strenuously is a horse so far out of the barn it is imposible to retrieve. Its posting is so far from being limited to this blog, and cached into oblivion,and the desire to find it, it is nothing I can control, even if I wished to.

You are mistaken about laws related to blog comments.

Further, I do not condone death threats, or any threats of violence in this case.

I don't really think you've read any of my posts, some of which touch on issues that concern you, but have just come to blather about what random comments you find here that annoy you.

If you have a point of view, and you feel very strongly about it, why don't you start a blog of your own. I'm sincere, not patronizing. You may have a voice that should be heard.

I respect your attempt to communicate your views to others, but I can't agree with you that I support vigilantism, and if you are annoyed with commenters, please address your remarks to them.

I have taken the step of moving to require registration, and will probably either start moderating or requiring registration for a time
if I can't keep up with certain trolls, or the newer ones that straggle in.

My intial posts have served their purpose. If you are curious about my motives, I lay them out as plainly as I can in my only post of the day.

This is a unique story. It seems the world is so close together now elecronically, it is moving into an era where reputation is easily acertained, an seems to matter as much as it did in say, the late 18th or early ninteenth Century. Strange that the "wild west" of the internet could have such an effect.
# posted by SarahW : 7:45 PM

7:50 PM
 
Alternative momma,

A quick note to end any potential misunderstanding of what you wrote:

The pranks preceded Lori's internet infamy, after her neighbors discovered what she had done.
 
Well, Lori Drew thought it was a good idea to mess around on the internet to get to a 13 year old girl and now her personal information is all over the place. I guess you really do reap exactly what you sow. Sorry folks, but I have no sympathy for an ADULT woman who preys on a child like this. Now maybe she will get a good taste of what nuts on the internet do with personal information and I hope people will keep on posting their information as it changes. My holiday wish for them is that they never get a moments peace again, no matter where they go. These people are worse than rapists and pedophiles and have no sense of remorse. No matter what happens to them, they will have gotten exactly what they have asked for. I am happy to read that the whole town has turned on them and I hope it gets much worse for the whole family. There are some really crazy people out there...
 
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
 
may those responsible meet a person just as sick and messed-up as they are. This is unthinkable and unacceptable. Where are we as a society when the justice system says there is nothing they can do about this….however get 5 parking tickets and you are spending the weekend in jail. Something needs to be done…who is going to do it…is it YOU !!!!
 
may those responsible meet a person just as sick and messed-up as they are. This is unthinkable and unacceptable. Where are we as a society when the justice system says there is nothing they can do about this….however get 5 parking tickets and you are spending the weekend in jail. Something needs to be done…who is going to do it…is it YOU !!!!
 
Move along, allsfair. You are just being an idiot now, if you were anything else before.

I
 
Sorry, 4:34, you are drawing trolls.
 
Having been a victim of a similar stunt by an ex-boyfriend, I feel lucky that though I was demoralized for a while (he stalked me around town before resorting to the false online ID) I never felt that I should end my life. Of course, I was 35, not 13 when this happened to me, and my ex-bf was 38, but I can see how a young girl like Megan would be so vulnerable.

While I feel the outrage (a re-lived outrage) of the public at large about how law enforcement is non-existent in harassment cases like this, and it seems the Meiers will never have justice, I urge the schools in O'Fallon, MO to contact the Anti-Defamation League and request an urgent scheduling of their program "Names Can Really Hurt Us". (http://www.adl.org/education/edu_awod/awod_pilot.asp)

This program addresses the issues of bullying, allowing students an open, honest and relevant exploration about diversity and bias in their school communities.

While screwing with the Drew family may seem like justice, I agree that SHUNNING them, not physically or mentally terrorizing them, is the best punishment.
Or, if the schools in O'Fallon do get the "Names Can Really Hurt Us" program at their school, the Drews would be perfect as the guest speaker (and it would be in the right forum for them to attend.)
 
From the Fox website. Tonight on the O'Reilly Factor:

Tuesday, November 20:

• Cyberspace shocker: Parents say online bullies forced their daughter to suicide. Do they have any legal recourse?

Wow are the Drews screwed.
 
While lori drew is certainly the most responsible one, it can be argued that some blame should be on the parents. Is it true that she had tried to commit suicide at an earlier date? Did the parents put her into counseling for this? They should have monitored her condition constantly, I'm sure they could have noticed it deteriorating, there is medication for depression that would have at least helped a bit. I realize of course that it would be immoral to place any of the blame on the parents at this moment, but I believe it is a valid argument.

I may be ignorant to it all since I do not know what the parents did to help their daughter, or what went through their minds but if I'm being ignorant then so are all of you since you don't know the entire situation either but rather know what you hear.. not to mention your minds may already be shut off to the words of those that share different opinions then yours. I'm not trying to back up Lori, like I said she is definitely deserving of much blame, I'm simply saying it is not fair to judge someone fully and to say what she does and does not deserve based solely on what you heard. For example, the statement from Lori may make it seem like she is cruel and uncaring but words written down cannot express a persons emotions. As for other news stories, keep in mind the media is known for skewing the content of a story for entertainment purposes. (I'm not saying they lie, but that they often shift the truth slightly) If anyone has spoken to Lori face to face about this then I am interested in hearing what she has said as well as how she said it.
 
Thesmokinggun now has a copy of the police report on their site in the full text. Page 1 is just background info, page 2 is what you have and page 3 talks about Lori Drew's real reason for wanting to contact the Meiers on Thanksgiving: not to apologize but to relieve her own guilt.
 
Perocles...don't blame the victim. Read the police report on the Smoking Gun. Read an unbiased accounting of Lori Drew's own words, watch the parents video clip. There's no vast right wing conspiracy or left wing media at work here. Simply an evil women who failed to use good judgement, went way beyond the bounds of decency, and perpetrated a heinous act on a child. Here's some perspective; if it was your 13 year old and a 48 year old neighbor did this, would you be so accomodating? I didn't think so.
 
~alls fair~ AKA Lori ummm moron if the Drew's are worried about their child eating they can send her to a normal family were she can get some MAJOR psychological help after being programmed to be a serial killer by psycho Momma! Hey cyber police why do we not have "Ashely's " real identity this mini nutjob GOT fricken PAID to torture this child! Practicing for sniper or psychological torture school?
The Drew crew email is shut down, Curt was fired (good job Caldwell Banker) hopefully any banks in the area will call any loans immediately, believe they live in a home owner association subdivision may be a stipulation in the articles of incorporation to force them to sale for safety and wellbeing of neighborhood. I know we are using this clause to force out a child predator.

Prayers to everyone in this town except the ones headed for the *cough* adult *gag* Drews of course .

Oh and anyone in O'Fallon checking in have any of the kids coerced into attacking Megan been questioned to see if Lori was giving them alcohol during the "lets torture Megan parties" or at other times the way she was "grooming" these kids to do her bidding is very similar to pedophiles so think this is an important issue to find out and could lead to this case actually having some more legal legs.
 
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
 
Re: Perocles' "...it can be argued that some blame should be on the parents."

I respect that you are trying to expand the box of people's thinking; and it seems you might be responding to the lynch mob vibe included in this string, which I also respect.

But I think it's really dangerous to put forth an argument with a list of questions to which you do not have the answers. Questions such as "Did the parents engage counseling for Megan?" They might very well have. In the absence of answers, let us not default to suspicion.

You acknowledge that we do not have all the answers, and that is certainly true. What is persuasive about Lori Drew's role is that we have a copy of the police report where she acknowledges having created a false profile in order to deceive and manipulate Megan.

I hope soon that the blog strings shift to a focus on what people can do to prevent similar occurrences in the future, such as advocating for laws forbidding harassment, especially toward children.
 
I sent the following letter to the chamber of commerce:

Hi,

http://www.stpeterschamber.com/home/memdir/index.html?uid=6140&company=&firstname=lori&lastname=drew&pull1=&pull2=&pull3=&keyword=&submit=detail

The link above still works on your site and gives information about an appalling outlaw in your organization. I was expecting it would have at least some explanation about why it had been removed. Instead, you continue to promote a sexual predator whose activities killed a child and destroyed her family.

What are you thinking? As long as that link is alive it taints your entire organization and the surrounding community you claim to serve with the related scandal.

I don't have much sympathy for you, since you have long since known about this and continue to give aid to this criminal. Surely, if you had any reasonable justification for keeping that entry up there you would post something right at that link so that people would know why you continue to aid and support these dreadful people. I can only conclude that you somehow think it is fine to associate with them.

If you have any reasonable explanation for keeping the entry in place, you should at least explain it right there. If you do not, you should remove the current content and post an explanation as to why it was taken down.

The furor will die down as it always does. However, the story resides on tens or hundreds of thousands of pages on the Internet. The Internet has a very long and tenaciously persistent memory. You will be quite unable to stop the propagation of this story and your part in it. Anyone else coming to this link and seeing your blithe promotion of this monster will be, I am sure, outraged just as I am.

Sincerely,

A member of the larger community.
 
1. Megan was receiving counseling
2. Megan was on medication
3. Lori Drew is the only who has said Megan had tried to commit suicide before. Megan's parent's have said that is not true.
4.She was not allowed on MYSPACE unless her parent's were in the room. They held the password, not Megan.
5. She was supervised as well as any teen can be while on the internet.
6. They discussed daily her conversations with "JOSH"
7. When she reacted negatively to the posts, she was told to get off immediately. Her mother even called her from the orthodontists office to make sure she had.

WHAT MORE COULD HER MOTHER HAVE DONE to try and protect her. I am certain she had NO CLUE that it was an adult on the other end baiting and tormenting her daughter.

Yes Megan had emotional issues. What 13 year old girl does not. Lori Drew intentionally hit her with what would hurt the most. According to all the news reports and lawyers, THERE WERE FEDERAL LAWS BROKEN. If the prosecuting Attorney Jack Banas cannot or will not charge them, the case should be turned over to U.S. Attorney for federal prosecution. A Civil suit should also be filed and the Drew's should LOSE EVERYTHING.
 
In re: to the statement on the "Megan Meier Vigilante" site, where the writer points out..."The adult woman, who is married and has a young daughter of the same age as Megan, has not been charged with a crime."

This point is a non-point. If a day-care worker is alleged to have harmed a child in her care, she is placed on leave while the matter is investigated. The day-care owner does not wait until the jury returns a verdict nine months later to conclude that it is not prudent or safe to leave her in a caregiver role.

Lori Drew retains all of her legal rights for jurisprudence and due process (this point is so obvious it is not really worth the bandwidth required to broadcast it). But that doesn't mean she is immune to public scrutiny, especially when she self-disclosed having deceived and manipulated a 13-year-old child.

Does she think that the only valid kind of accountability is the criminal justice system?!!

I think the big answer is the boycott--let us remain civilized, keep our facts straight, resist lashing out, be smart, be above board, and advocate that others sever their business relationships with her.

That is 'here and now' accountability, and as American as apple pie. That is the part that the public has an influence over. And how can she dispute clients' decisions about how to spend their dollars? Their dollars are THEIR VOTE, up or down, the democracy of the marketplace. Boycotting 'Drew Advantage' = Promoting Child Safety.

Civilized, and very effective. Forget remorse; losing $$$ is what is making this family shake in their shoes.

In short, look at the word 'livelihood.' It's how she makes her 'living.' If the public collectively fires her, she will be legitimately required to live differently.

But there is one catch (and a hard one for those bile-spewers who just cast out hate). You have to think and work. You have to put your emotions aside and link up with the ones who have the power to make a difference. And you have to set your sites on the goal helping children, rather than just crucifying faceless enemies.

In short, if you really want to have an impact, you have to get over yourself, to have a chance at helping a child.

I wrote her Chamber of Commerce, and recommended they terminate her membership. I called her clients, and recommended they decline to renew their contracts with her, directly, respectfully, and nicely.

If 101 people did that over the course of two weeks, Drew would be out of town and living at home with her parents before she could say, "Josh Evans."

And there, maybe she could regroup and begin to figure out how she might begin to atone.
 
To Anonymous 6:57--

I don't know what your post might have led to, but I'd seen a post that Curt Drew was fired, and sure enough, his picture and bio were on the Coldwell Banker site two days ago, and now it is gone, like in the jazz world--real real gone.

I'm telling you, follow the $$$.
 
What's weird is that this issue, and this blog, is being used to illustrate the "evils" of mob vigilantism. Generally these cautionary tales end with a revelation, of how the vigilantes, who had yelled so loudly and venomously at the objects of their scorn, are shown to be mistaken. Then they skulk away, tails between legs.

Except in this case things couldn't apparently be more clear - we have an official police report. There is no uncertainty about what's happened. And so whatever consequences the woman's repugnant actions have called down seem less the actions of "mob justice" so much as real democratic justice expressing itself even as the neutered laws try to restrain it.

I, personally, have no problem with that.
 
I posted the comment below at this site:

http://www.stltoday.com/blogs/news-talk-of-the-day/2007/11/who-should-be-held-responsible-for-a-girls-suicide/all-comments/#comments

I am posting here just to give it another home in cyberspace. Hope you do not mind.

[Disclaimer: Despite the harshness of this note, I wish nobody any harm. None of the ‘bad’ players here can have much happiness in their hearts and that is sad for them. I truly feel they are beyond redemption, but I take no joy in that. As events have shown, their damage bleeds over to us all. Harming them further will do none of us any good. Similarly, it is hard to imagine much redemption for many in that community. However, living there must be hellish enough without our piling on even more damage. Things rest badly right now. A family needs help and a community has a dangerous predator on the streets. We should bring pressure to bear to correct that. Other than that, we should all wish them god-speed in making what they can of what they have and let them be.]
=====
Oh boy. Some of the comments here seem to be plants. Perhaps the perpetrators themselves made them.

Who is responsible? Everyone is responsible depending upon their ability to influence these events – both before and after. The media was shameful. It was not until the world at large became aware of and outraged by this that anyone local saw fit to take action. Most of that action was cynical damage control. It was window-dressing; more salt in the wound. Predictably, that has enraged the world even more.

All that evil needs to prosper is for good people to do nothing. Evil prospered. It did so, not for a day, a week or even a month. It prospered for more than a year and flourishes still. After that length of time I would say that they 'aided and abetted' this crime by continued failure to act. They aggravate things even further by a studied effort to deny their role in this.

This should go to a jury trial. Someone took an action. It caused a death. The charge should relate to that. The local community in question appears to have made ‘littering’ the charge for such cyber-stalking crimes. That is an outrage. I think most of the world would find a homicide related charge more appropriate. Charge them, and let a jury decide upon guilt or innocence. The jury might well return a verdict that gives the lie to the complacency of that entire local community.

A crime was committed. I am not aware of a single jurisdiction under common law that would not allow a prosecution of some kind for this crime. That the family has had trouble bringing even a civil suit is beyond comprehension. I am sure the larger community will correct that, no matter how hard the local community tries to stop it.

So many entities had some type of duty here. They all failed to do that duty. An adult stalked, SEXUALLY harassed, and drove a child to her death. You heard me right. They stalked her. An adult sexually engaged a child over the Internet. The child subsequently died. The order and temporal proximity of events shows clearly that the child died due to the actions of that adult predator. The perpetrator further harassed the grieving family after the fact. That included making a complaint to the police against the family of the dead child. If this were a movie, it would be hard to swallow the premise it is so outrageous.

I believe that a sense of remorse has an influence on sentencing. When a jury finds this predator guilty, that person’s persistent lack of remorse should inform a sentence sufficiently punitive to act as an effective deterrent. The consensus in the ‘blogosphere’ seems to be that the main perpetrator should go to jail and stay there. I agree. Why allow them to do it again?

What happened here, and then dragged on for so long without a just resolution, did not happen in a vacuum. That entire community sat by and watched this unfold with hardly a whisper of dissent. Arguments about what they could and could not do and what they actually did do only add fuel to the fire. A child is dead. We know who many of the responsible parties are. The most responsible party has admitted at least a portion of their role to the police and there exists a record of this. The entire community is aware of what has happened. Some members of that community have been aware for long enough to prosecute, convict and imprison the main perpetrator. Instead, they did NOTHING. The only official action appears to have been on a complaint AGAINST the grieving family. A child is dead, her family is destroyed and that family has seen NO comfort or redress from their local community. The only penalties extracted from the perpetrators have resulted from the widespread visceral revulsion of the world at large.

This is telling:

http://www.memberservicecenter.org/irmweb/wc.dll/mostccoc?id=mostccoc&doc=rol/rol1

As of this writing, the link above allows a search of the St. Charles Chamber of Commerce. You will find them proudly promoting the business of the predator. Search for “Family Savings Magazine” and there they are in all their gory glory. How monstrous is that? Would you do business with members of that Chamber of Commerce? I would not. I wonder what other disgraceful self-serving lies exist on that site?

I am a web professional. I taught networking. I have been a denizen of cyberspace since before the web was born. Friends and family of mine are psychologists and educators in the schools at all levels. I am also the parent of happy healthy young girls approaching the age of the child in question. I have devoted considerable time and had expert help to make our Internet environment a safe one for my kids. I have trained the kids well to protect against such things as happened here. Even MY children could be vulnerable to such a predator. No parent, however well prepared can entirely protect his or her children when a predator attacks. We all have a stake. We must stop these predators on as many fronts as we can.

Of the litany of shameful acts here, perhaps the vilest is the continued vicious assault on the victim and her surviving family. The post-mortem defamation of the murdered child is repulsive. The attempt to make excuses for the predator is shocking. It is inexcusable. Apologists suggest that the parents should have done more. They suggest the child was somehow at fault, or defective. This is false. Any young girl could be vulnerable to such a thing. Any parent, no matter how vigilant, could have been the victim of such an act. By all accounts, the murdered child’s mother did everything in her power to prevent this. She is without blame by any standard of measure. This was a brutal act of sex-related violence on a child. Attempting to minimize or justify this by laying a shred of blame at the feet of the grieving family is disgusting. It is disgusting because it is wrong. It is doubly disgusting because they know it is wrong. It is trebly disgusting that they promote these lies for their own benefit at the expense of the victims. This family has already paid the ultimate price. Every single adult in that entire community should be ashamed that they allow this injustice to continue. Clearly, those blaming the victims are beyond shame. Nothing can redeem them. Perhaps, though, a few others have a sense of shame. They were complicit in making the family no longer able to defend themselves. Will they finally, FINALLY after more than a YEAR, stand and defend this stricken child and her broken family? I will not hold my breath.

What have any of them done to heal this family? It breaks my heart to think of that poor man sitting in his darling daughter’s room alone. I am a father, and I am simply unable to imagine it fully. My mind will not allow itself to go there. Without aid, he will likely come to even further harm. What has the community done about this? All that seems to come from that community is more self-serving excuses. They have not even the human decency to apologize. I challenge the other fathers in that community to reach out and help that grieving father. I challenge the mothers in that community to reach out and help that grieving mother. I challenge clergy, social workers and other ‘helping professions’ to reach out and help heal what is left of that shattered family. I challenge that community to stand up, take care of its own and show a little backbone and dignity to the world outside their doors.

Apologists seem to think that it was to be expected. It was not. They seem to expect it to happen again. It should not. They feel no sense that they should even TRY to prevent it in the future. Any future event like this is doubly on their heads.

Who allows an adult to stalk a child and drive them to their death? Who deals with such an event after the fact by attempting to minimize their responsibility? Who, when subjected to public scrutiny for such disgrace, attempts to escape by trying to vilify and further injure the victims? We are talking about a dead CHILD here. What kind of monster attempts to blame a child for her own murder at the hands of a predatory adult? It is disturbing to see someone attempt to gain a tiny advantage when it comes at a great expense from another.

Surely, there must be SOMEONE with moral courage in that community. If they exist, they should champion real action to right this wrong and prevent it in the future. Here is a hint: Step number one would be to FINALLY admit that it was wrong and accept your share of responsibility. Most would have been unaware before the fact, in the days, weeks, or even months (!) after the fact. Can anyone in that community claim to be unaware NOW?

Proposing to make a similar thing a misdemeanor insults the memory of this child and shames the community all the more. The sex-related murder of a child is not a misdemeanor. Claiming that they meantime cannot prosecute the existing murderer is just smarmy damage control. It does not play well with me. I doubt it plays well with anyone in the rest of the world either. I pray for the sake of that community that it sounds discordant to at least a few of those that reside there.

The people there that are responsible for law enforcement lack the skill and moral rectitude to make this right. They have amply demonstrated that. The community should replace them. They should do so before anyone else gets hurt. These incumbents can do nothing about the sex-related homicide of a child. They are not likely much use for anything else. Get rid of them right now. Whoever was sitting at those desks are plainly not as good as empty desks. Even if you do not replace them, you will be better off.

Precious few in that community seem to have any moral compass. Perhaps they can take a hint from the torrent of outrage in the larger community. What happened was wrong both during and after the fact. It continues to be wrong now. Each day they fail to act takes them further in the wrong direction.

I pray that everyone in that community with a shred of decency will DEMAND that this be resolved respectably and that they will back their demands by action.

The furor will die down, but some have indelibly etched their shame on the memory of the Internet. Anyone with the name of that community attached to their names should be able to point to effective action they have taken to correct this injustice. Otherwise, they will carry this stain with them forever. Making amends at some point is better than doing nothing. However, the longer they continue to deny their part and fail to act, the harder it will be to cleanse them of shame.

Good luck with that.

My heart goes out to that family. What happened to them is the unthinkable. They deserve help and healing. Fortunately, they have an enormous ‘mind-share’ in the world now. They can use it to get aid, even if the local community continues to resist it. Literally millions of people are aware of this now. I can find no credible evidence of anyone in the real world that does not see the mother, father and child here as blameless victims. For their daughter’s memory, I hope that mother and father can find the strength to heal and carry on. It would be the best way to honor their daughter’s memory and keep it alive.

As trite as it sounds, true healing cannot happen without forgiveness. The entire community of perpetrators does not deserve forgiveness. They are beneath it. However, the family deserves the healing they will get by taking the moral high ground. Forgiveness will help them heal. That goes for thee and me. This is not a call for the mob to descend. It is not a call for revenge. It is a call for justice to aid in the healing. Justice helps us to forgive; forgiveness helps us to heal.

Justice calls for punishment that acts as a deterrent and sends a message. What happened was very wrong. We should acknowledge that with vigor. However, vengeance, per se, is an empty thing. It always does more harm than good. I hope the family will try to turn their hearts away from thoughts of revenge. No action they can take will be mightier than the storm that swirls around the villains now. All of those creepy people were nearly as diminished as creatures could be before this began. The people in that community that turned their backs on the injured family will not likely give comfort to the perpetrators and their supporters. They all began small, went down from there and the world diminished them even further. They are just so many insects now. There is no comfort to get from these miserable creatures. Let justice take its course, if it will. The family should cast attention to healing and honoring the memory of their beautiful child.

The world would be a better place if the people in that community were to make amends through action. That action should show genuine contrition for (to be charitable) a job poorly done. As huge a tidal shift as such a thing is, I sincerely hope that the mother and father can find forgiveness in their heart for one another and heal the rift in their marriage. They will not find more than a decade of shared love and care for their beautiful child with any other partner. They owe themselves and each other a second chance.

Finally, though it might seem that such a thing is beyond the power of prayer, I say a prayer for the mother, the father and the child and I hope anyone reading this will join me in that. Even if you do not believe in the power of prayer, the gesture has meaning.
 
On Wednesday, October 21st, city officials enacted an ordinance designed to address the public outcry for justice in the Megan Meier tragedy. The six member Board of Aldermen made Internet harassment a misdemeanor, punishable by up to a $500 fine and 90 days in jail.

Does this new law provide any justice for Megan? Does this law provide equitable relief for a future victim or actually weaken the current law?

I reject the premise of this new law and believe it completely misses the mark. The reasoning behind this opinion is that city officials have consistently treated this case as an Internet harassment case instead of a child welfare/exploitation case.

Classifying this case a harassment issue completely fails to address the most serious aspects of the methods Lori Drew employed to lead this youth to her demise. The Vice disagrees that harassment was even a factor in this case until just a couple of days before Megan's death.

Considering this case a harassment issue is incorrect because during the 5 weeks Lori Drew baited and groomed her victim, the attention was NOT unwanted attention. It was not harassment at all. It was invited attention. Megan participated in the conversations willingly because she was lured, manipulated and exploited without her knowledge.

This law willfully sets a precedent that future child exploiters and predators can use to reclassify their cases to harassment issues. In effect, the law enacted to give Megan justice, may make her even more vulnerable. So long as the child victim doesn't tell the predator to stop, even a harassment charge may not stick with the right circumstances and a good defender.

Every aspect of this case follows the same procedural requirement used to convict a Child Predator. A child was manipulated by an adult. A child was engaged in sexually explicit conversation (as acknowledged by Lori Drew herself). An adult imposed her will on a child by misleading her, using a profile designed to sexually or intimately attract the 13 year old Megan.

Lori then utilized the power she had gained over this child to cause significant distress and endangerment to that child. She even stipulated to many of these activities in the police report she filed shortly after Megan's death.

We can go on and on here, but the parallels between this case and many other child predator cases that are successfully prosecuted bear striking similarities.

Child Predator laws do not require much more than simply proving that an adult has engaged a minor in sexually explicit conversation. Lori Drew has already stipulated that her conversations with Megan were sometimes sexual for a child Megan's age.

City officials who continue to ignore this viable, documented admission and continue to address this issue as harassment are intentionally burying their heads in the sand, when the solution is staring them right in the face. Why?

On June 5th, 2006, Governor Matt Blunt signed into law stiff penalties for convicted sex offenders. The Vice believes that officials continually reject a child predator classification of this case in order to keep the penalty of this offense out of this harsher realm.

Opponents of this law are active in defeating this law not by changing it, but by disqualifying cases like Megan's from ever being heard.

There are several other child exploitation laws on the books. To date, none of them have even been considered by City, State and Federal officials in this case. I'm outraged that a motion was never even filed, so that the case could at least be argued before a judge or jury.

Those satisfied with this response out of Missouri officials need to think through the effect this law will truly have. It quite honestly has the potential to directly undermine Jessica's law. It quiet easily gives prosecutors a way out of prosecuting child endangerment and child predator cases in the future.

Beware the wolf in sheep's clothing here.

Danny Vice
http://weeklyvice.blogspot.com
 
This woman is pure evil. I hope she rots in hell for murdering that child. Driving someone to suicide might as well be murder in my book...
 
This event caught my interest primarily because a very similar thing happened to me. (although I am a middle aged woman and I did not commit suicide).

I am now embroiled in a civil suit. Like the Meier's, the criminal justice system let me down. I am not an attorney, but I am representing myself because the cost of hiring an attorney is soooooo high. Since this is a high profile case, I'll bet some attorney will come on board...

I am in California. In a civil case, you must have causes of action. For instance, stalking. Each cause of action has certain elements that MUST be present in order to bring a case. In a stalking cause of action in CA (and CA serves as a format for most other states), one element is that the victim must have at least one time told the perp to STOP contact. Through no fault of her own, it appears Megan did not do this. The failure to tell someone to stop is fatal to bringing stalking as a cause of action. There are, however, other causes of action. In my case, I am also pleading intentional infliction of emotion distress. Not sure of the civil laws in MO, but this might fly. The Wrongful death might fly. In these cases, punitive damages would also be possible. Another thing: Civil suits are about $$$. That is the only remedy. If the defendants do not have $$$, then there is not much to be done except perhaps the shame of it all.

One way around the $$$$$ problem: The Meier's could consider pleading NEGLIGENT infliction of emotional distress. If negligence comes to play, it is possible that the Drew's have a liability policy that would cover it. I know that sounds sick in many ways... One sick thing is that their legal defense would be covered (they'd get some free attorney service). Most policies like this DO NOT cover punitive damages, so the Drew's could still be punished by having a jury award punitive damages.

This sucks. I am so sorry for the family. It is horrible that this happened to a child, but I can tell you first hand that everybody risks being a victim in this kind of thing. I am with the others on this blog and recommend pushing for change at the level of statutes. That what needs to happen, folks. That--and don't skip out on jury duty when you get those notices!!!
 
As a 46 year old adult survivor of child abuse with a graduate-level education, I think I can speak with some authority on this subject. This woman Lori Drew who set up the fake myspace account for purposes of deceiving, manipulating and then ultimately to purposefully perpetrate psychological harm upon a child whom she knew suffered from and was being treated for depression amounts to child abuse, in my view. I find it an outrage that an adult would model such diabolical, abominable behavior for her own child. The fact that Ms. Drew, in her report to the police, absolves herself of any culpability respecting Megan's death by suggesting that Megan had attempted suicide in the past indicates the probability that Ms. Drew lacks a conscience. Psychology has a term for such persons: sociopaths. As an adult survivor of child abuse at the hands of a mother who has no conscience, who is a sociopath, I would urge this community's authorities to reexamine the likely threat this Lori Drew poses not only to other children in the community but to her own children. I would also advise interested parties to read the book entitled, "The Sociopath Next Door" to learn about sociopathy, how common it is, and how to protect themselves from sociopaths.
 
LORI DREW IS A CLASSIC EXAMPLE OF A "SOCIOPATH" THATS WHY YOU WON'T SEE REMORSE FROM HER BECAUSE SHE HAS NO CONSIENCE!
the st. charles county needs to send someone from the state child protection office to go over and visit The DREW house. Lori drew is a bad mother and her kids need a healthy living situation with positive role model. Lori Drew is a dangerous woman who should have her children removed. The kids are innocent Curt and Lori DREW both are bad parents. And bad role models. Her children are lori drews vicitm also. How can they have a normal life again? They won't so why drag these kids through it? the state needs to place them with a good family with values.
 
As much of a horrible situation as this is, two things must be said:

1-Where/What is the family structure that this young girl lived in? Did they handle her situation correctly?
May she rest in peace.

2-To those judging and condemning Lori I agree it is undoubtedly wrong. But to cast stones on her is just as wrong.
 
After reading about this story, watching the news and even the morning shows I am so disgusted that no charges are being brought against this mother. I worked for an international socializing website as a moderator for abuse and I must say that the police interaction in Europe is much more "on the ball". This is a crime that Lori Drew committed and for the life of me I cannot understand why a woman of her age would want to know what this young girl was saying about her daughter or other teens in the area? Why? they are kids and she is not. Teens petty arguments are of no concern to me unless I feel that my daughter's safety is at risk. My initial reaction was to lash out at Lori Drew and her family for this terrible injustice but the more I read and the more I think on it I realize that Lori Drew has sentenced herself as well as her entire family to a life of outcast. She will loose many friends and basically the community will shun her either face to face or behind her back. In any whispering crowd her name, her husbands and children's names will be spoken. She has condemned her daughter as well to a life as an outcast. No matter what she was before, she is no more. Mothers no longer want the Drew daughter playing with their own for fear or what can or could happen. This will never go away and to make matters worse, no matter where this family moves someone somewhere will find out or figure out this story and again, they will be outcast in yet another community. Lori Drew has sentenced her family to this kind of life and if she thinks she has not and this is not true, she is only fooling herself. She has not only ruined her career as well as her husbands she has ruined her daughter's life and future as well. I believe this to be a terrible terrible shame for all the people involved. The Meier's lost Megan and now Lori Drew has torn her family unit apart and ruined her daughter's life as well. I can only hope that one day Lori will take some responsibility for her actions and apologize, then many just maybe the healing can begin for everyone concerned. I can only imagine what it is like for Lori to have to see the heartache she has caused her own daughter. Now she might know just a bit of the paint he Meier's are feeling over the loss of Megan.
 
You americans are so irrational, the way you are talking you would think that Drew hung Megan herself. Yes what she did was nasty, immature, irresponsible and just plain evil, and yes as an adult should know better. But at the end of the day only one person can make the decision to take their own life.

It is not the act of a rational human being to take their own life after one bad experience, think about it if drew had done it to you would you have comitted suicide?. It takes a long time of deep depression to get to this stage, why didn't her parents and teachers pick up on this, why didn't she have help?

Everyday people are bullied and harassed but they don't go and kill themselves, the world would be a much smaller place if they did, and by most people on this blog' logic their would be a lot of murders out there.

Maybe instead of starting a vandetta against the Drews why don't you focuss your energy on teen suicide, and help prevent it rather than blaming someone else for one's own decision to end their life.
 
FOX news just reported that Missouri prosecutors will not file criminal charges in connection with the suicide of a teen who had been dumped by a fictitious boy on MySpace, officials announced Monday.

St. Charles County Prosecutor Jack Banas announced at a news conference that there wasn't enough evidence to press criminal charges in connection with the death of Megan Meier, 13.

Meier of Dardenne Prairie, Mo., committed suicide last year after being dumped by "Josh," a boy created under the direction of Lori Drew, the mother of one of Megan's former friends, who wanted to know what the girl was saying about her daughter online.

I feel sorry for Meier's family and hope they will pursue a CIVIL case to the fullest extent they can against the Drew family. I hope the Drew family doesn't feel exonerated in any way by this.
 
I just want to say that this has happened to me and a friend of mine! We were 15 and the wierd thing is the guy that was made up for my friend was named josh evans! This girl made them up and hurt us so bad! Even tho we laugh about it now this story really upset me! That girl could have been me. I think Lori Drew and the accomplises she be charged! Those parents lost a daughter someone should be punished for that! Its almost like murder they killed her with words.
 
You all are some sick people. Get a life, leave this alone. Don't you have your own issues to deal with? Enough people have suffered, why do you all have to butt in and create drama. This is a sad thing that happened, but this is America. And If I am correct you all sound like conservative, right wing, republican, Bush supporters...and heaven forbid we mess with the U.S. So what if Lori Drew's actions were disgusting, they were not illegal. Get over it. You people get behind causes like this, Terry Shivo, abortion and Iraq when the real problems never get brought up. You people are sick. Do you know how much hatred you have spilled onto the net and this page? This is evil, not very Christian....it sounds like revenge and resentment....I wouldnt be suprised if most of these posts are fake....You all should be ashamed!
 
First of all, Keith, are you serious?? Create drama?? Isn't that precisely what the Drew's et al did? You speak of real problems not being brought up... like what? You, as the perfect Christian, don't beieve abortion and Iraq are real problems? As a Christian, do you not believe the exploitation of young people/children is not a problem? An adult communicating sexually with a minor is not a problem? An adult committing identity fraud is not a problem? Whether this is an illegal act or not is just an example of the grey area in the argument of 1st amendment rights that has been created by the internet... which is why if you are bothered by this situation, it is essential to contact the St Charles District Attorney and also assist the Meier family with support to try to get more legislation... it is true.. hateful rhetoric is a waste of energy. Let the Meiers be an example to us...when you are effected by something... take positive action to make a change.... and Keith...you have the right to be self-righteous and do absolutely nothing...

Thanks again to anonymous for the prosecutor's info: I'll repost... the more we get it out there... the better!!

"The dead cannot cry out for justice; it is a duty of the living to do so for them."
Lois McMaster Bujold

Jack Banas, Prosecuting Attorney
Courts Administration Building
Room 601
300 North Second Street
St. Charles, MO 63301
 
I completely understand the anger and pain. An incident like this happened to a close friend of mine in high school. Except she decided to shoot herself in the head in front of her friends because the ridicule from bullies was too much to handle.

And to set the record straight, I am a 30 year old gay man. I am also an atheist. But that has nothing to do with how people choose to express their hatred, anger and grief. this is not constructive, no wins. Let it go.

Why don't you stop talking and volunteer at a youth suicide prevention clinic or hotline and do something positive! Trying to destroy someones life by getting even is not the healthy way to go about things.

Stop all the District attorney talk and the smear campaign! You really think that she wanted that girl dead? You think she likes what has happened? If so, you are the sick one.
 
FYI... here is the info for the Attorney General of Missouri... I'm including part of his profile which is very interesting!!!

"Nixon has been a national leader in fighting crime on the Internet, obtaining convictions and restitution from those who have defrauded Missourians through Internet scams. His work also established through court rulings that Missouri laws can be enforced on the Internet."

Jay Nixon
Missouri Attorney General's Office
Supreme Court Building
207 W. High St.
P.O. Box 899
Jefferson City, MO 65102
Phone: 573-751-3321
Fax: 573-751-0774


Check out: http://www.moga.mo.gov/statutes/c500-599/5570000035.htm

Hate Crime statute - this could fall under the Disability feature since Megan was known to be on medication for a mental disorder.
 
Dear Keith,

I write you today as the Acting Coordinator of "Us People." I feel that given your perjorative comments this is needed, and certainly appropriate, as we on this blog all feel the same way about all issues.

In praise of your accuracy, we are indeed a carefully organized cult of Un-Christian, but conservative, right-wing Bush supporters whose collective agenda comprises the Terry Schiavo matter, the abortion issue, and Iraq. And as you so eloquently stated, we make it a point to decline to address "real problems." This is how we cope with our "sickness" as you so keenly diagnosed.

"Hating others, one at a time!" is our motto. And the way we stay one jump ahead of the rabble is to make most of our posts fake.

We didn't fake our way past you though; you sussed us out so beautifully. We'll have to fire our Minister of Propaganda, and start hating him too. We were starting to anyway. He was becoming out of step with our united viewpoint, and kind of a dick.

So anyway, after putting us in our places with your razor insight and surgical strike post, I expected to be (like usual) full of hate. Instead, alas, I am "ashamed," and not just for myself, for all of us. So at our next "Us People" meeting, I think we all really have some talking to do.

Keith, why don't you come, and share with us your wisdom about the 'real problems' we should unite to face together, as opposed to these 'non-ones?' Maybe you'll be our new Propaganda guy; I think you've got the right attributes--prejudice, generalization, judgment, wild emotion, even oversimplification. You may become the next "Us People" Big Dog.

And to our dear unified group, if you're not in agreement with "Us People" on all I've said, well you can just go over to the other side and become...I don't know..."Them People."

This is America, the best democracy on the planet; emblem of freedom; so if you remain an Un-Christian sick, Schiavo-loving, abortion _________(where are we supposed to side on abortion Keith, loving or hating? Just fill in the blank and we'll go with it), well then you can just, just, just, BE ASHAMED.

Just a point of fact in advance of the next meeting; there are 84 comments thus far on this blog. So that means we have to have 43 attending to have a quorum.

Thanks guys, I'll bring the doughnuts, and the mind-bending orange drink. And remember "As Always, As One." As blogs have always been, and forever shall be.
 
Now see, at least this person has a sense of humor...I'm just saying that if you feel so passionate about this then do something that will actually help, like volunteering at a center for suicide prevention, anyone can complain....
 
Keith,

Humor aside, I appreciate your points about how it's more important to act than to spending all your time getting online and yammering. Actually, I am a social worker who works with children and families who are recovering from abuse.

You know the Meier family has been instrumental in pushing the envelope in getting legislation passed to make online harassment a crime. They've already passed a new ordinance in Dardenne Prairie, LA, and now bills are being developed in the MO General Assembly.

So the heat brought by the blogosphere must have been a factor in that. It went like this...

1) Prosecutors did nothing; said there was no law. Told Meiers to stay quiet; they tried to for one year.

2) They could stand it no more; they went public--to CNN and others

3) That alerted the public, including the blogosphere, who outed the Drews, and the whole thing combusted.

4) That put pressure on the suburban community, public and private; newspaper coverage became a daily thing.

5) Local legislation was passed making online harassment a crime. State legislation now in development.

6) Let's face it; public outcry has its place. It ain't pretty sometimes, but it leads politicians to become concerned that their name might be next on the cyber-Gong Show. The Meier advocates probably don't feel enough has been done. Others feel too much has been made already.

7) But something is being done. Let's not totally write it off. If you're motivated to go further, go for it.

8) Sorry for the smart-assed sarcasm. Now go get involved and be an example for us all.
 
I hate to say it people but this is now society is. People are not happy unless someone else is experiencing grief. I live on an Air Force base. I have a neighbor who hates the lady across the street. Why because she gave up her kid for adoption. The lady across the street simply said "I could never do that" My neighbor even went so far as to try and sneak a microphone in their house by giving their little one a teddy bear! There needs to be stronger laws in this country on this type of crap. You hound someone until they commit suicide, your butt needs to be locked up. The Drew family obviously thinks they did nothing wrong. They have the nerve to say "well she tried it before, how were we suppose to know" Give me a fricken break. They should know 12 and 13 year old girls go through a lot at that point in life. They are very emotional (I know, I have a 12 year old). Fact is the Drew family is a typical American family who doesn't care as long as it doesn't effect them. Sad as it may be, you all know the type. God will have his day with Lori Drew. You can bank on that.
 
People have seemed to have forgotten this was an ADULT taking advantage of a child, a mentally ill one too.
She should be held accountable for her actions in every way; it’s ridiculous that the law has not punished her accordingly.
This is telling people it’s ok to beat up on kids yet again because it isn’t classed as abuse if it is done via internet, how ridiculous.
I wonder how this woman would be feeling if the shoe were on the other foot and it was her child victimized and humiliated to the point of taking her own life!
For an adult to play such games shows me there is some mental problems with this woman and maybe she should be examined.
I’m disgusted by the whole thing, Megan whatever her problems was a child and had a right to be treated fairly.
This woman is an adult and knew what she was doing, manipulation is never fair but manipulation this cruel toward a child with such tragic consequences deserves punishment. Without a doubt.
I’m disgusted with the way the law has dealt with this situation.
And as a result of this, you can guarantee there will me more cyber bullying because “you wont get punished”!!!
 
Although I agree Mrs. Drew has a lot of bad karma to account for, I think it's a matter for the Meier's and their community to deal with. Internet vigilanteism makes villains into victims to be preyed on by even more horrible people. You can't control the mob.
 
hello all! i definitely agree with ian that everyone needs to focus on working more to change legal and community matters related to issues like this one rather than simply spewing bile...i am a psychological clinician that works with adolescents, and internet bullying is a threat very prevalent nowadays in the population i work with. i also believe that attacking each others' beliefs or even the ways in which they phrase their comments, as well as verbally or physically attacking the drews, in essence makes us just as guilty of bullying as they are. this is a case that we, as human beings, can (at least largely) come together in accord about finally! i'm about as liberal an agnostic as you can find, and i'm sure that others posting on here may be conservative and/or religious, but i don't think that one's feeling that this situation is wrong is determined by one's political or religious beliefs. i think it is simply due to the fact that we all, in all likelihood, have experienced oppression or victimization in one situation or another, and we were just fortunate to be able to pull through...the feeling of empathy that most have in this case is due to this.

let's face it, it is wrong for anyone of any age to act toward another the way that lori drew acted toward megan meier...and an adult acting that way toward a minor, even if merely "instigating" the creation of a website and not sending any scathing messages, is especially callous, petty, and immature. to not handle this situation in some way (ideally, by using it as a springboard to pass laws that make sure nothing like this ever happens again) is like letting the populace know it is okay to treat each other with this kind of emotional disregard. even if you have a problem with someone, there are much more rational ways to handle a situation...especially in the case of an adult having an objection to a child's behavior. why didn't lori drew tell megan's parents about her "bullying" behavior if she found it so offensive? why didn't she try to discuss the behavior rationally with megan and her family, or perhaps get someone higher-up involved if megan was really casting aspersions on her daughter?

this is simply a case of, once again, a "big dog" picking on a "little dog" because they are aware there are really no sanctions to keep them from getting away with their behavior...and we need to make sure to do our darnedest to create new litigation that will ensure someone like lori drew will (at least) have second thoughts before ever performing this sort of behavior again.

thank you all for listing to my caffeine-fueled late-nite rant. just wanted to get my thoughts out here. i hope we can all do our part, and put our differences aside in this case, to protect not just children, but EVERYONE from this sort of behavior in the future.
 
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