Megan Meier’s Tragic Death - Charge Lori Drew with Child Abuse
Posted by Karoli in ADHD, News, Parenting, Technology, Web November 23rd, 2007
While I was watching my beautiful 13-year old girl dance last Friday, the Megan Meier story hit the Internet. Hard. It hit me hard, too. Right in the gut, because I walked in that 13-year old’s ADHD depressed shoes many years ago and could feel what she felt, just reading the third-hand accounts.
Long story short: In 2006, Mom of an ex-friend of 13-year old Megan creates a persona of a good looking boy (16-year old “Josh”) on MySpace in order to discover what Megan is writing about her daughter. After a few weeks of back and forth commenting, fakeboy “Josh” writes ugly comments to Megan. The last comment allegedly reads like this:
“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.”
15 minutes later, 13-year old Megan hanged herself in her closet. She died the following day. Steve Pokin at the St. Charles Journal has a comprehensive account of the sequence of events. Related police reports are here, BlogHer has some commentary here, and the comments posted on BlueMerle expose the level of outrage felt around the blogosphere. I am no exception.
Lori Drew is lower than the scum on the bottom of a sewer.
She is not only an unfit parent; she’s the worst kind of parent — the hovering nanny-watcher helicopter type that Liz writes about — who not only stifles her own child but everyone around her, too. Micromanaging, vindictive and fretful, she was only out to protect her own “precious” at the expense of everyone else. As far as I’m concerned, she is a lowlife who should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. Only, it looks like there is no law that applies. WTF? Not only that, but criminal and civil charges are pending against the Meiers for hacking up a foosball table they were storing for the Drews until Christmas.
Yep, you read that right. The only criminal charges pending are against the Meiers. Lori Drew is completely unrepentant. From one of the police reports filed:
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 she found out “Megan had tried to commit suicide before.”
The report goes on to say that she was upset because the neighborhood had turned against her after discovering her involvement. Well, duh. By the way, this report was filed in connection with her attempts to pay a post-funeral visit to the Meier family on Thanksgiving weekend exactly one year ago and the Meiers refusing to open the door or speak to them, with the Drews “banging on the door” despite Ron Meier’s request that they leave his property.
A supposed ex-friend of Megan’s has posted a counterpoint, reproduced here (original post here), describing her as a drama queen, hypersensitive and argumentative. Many parts of the post ring true to me. It’s entirely possible this all was true. She was a child struggling with a weight problem, peer issues, depression and ADHD. Been there, done that. She changed schools because she had been bullied, and had a one-day-friends-one-day-enemies relationship with the Drews’ daughter.
Megan’s struggle with ADHD and depression is at the heart of the matter.
For the benefit of Lori Drews out there, let me explain some things about ADHD and depression:
ADHD, especially untreated ADHD, can lead to depression. Megan Meier had been diagnosed with depression as early as the 3rd grade and also had ADHD. It isn’t clear as to whether she was being medicated or otherwise treated for the ADHD, but I’m assuming there was some ongoing work in this area since the parents appear to be pro-active and were concerned enough with her peer issues to have her transferred to a different middle school.
ADHD also involves sensory issues, making minor things feel major to them. In earlier childhood, this tends to appear as noise sensitivity, light sensitivity, sensitivity to sudden movements, and anxiety. ADHDers react to these stimuli in different ways. Boys tend to be hyperactive. Girls, not so much. They tend to be the daydreamers, the ones who retreat, or conversely, are dramatic. They’re the ones who cry at the drop of a hat and then are called crybabies by their classmates. I can remember sitting through movies that other people thought were funny crying my eyes out because the combination of sound, slapstick, light and what I perceived as injury to the main characters physically hurt me. No one could understand why I didn’t think it was funny. It wasn’t funny because it hurt. It’s no secret to anyone who knows me that I do not go to the movies. I feel constrained, claustrophobic and captive. This is how some kids with ADHD feel in their own bodies, especially when the hormones rage.
In adolescence, that sensitivity can turn to peer rejection and emotional bankruptcy. An ADHDer who lives in the present with no sense of the future or the past measures their worth on that moment in time. This is, I’m sure, why “MeganHaditComing” describes her as a drama queen “freaking out down the hall or screaming at someone for stabbing her in the back or not listening…” In addition, Megan had weight problems, which might as well be death to a 13-year old’s self-esteem.
Where “MeganHaditComing” has it wrong is here: She didn’t ‘have it coming’. She was a middle school kid (and a beautiful one, by the way, weight or no weight) dealing with inexplicable rejection by her fantasy boyfriend. And not just “I don’t want to see you or chat or comment on your MySpace” rejection, but mean, nasty, bullying comments designed to cut her right to the quick. This is intolerable when it’s done by peers, but the real crime here is that it was an adult, fully 35 years her senior who was aware of her depression and ADHD and took advantage of her anyway.
Here’s a news flash for Lori Drew: Megan’s final words to her mother were this: “You’re supposed to be my mom! You’re supposed to be on my side!” Those words could just as easily be applied to you, Lori Drew. “You’re supposed to be an adult! You’re supposed to protect kids, not abuse them online or otherwise.”
Impersonating, stalking and bullying a child online is child abuse
If Lori Drew had touched Megan inappropriately, she would be charged with child sexual abuse. If Lori Drew had taken a picture of Megan getting out of the shower and posted it on the Internet, she would be prosecuted for creating child pornography. If Lori Drew had hit Megan, she would be charged with assault and physical child abuse.
Lori Drew did none of those things. Still, she abused Megan and took advantage of the MySpace/Internet culture of anonymity to do it. She invented a boy who seduced Megan into thinking she was beautiful, lovable, ACCEPTABLE. And then she tore it all out from under her without so much as a tear. This is the part I truly don’t understand. How can a 48-year old woman and the mother of a 13-year old girl engage in such an intentionally cruel and hurtful act? Why didn’t she just write a good-bye comment and delete “Josh’s” profile? Why did she feel it necessary to post polls saying Megan was a slut, fat, ugly?
Only Lori Drew can answer those questions, and she chooses to justify her actions via police reports and accusations toward the Meier family. Only Lori Drew can look at herself in the mirror every day and continue to believe she is somehow not guilty of “loading the gun”, as Ron Meier says.
One family destroyed, divorced, devastated. Another family moves on, blaming everyone (including the victim), admitting nothing.
As a society, is this what we want to tolerate? Vanessa says it’s the world we live in. I disagree. It’s not my world. In my world, people who take advantage of children’s vulnerability and disability should be charged with stalking, child abuse, and involuntary manslaughter, because if we do not hold people accountable for intentional malicious acts against children we don’t deserve to have them.
Hug your kids. Watch their moods, help them overcome their challenges with positive and sometimes unusual solutions. I wish Megan had felt better about who she was and what she was overcoming. But she didn’t, and Lori Drew had a DUTY to understand that, not exacerbate it.
Tags: MeganMeier, Lori Drew, MySpace, suicide, depression, ADHD, missouri, parents, helicopter parents, tragedy, TV, internet, cyberbullying
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…living life in 19/7 time
This is Megan’s mom, Tina Meier, and I wanted to update everyone on the details for the candlelight vigil for Saturday, November 24, 2007.
*We are meeting at 6:00 p.m. at the Fort Zumwalt West Middle school parking lot.
*Please bring a candle, cup to hold the candle and something to light the candle. (If you cut a small X in the bottom of the cup, you can slide the candle through it and then you won’t have wax dripping on you)
*We will then light the candle’s shortly after 6:00 p.m. and start walking from the school down Waterford crystal drive towards Megan’s house and end up in front of the Drew’s house.
*There is a common ground area across the street and we will have pa system and microphone. if anyone would like to speak, read a poem, etc., they are more than welcome.
*This wonderful idea came from students who wanted to see justice for Megan and for that we are so happy. Nothing we can do will bring Megan back, but we can all learn from Megan and take a part of her with us everyday for the rest of our lives to try to be a better person and think about things we say to people before we say them!
*****Remember this is a peaceful candlelight vigil******
We hope to see everyone there!
Lori Drew should be charged with INTENTIONAL INFLICTION OF EMOTIONAL DISTRESS and CONTRIBUTING TO THE DEATH OF A MINOR - felonies. Not misdemeanors.
That these people are so remorseless for their sick pathological behavior is sick. Mrs. Drew KNEW Megan had ADHD and was depressed and PREYED ON HER. Abuse? It was stalking, harrassment and emotional terrorism.
It is important to remember that there are two sides to this story.
Megan’s mother would do well to let this matter drop already. Let it go.
http://www.michaelcrook.org/blog/category/megan-meier/
Michael Crook
http://www.michaelcrook.org
Mays Landing, New Jersey
Michael,
I couldn’t disagree with you more, and your incredibly nasty remarks about how the “world is better off without the emo” really speaks to the perspective from which you write.
The fact is that an adult tricked a vulnerable kid into believing she was worthless enough to hang herself and that adult doesn’t believe she has any responsibility in the matter.
As for the year which passed, it has been made clear over and over again that law enforcement authorities asked the Meiers to wait to go public until they had investigated. After they waited and placed their faith in law enforcement, they were told no laws had been broken.
The only option left was to go public, because Lori Drew should not live out the rest of her days thinking she had ANY justification for what she did. She had none.
First visit to your site and first I’ve heard of this story. Seduction and betrayal of a child over the Internet leading to child’s suicide? As a mother, mental health professional and compassionate human: sounds like child abuse to me. A crime deserving of a prison sentence. I’m so sorry for Megan’s family and I’m so scared for all of us whose teens are locked in their rooms with the Internet for hours each day. Laws have clearly not caught up with technology. Think if the mom had been doing this via the U.S. Postal Service.
Lori Drew is a psychopath. That part is clear.
But more disturbing than that are the actions of authorities: If it had been an adult MALE that “carried on” in a sexually explicit way with a 13 year old girl, even if it WERE for the purposes of revenge for his teen daughter, he’d be locked up as a pedophile.
Second, there are al-READY laws on the books that cover this type of harassment. For chrissake: just implement them!
What is particularly chilling to me, is that Lori Drew knew that the victim was known to be suicidal in the past. That means that her statement to her that the “world would be better off without you” or whatever it was… is even MORE chilling: it means she was TRYING to steer this girl to suicide. It means she had a desire to push it in that direction, and did so.
Reminds me of Charles Manson. He never “technically” put his own hands upon his victims either, but he “made it happen” by manipulating people, I mean that’s the premise upon which he was convicted: that he had INCITED it.
Same thing here. Lori Drew incited this suicide and should be just as responsible as Manson was when he incited those murders—and she should also be treated just like any other adult who engages in online relationships of a sexual nature with under-aged children.
I’ve been following this story a bit for the past week. I learned today that the town in Missouri just a past a law outlawing cyber-bullying.
As someone who follows 1st Amendment issues, I would not be surprised if a court struck down this law at some point in the future.
I realize that this probably sounds insensitive, but I just know that much speech is protected in our country. I’m not sure calling people bad names qualifies.
However, what Lori Drew did is sick and heinous and if there is a criminal law out there (which is possible) that covers what she did aside from saying nasty things then I think the prosecutor should go for it.
As for Lori Drew, she sounds like a sick, immature, selfish, narcissistic, idiotic, female dog. She also sounds like a terrible mother. I actually feel sorry that her daughter has to suffer this ridiculous excuse for a mother. She’s certainly setting a bad example for her own daughter. If I were in the Meier’s position, I would sue her for wrongful death and try to get every last cent she has. Money is no conciliation in the death of a child, but it will hurt Lori Drew.
Even if criminal or civil penalties are not imposed I strongly believe in the mantra, “what goes around, comes around” and that we all get what we deserve in the end. From the stories I have read, it looks like the neighborhood is already ostracizing the Drews. Their address and names are all over the internet. People know who they are. Lori Drew may be unrepentant at this time, but give it time. If she and her family end up suffering enough because of her stupidity and immaturity, she just may see the terrible error of her ways.
No matter what Megan’s personality, foibles, etc., Lori Drew knew she was dealing with a teenager and teenagers tend to be emotional, insecure, and anxious. Add to that Megan’s particular insecurities and what Lori Drew did was not just cruel, but monstrous. She was (supposed to be) the adult in the situation and should have had the maturity, not to mention basic common sense, to not act as she did.
Mel,
I agree with your thoughts on First Amendment issues, believe it or not. However, MySpace is not public property and I doubt the Internet can be deemed public property, given the ownership of the telcos.
More fundamentally, it would be an extremely difficult law to enforce, just as the existing federal law Hypatia mentions is. That law essentially makes it a crime to *anonymously* harass someone. In other words, using your real name and harassing is okay; doing it under a pseudonym is a crime. I have yet to see the Feds enforce it and the FBI did investigate this case before telling the Meiers no laws had been broken. In fact, the US Attorney has not responded to press inquiries about whether he will prosecute. I’m guessing part of his reluctance stems from the fact that in the end, the harm inflicted was self-harm.
Yet there’s no question in my mind that if RON Drew had been the one harassing Megan, he would’ve been hauled up on charges. There’s a real double standard there.
I was so glad to read your comments about child abuse. No one seems to be asking themselves what kind of home the Drew’s daughter is living in. If Lori Drew can behave so abusively to someone else’s child, what must that home be like for the Drews’ own daughter???
I was absolutely sickened to hear this story. I don’t care in what manner the transmission occurred, this was harassment at the very least and child abuse at its worst. I hope that Lori Drew does come to realize someday the horrifying consequences of her immature and senseless actions, and I hope that happens before her children are irretrievably imprinted with the notion that this kind of behavior is okay.
I was a very sensitive 13 year old with depression and a weight problem. As a 48 year old mom now I can see no way Lori Drew can possibly justify her behavior. It was simply cruel and I hope the authorities find a way to prosecute her and the judge who has to review her foosball complaint throws it out of court. This woman has no compassion and no shame. She also seems to be missing a few of her marbles.
The story is so incredibly sad.
This is a very good blog. I feel so bad for the Meiers and I heard there was about 130 people at the candlelight vigil. Hopefully the right lawyer will find a way to send Lori Drew to jail where she rot hopefully for the rest of her life.
Michael Crook sounds like Lori Drew.
Thanks for your terrific comments, all!
Candy, Michael Crook is a Holocaust denier, too. He may not be Lori Drew, but he isn’t any truthteller either.
i don’t know how the parents of megan are feeling or presume to know how it feels. if it were my child i would not hesitate 1 bit in getting even maybe even more. here’s a shout out to michael crook on his comment, you are full of shit telling the parents to let it go, bullshit! ask yourself this question what if it was your daughter? a hole!
Read Joel Sax’s response.
The mentally ill do not lose the right to be treated fairly and above-board, Ms. Drew. Your sociopathy deserves investigation. What complicated feelings led you to do this?
Hola
La noticia fue publicada hoy en un diario chileno de circulación nacional y fue comentada en un programa de TV.
Sinceramente, me parece horrible lo sucedido, lo lamento mucho y comprendo la angustia de sus cercanos. Ojalá Dios haga justicia, no perdamos la fe.
Un saludo afectuoso desde Chile
Here are the actual police reports:
http://www.thesmokinggun.com/archive/years/2007/1120072megan1.html
A lawyer friend suggests that Drew violated the federal telecommunications act. The local prosecutor may be able to do nothing, but the District Attorney can be unleashed.
Joel,
I think the US Attorney has to prosecute, and as far as I can see, the FBI has concluded their investigation with no plans to pursue it.
I’ve been thinking about why no criminal charges have been filed, and I really do believe it comes down to her suicide, which is unfortunate. Because she self-harmed herself, the prosecutor’s argument for the Drews’ responsibility is diluted. However, it seems to me that Lori Drew clearly violated that part of the law that related to anonymous harassment. I also think a prosecutor who really believed in their case could make an effective argument that Lori Drew’s actions online caused Megan’s suicide, but for some odd reason there doesn’t appear to be much prosecutorial interest in pursuing it, which leaves the door open for more of this kind of abuse.
The whole situation is just completely pathetic and aggravating.
Oh yes, I agree - stalking a child on the internet for the express purpose of harming them in some way is child abuse.
Many people, so it seems, are becoming vigilantes and dreaming up ways to harm Drew and her family because of what she did. Well, consider - Drew used the power of the internet to harm a child. Now, that same power is being used against her. I am sure her business will be ruined. I still think she is also guilty of criminal offenses. Still it’s important to remember that what goes around comes around. Karma will take care of Drew, so nobody has to do anything more to make this true.
Diane Gordon
[...] here, here, and here It may not bring their daughter back, but I would sue the snot out of Lori in civil [...]
[...] here, here, and here It may not bring their daughter back, but I would sue the snot out of Lori in civil [...]
Lori drew is a text book perfect example of a nut job!
why hasn’t the St. charles county autorities been
called on her and have her children removed from that mad house?
LORI DREW obviously makes very bad desions as a parent and is a bad example!
LORI DREW doesn’t deserve to have children perhaps she might feel some grief if she lost her own children to the state.
I AM DYING TO SEE WHAT LORI DREW LOOKS LIKE!
SOMEONE PLEASE POST THIS BITCHES DRIVERS PHOTO.
What the HELL are the cops doing anything??????
TO THE MEIERS PLEASE DO NOT LET THIS WOMAN DESTROY YOUR MARRAGE!
YOU BOTH HAVE ANOTHER Daughter that needs both of you.
Your love will overcome anything!
Lori DREW is just jelous of you Tina and shes trying to destroy your life with a big smile on her face, cuz she’s your best friend.
She was jelous of your beautiful daughter Megan who looked just like her gorgous mom.
You and your family are her victims and seperating is exactly what this cunt wants you to do.
DON”T let this bitch win!
LORI DREW is a “SOCIOPATH”.
Your life is a fun game she’s been playing all along pretending to be your friend. Think back over the years and you will realize how sneaky she’s been all along. There is a book called “the socialpath next door” read it and it will help you understand what a truley sneaky sick bitch LORI is! Lori DREW has no conscience and can do and did anything at all without feeling guilty. Someone normal wouldn’t be able to handle the burden of knowing there actions made someone especially a child to kill themself. LORI DREW HAS NO REMORSE!
PLEASE DON’T LET DREW WIN!
Mr. Crook….
When you are face-to-face with your maker will NOT be the appropriate time to realize that all of your warped beliefs were wrong! Be careful to find joy in the misery of others.
Proverbs 18:7 A fool’s mouth is his ruin, and his lips are the snare of his soul.
Meiers Family….
I am praying for the preservation of your marriage and for healing and comfort in your lives! Your circumstances may seem hopeless, but
ALL things are possible through Jesus Christ.
God has changed people more vile than Mr. Crook and God can most certainly restore your marriage!!
P.S. I am praying for you too Mr. Crook!
a few points officials should ponder over
1. if lori was a man posing as a teen boy, wouldnt he be labelled a child preditor, no matter what the conversations were?
2.as adults, the power of words is far stronger than a teenagers,there for able to cut into a tender teen psychie with a sharper sword? since when does an true adult stoop to the level of a teen ager? she shoudl have gone parent to parent to resolve any teen conflicts. i ma sure some where in there,,there is a punnishable law.
3. cant megans parents go to civil court, a vulnarable teen killed her self because of words from an adult.
i will say the sites that post megan was no angel,,and ya know,,on that point,,they might be right,,,what teenager is an angel? they are teenagers!! and that comes with the good and the bad,,well, now i think aobut it,,we ALL are good and bad, but as adults, we usually gain judgement on how to keep balance.
the drews shoudl loose their kids pending psych evaluations, imagine how they lack skills to raise their kids if they can give them the flasehood that what they did was just fine. imagine them looking at their kids saying,,see,,we didnt get arrested for what we did,,shame on the government.
m son at 15 was victum of internet death threats, i found out who it was,,went to the state atty generals office,then to the local police and the principal. the guilty parties were called into the police station and all was straightened out with a lecture from police cheif. I NEVER thought of stooping to a teenagers level like the drews. what the heck was going thru their brain cells?
This is such a tragedy. What on earth was Lori Drew thinking? What a horrible thing she did. What a manipulative, cruel, calculating, evil thing she did. Just horrible!
Lori Drew is a horrible evil person. I truly hope she does the world a big favor and stops stuffing her big fat face with food. Lori Drew is such a waste of space! I’m going to report her to the federal authorities as a sexual predator. She knowingly impersonated a teenage boy in order to gain a romantic attachment from the poor child who suffered from this predation. I’m also going to report her to child protective services because obviously Lori Drew’s own children are in very grave danger while they are living with her. The evil bitch!
The media is now attacking bloggers who are calling for Justice for Megan!
http://clearblogs.com/theexposer/84756
The naming of Lori Drew has sparked quite a debate indeed. Some major news outlets have chosen to name the perpetrator(s) behind this story such as the New York Times. Some have chosen not to. The mainstream media however has concluded that the blogging community should shoulder the responsibility of first naming the perpetrator behind this story.
The first question I have in this debate is simple. What is new here? Since before the French Revolution, the media has been used to ‘out’ individuals who’s actions seem to bear public relevancy in some way.
Although Lori Drew has not yet been charged in the case of Megan Meier, the media has never required formal charges to be made before running a story. In the case of some journalist like Dan Rather, some media outlets run with stories before even confirming that they’re true.
In this particular case, media outlets that have chosen to withhold Lori Drew’s identity have done so in consideration of other Drew family members.
I’m wondering if by doing this, the media plans to always withhold the names of interesting persons who outrage the community, if those persons have children. This would certainly be quite a ground-breaking event
Right at this moment, there is a story of a cop who is under investigation in the strange death of one wife and the disappearance of another. The cop in the story has a family, yet the media huddles outside his home relentlessly.
I could go back and list thousands of stories where the media wasted no time in delivering the names and occupations of individuals that were later cleared of any wrong-doing. I’ve never heard of another instance where the media apologized for naming names.
Don Henley’s ‘Dirty Laundry’ certainly applies well to conduct of most major news outlets.
Lori Drew is a primary subject of the story, she is not a rape victim, and is not a minor. Identifying her breaks no new ground, nor does it deviate from what news outlets do on a daily basis.
I also remind readers that her name and her role in the Megan Meier tragedy were documented as public record. A public record that Lori filed on her own accord. This is a critically important fact in this debate.
News outlets, bloggers and the general public were handed Lori’s name and Lori’s own self admissions when she herself filed that police report and sought to elevate the entire situation into the public domain.
Had Lori Drew simply acknowledged what she did was wrong, and apologized - the police report that identified her may have never been filed, and the entire situation may have well been kept at the lowest profile.
Will we see the media write about this? Not likely.
Danny Vice
http://weeklyvice.blogspot.com
Below are 2 comments I posted on rottenneighbor.com and other blogsites. In addition, please don’t attack Lori’s children. Remember, they have been raised by Lori and Curt Drew. Our responsibility as an internet community is to protect and advocate for all children and set a better example for them than their twisted parents did. They are also Lori’s victims.
I was also a troubled ADHD, socially awkward teenager. I thank God there was no internet and no people like Lori Drew in my life in the 60’s. Things were hard enough. I’m sure Megan was difficult. I know I was — and very emotional. But I can think of no act she could have committed (short of having caused their daughter’s death) that would have justified her actions. Lori says she went online and set up this whole predatory scheme to protect her own daughter/ to see what Megan was saying bad about her kid. But eventhefinal horrible e-mails from Lori didn’t say that Megan had actually said horrible things to him about Lori’s daughter. It said that he (the made-up boy) had heard these things. In other words, Megan never even did what Lori was supposedly online looking for/ talk dirt Sara, which in my book means she went online and stalked/ molested… that child on purpose.
I am normally the 1st to say let the legal system handle this, but they have made it clear they will not.
So, we need to insist it be done and work to pass/ support legislation making this specific behavior a felony — or just tweak the current internet predator laws to specifically include this and similar situations, to close the loopholes.
Here’s my previous letters. Go to rottenneighbor.com for lists of other agencies… to call (posted before I wrote these):
My new message:
I made a few calls/ went online and got the following contact info for the State of Missouri Child Protective Services Office in St. Charles County:
Contact Information
St. Charles County
Danielle Abrams, Circuit Manager
3737 Harry S Truman Blvd, Suite 100
St Charles MO 63301
Phone: (636) 940-3170
Fax: (636) 940-3186
(I also called another friend in Cal. who recently retired after 20+ years as a Social Worker in Child Protective Services. He agreed that Lori Drew going online with minors including her own daughter and doing what she did at least merits an investigation as emotional abuse of the minors involved. He was also appalled that a parent would participate in such an activity with minors and agreed this could be one of the few situations where you would actually remove teenagers who wanted to stay from their home. And — I might add — it is pretty hard to shock 2 social workers who have worked a total of 40 years with Childrens’ Services and with sex offenders. But this one does it.)
So please call/ write/ fax… the above Childrens’ Services Office, too. If you live in the area, go to the office — demand they investigate this horrible mother/ person/ role model. But please DO NOT call and jam up their 1-800 hotline number. Others have to be able to get thru to report other abuse. Jamming that line up would seriously endanger other children. We do not want to do that.
And please be civil. We are right on this. Let’s not taint that with bad behavior/ language. (Oh, my God, I’m my mother.) And remember, many of the people we contact probably feel like we do, and many of them knew Megan and feel her loss personally. We don’t want to cause them more pain or alienate them. A woman at Curt Drew’s real estate office told me he was let go the day the story broke. Noone there had any idea this had happenned before that. She also told me that Tina Meier (Megan’s mom) also used to work for their company in another local office and that most of them know her, too.
And they are getting non-stop hostile calls. She also said that we (and of course their own community) have put Lori out of business and that she expects they will leave the area. (Can Tina or someone else directly involved verify what this woman told me? And if it is true, please leave her former clients and his former employer alone now.)
(My previous message:)
My heart goes out to the Meier family.
As a retired social worker who worked 20+ years in mental health, child protective services…, I must ask: how can an adult, a parent, do this to any child — and why haven’t the Drew children been removed from that home? What a horrible human being, and what a horrible role model for any child. And this is the Drew family’s idea of a family activity. How special. Add Missouri Child Protective Services to the list of who people should be contacting.
And the ***** admits to it and says the Meier family should get over it, move on. I have seen people like Lori Drew killed by distraught parents, and often the parent gets off. It’s called justifiable homicide. Just the fact that Lori Drew and her family are still alive speaks to the fact that the Meier’s are better/ more controlled people than she.
I’m sorry, it is not enough that Lori Drew rot in Hell some day. Nor is it enough that they can probably win a wrongful death suit and get money from her. She also needs to rot in jail for a while. She also needs to lose her kids and see how fast she gets over it — and her kids would be alive in someone else’s home.
If it were my child, and the ***** was running around free telling me to get over it, I’m not sure she’d still be alive. I like to think I have more control than that, but I’m not sure I do.
The actions of the DREW family makes me aick to my stomach. How dare they expect Megan’s family to get over it and move on. The Drews are extremely lucky it was not my child they harmed. I could not be as poised as Megan’s family. They show true class. After the way they made Megan feel I would spend the rest of my life posting their pictures on every flat surface available along with pictures of my child in happier times and one of the grave they put my child in. they would not know any peace their lives.The Drews may not have hung Megan but they sure as hell tied the rope and pushed off the chair. May God forgive them for there is no forgiveness in me now.
What on earth has happened to people’s sense of responsibility and common sense? As adults we are supposed to guide our children to become thoughtful, decent human beings.
What Lori Drew did is the ultimate in irresponsibility. How can she expect her daughter to become a decent adult when she herself acts like a teenager? As parent’s it is our job to keep an eye on what our children do and to teach them constructive ways of dealing with problems, not teach them how to be bullies.
What I can’t believe is that Lori Drew still does not admit any wrongdoing and is upset that people are giving her a dose of her own medicine. How does she enjoy it???
The other thing that concerns me are the number of people making the comment that the parents should ‘just get over it’ as it happened over a year ago. How does one ‘get over’ the death of a child? The dialog should go on because if it changes the law or gets just one person to think before they act like Lori Drew, then it will have served a purpose.
My sincere condolences to the Meier family on the loss of their daughter.
Lori Drew’s attorney is currently speaking on The Today Show. You couldn’t pay me enough to represent that immature piece of crap, that should in fact be charged with murder.
Even though Bin Ladden did not drive the planes into the World Trade Centers, Bin Ladden has a following of unstable people, who live on the the edge of his distructive Language. Bin Ladden promotes people around the world to commit acts against others that could effect whether they live or don’t. When American justice get Bin, will the prosecutor say, “well sorry, we can’t prosecute The Master Mind because he has committed no act directly”?
I may be reaching with this argument, but wouldn’t this example of Lori Drew behavior be an example of a person who cleverly terrorised a person who has a mental condition under the age of majority. What makes this so disturbing, Lori befriended her so she could ultimately manipulate Tinas’ child to go to her death chamber.
I think the Bin Ladden and Lori Drew have simular tendancies but the American Justice does not see it as simular. How bizzar.
Thank you for this website. As the Grandfather of a 13 year old ADHD girl I am overwhelmed by the lowness of someone to deceive such a child.
There are not enough negative adjectives to describe such a person, nor do I need to state them, we all know them.
On another website anyone speaking out against this crime (written laws or not) is being censored. It seems that they don’t feel that the names of the Drew’s should have been released, to protect their 13 year old.
Personally I see it as a public courtesy so that I can prevent my family from associating with the Drew family. I truly hope their 13 year old gets help.. I’m sure that being raised by Lori Drew she has some very tainted views of life and how to treat her fellow man.
(The Golden Rule…do unto others…)
On the TODAY SHOW this morning (12/4/2007)the Drew’s attorney said that nothing negative had been said until the final 24 hours (in defense of Lori Drew). Forgive me for my knowledge, but if you want to destroy someone the most effective way is to gain their total trust and then attack them. From what I have read of Lori Drew, she is no dummy and I am sure that was her plan.
The only way Lori Drew could understand the Meier’s pain is to lose her own daughter (and I wish no harm to her daughter), but she will never feel the depth of pain that she has created.
They say “No Law Was Broken”. How about the use of a public utility to do harm… Has anyone reviewed that angle. If it is unlawful to use the Postal System to cause harm… how about the electronic mail system?
Lori Drew should pay for this, there was no other purpose for HER action than to Lie, Deceive and Cause Harm (at minimum.. mental anguish)to an ADHD Child. A new set of laws must be established for future misuse of Email.
Lets all push for the Megan Law in her honor and so that her death will not be in vain.
As for Lori Drew… The ultimate judgement will be with her maker.. HE WILL JUDGE HER for her lies and the death you caused.. I believe this was covered under several of the 10 commandments. But then, maybe she doesnt believe in God either.
Personally Lori Drew.. I feel said for you and hope you think about Megan all through this Holiday season and all those that come… No matter what Holidays you celebrate. Just as the Meier family will be doing.
Phil Gray, Florida
What a terrible thing that has occured! Having a son that is ADHD and I feel like now I have to worry what is going on with our computer - just makes me want to unplug everything and hide in a corner. Knowing that isn’t possible - I have to have faith that Lori Drew’s punishment will come in one form or another.
Lori Drew is a murderer, she might as well have put the noose around Megan’s neck. How come this poor excuse of a woman didn’t get any jail time is beyond me!
While she may never have to face the legal system for Megan’s death, know this: Lori Drew and her family will be dealing with boat loads of nasty karma for the rest of their lives.
I do not know any of the people involved, but to Megan’s parents, my heart is truly with you. I wouldn’t wish the death of a child even on the person whom I may hate the most. As a mother myself, I try to honestly feel the pain of others in loss, but find this too traumatic to even want to try to imagine.
Please stick together, never laying blame or depression on your spouse who is suffering as badly as you are, which can lead to divorce. Please suffer and share together, keep communication open, even if you are hiding something you blame your self for.
Please file a Malice Civil Suit, if your pocketbook can afford it, and have the football table case dismissed.
My heart is truly with you.
I can not understand what Lori Drew was thinking. Something should be done about her. For what she has done she will have to answer to God. He will take care of her. I don’t understand how someone can do that to a child. I think she needs to grow up alot.
I am sorry for the Meier family and I am speechless that Lori Drew was not prosecuted. Children, no matter what, should NOT be approached by adults when it comes to emotional situations; whether it be on the streets, by mouth, by phone! Lori Drew should had behaved like a normal adult and either let the girls be girls (they are totally rotten at this age anyways) or if she felt so victimized (on her daughter’s behalf) to take matters in her hands…she should have had a face to face talk with Tina and her husband. That is what being a parent is about. Be role models to your children and show some tact and a little DIPLOMACY. This could have been resolved, that is what is so sad about this. Instead, Lori targeted a teenager (acting like one herself) and the crazed, selfish woman took matters in to her own hands. What was really sick is that Lori knew Meagan was already ill…struggling with teenhood…and other conditions. Not right. Lori, you need to seek forgiveness and admit what you did led to the violent end of a lost soul.
i raelly think lori drew needs some help before somebody kills that woman trust and beleive if she would have done that to my kid i would be in jail for murder she is the scum of the earth lower then whale shit i hate the woman and don`t no her from a can of paint but she has to be a really dirty bitch to do whatshe did to a child she knew magen had adhd she drove her to kill herself and for that she should get death killed like the killer she is and drug through the streets of mo.like they do the people in iraq!!!! yours truly johnney mcdowell from fl.
I read a blog the other day by Lori Drew.
Everyone except her is to blame, what I would expect from any child not fully developed.
I had a mother and father our niegbors (I use these words loosely)
take my 15 year old daughter and for five years we didn’t know weather our daughter was alive or died.
And during a blog I had started at the time the mother and all the friends and family would come on and accuse us of everything (all-I mean every single word was a lie).
They wrote all these lies to convince the people in town who didn’t know us directly how bad We (my wife and I) were, while the folks we actually did know would say BULL it didn’t happen.
So remember people when you read Lori Drews blogs
this was a scheming woman who used her age,knowledge and everything that should apply to an adult and aimed that at a 13 year old teenage girl forget any handicaps this child may have had (to any child that only searches for aceptance and love)this would be the end of the world.
In her blog Lori makes statements and then shows how full of crap she is example:
If Megans parents took more concern! two lines later she said “Megans parents grounded her from myspace”
sounds like they did care and was Lori helping these friends of thiers NO she was promoting the very thing Megans mother was trying to stop.
She and the parents that took my daughter are very sick people that need to be locked up if only to protect the children.
In 2006 Our Daughter returned to us: she was never allowed to attend school, when she asked, she was not allowed to return home she was taken to bear children. Because thier son picked our daughter, they just took her.
i really think this was a real bad thing that lori drew did she should go to jail for bullying a child online she is a interenet predetor and she needs to be stop before she kills someone else kids lord help her no lord don`t she will get what is coming to her one day because you can`t do dirt and keep getting away with it i just fill for the family of megan my heart goes out to them.
Lori Drew has had a year to perfect her story. Tina Meier has had a year to put flowers on a grave.
Hi my name is Michelle and I am soory about your terrible loss. I am also the same age as your daughter and right now in school we are doing persuasive speeches and my persuasive speech is on cyerbullying which I know is what your daughter went through. I am sorry and I do hope that Lori Drew is arrested for this.
http://mypetjawa.mu.nu/archives/186751.php
I thought this was interesting and educational…. ;p
Like so many of you, I am disgusted. I feel Ron and Tina’s pain. And I’m not just addressing this to the ones) who motivated Meagan’s suicide, but to everyone below who’s also written. There’s strength in numbers and you could say we’re all pissed. As a Christian, I’m really struggling with the reality of someone’s maniacal actions - how can one find forgiveness for such self-serving, malicous behavior? And being Christian doesn’t mean we walk ABOVE the masses. On the contrary. My discipline in forgiving rotten people is the least of my skills of which I’m not proud. Since it’s not happening to me personally, I can only pray for peace for Megan’s parents. To the one responsible and you know who you are: Congratulations. You succeeded not only in helping to extinguish the life of a beautiful and fragile teen, but tore apart her entire family and your own neighborhood. You are now the talk at most dinner tables and office water coolers. There’s virtually no where you will be able to escape the results of your viscious efforts. But thank you. Really. Thank you. You’ve motivated a neighborhood into action, and what very well may be a national outrage that may finally result in formally punishing idiots such as yourself. That being said, this person and her band of hateful, brainwashed teenage groupies is beyond what our current laws can and will address for their stupidity. In reality, she’s become the “Judas” for Megan’s greater cause, which will ultimately lead to the protection of kids from sick internet predators like them. And until a formal law comes into affect, this “mother’s” punishment will be living the rest of her life here on earth. Later on, she’ll have to answer a higher power for what she’s done. Pray for peace for Tina and Ron Meier. They deserve more of our care and attention than the Drew’s.
All,
Thank you for taking the time to come by and post your comments and thoughts. I appreciate them but want to clarify a couple of things.
First, my prayers and sympathy are also with the Drew’s daughter, who is as much a victim of her mother and her mother’s ‘employee’ as anyone else. I don’t want anything bad to happen to her and I hope that she’s able to take away something constructive from this whole sad situation.
With regard to Lori Drew, it seems clear that she will not be prosecuted under our current laws. At this point, the best we can hope for, it appears, is that she will have some kind of epiphany and realize the harm done, even if her fingers did not type the message that sent Megan into that final tailspin. I do believe that she gave no thought to possible consequences because she was thinking only of herself. On the other hand, focusing a lot of anger and even hate at her will not help her realize her role in Megan’s suicide. I can only hope that as she looks in the mirror, she starts to understand it.
I somehow doubt it. People who are filled with self-righteousness rarely bother with introspection. But I don’t want to be like her, or encourage anyone else to be like her either. It’s probably better to think of positive ways to move forward and make the Internet better for the next victim of the next Lori Drew. I’d like to think that’s not by making more laws. Maybe the ones we have should be clarified. Maybe there’s a technical solution. But somehow, this should not be something that happens again.
see we fucked up on our right to lynch people by lynching innocent african american males. lori drew and her family need to be dragged be behind a truck all the way to the police station. and if they survive, throw em in jail. my heart goes out to the meirer families
This is a very controversial story that has more then one side to it. Society has a way of pointing fingers; generally these fingers are pointed towards the direct cause of what happened. This works for murders, hit-and-runs, and homicides, but people have to remember that Megan’s death wasn’t a direct result of Lori’s influence (although what she did was morally wrong on many levels). There were events that led to her suicide and those have to be considered.
Parenting has to be accounted for when looking at a situation like this. Had her upbringing been better this fiasco would have never happened. This is a complex event, and I personally believe that fault lays with everyone associated with the whole situation.
I am sorry for your loss Mrs. Meier; I only wish such events never had occurred.
Though your words are true Colin, there are three sides to every story, one must consider the time line.
When you look at the time period between the final email and the terrible result.. you find the trigger.
Lori Drew and her actions (whether she typed that email personally or not)appear to be the trigger.
Having a 13 year old ADHD granddaughter I understand the complexity involved in these special children’s upbringing.
For one to try and bring attention to her complex upbringing appears to be the act of smoke screening to try and redirect the attention away from the guilty parties… The Drews.
Everyone has the right to communicate through Email. We do not have the right to create fictitious persons in order to mislead and do emotional harm.
Lori Drew knew Megan was ADHD and choose to go ahead even knowing Megan had emotional stability problems.
I am left wondering two things Colin.
1. Have YOU personally raised an ADHD child?
2. Are you connected to the Drew family in some way?
Phil Gray.. Florida
I cannot believe that Lori Drew will not be charged for anything. Bulling is bulling whether is is done in person, on the phine or via the internet. Lori Drew and her daughter are BOTH responsible for Megan’s death, and should be held accountable for it. Lori Drew is a monster, and has taught her daughter to be the same way. And to continue to harass Megan’s family shows what kind of evil lives in this world. If Lori Drew and her family fear for their lives…GOOD! Boohoo, Lori had to close her business, boohoo a foosball table was destroyed. It seems to me that Lori Drew and her family place a foosball table of greater value than Megan’s life. UNREAL. May God be with the Meier family and help them since the police or any other “human” official will. May the Drew family rot in hell!
my kid was hurt by adults, the system said she chose to be hurt by associateing with them. wtf. luckily my kid survived
Megan would not want her legacy to be one of hate and revenge. Where she is now she would most certainly want everyone to forgive and use our time to help others who might be having a hard time in this life.
After reading what the Meier family has been through, it is hard not to recognize that what Lori Drew had done is what was responsible for Megan’s death. However, I feel for the Meier family and what they must be going through. Did they ever notice any emotional behavior concerns with Megan? There had to already be some present even if it is hard to admit. That still does not dismiss that Lori Drew had bullied Megan eenough to finally bring her to this tragic end. She should be placed in front of a mirror and ask herself does she feel good about she did? Are you proud of yourself Dear Ms. Drew? How could you live with yourself knowing that you were aable to push a fragile young child of God over the edge? Do you think your children can ever look at you the same way? You deserve no respect and it looks like your neighborhood is giving you what you deserve. My final question to you - How long will it be before you are pushed over the edge?
I have heard some crazy people but Lori Drew yakes the cake!! I just wonder if the situation was reversed would she want to talk to the person who caused 98% of this murder. Doubt it!!!! She needs to move and let all the decent people reclaim their normal way of life.
I think Lori Drew should hang herself! We all know that the world would definitely be a better place without disgusting people like her… I hope that she lives in shame for the rest of her worthless life.
The question is?why hasn?t Lori Drew been charged. Missouri has a stalking law that fits this crime that provides for felony penalties as well as a harassment law. There are also civil claims for intentional infliction of emotional distress, negligent infliction of emotional distress, wrongful death (remember the OJ civil trial?), libel and in addition, the use of the internet also brings federal crimes into play. It is criminal that the enforcement authorities have not acted quickly to charge this woman with the crimes she has committed and we can all hope that the family of the girl immediately commences a civil suit and attaches all property interest of the responsible family.
XXXVIII Mo.Rev.Stat. Sec. 565.225 Crime of stalking–definitions–penalties.
Section 225 Crime of stalking–definitions–penalties.
565.225. 1. As used in this section, the following terms shall mean:
(1) “Course of conduct”, a pattern of conduct composed of a series of acts, which may include electronic or other communications, over a period of time, however short, evidencing a continuity of purpose. Constitutionally protected activity is not included within the meaning of “course of conduct”. Such constitutionally protected activity includes picketing or other organized protests;
(2) “Credible threat”, a threat made with the intent to cause the person who is the target of the threat to reasonably fear for his or her safety. The threat must be against the life of, or a threat to cause physical injury to, a person and may include a threat communicated to the targeted person in writing, including electronic communications, by telephone, or by the posting of a site or message that is accessible via computer;
(3) “Harasses”, to engage in a course of conduct directed at a specific person that serves no legitimate purpose, that would cause a reasonable person to suffer substantial emotional distress, and that actually causes substantial emotional distress to that person.
2. Any person who purposely and repeatedly harasses or follows with the intent of harassing another person commits the crime of stalking.
3. Any person who purposely and repeatedly harasses or follows with the intent of harassing or harasses another person, and makes a credible threat with the intent to place that person in reasonable fear of death or serious physical injury, commits the crime of stalking.
3. Any person who purposely and repeatedly harasses or follows with the intent of harassing or harasses another person, and makes a credible threat with the intent to place that person in reasonable fear of death or serious physical injury, commits the crime of aggravated stalking.
4. The crime of stalking shall be a class A misdemeanor for the first offense. A second or subsequent offense within five years of a previous finding or plea of guilt against any victim shall be a class D felony.
5. The crime of aggravated stalking shall be a class D felony for the first offense. A second or subsequent offense within five years of a previous finding or plea of guilt against any victim shall be a class C felony.
6. Any law enforcement officer may arrest, without a warrant, any person he or she has probable cause to believe has violated the provisions of this section.
(L. 1993 H.B. 476 & 194 1, A.L. 2002 S.B. 969, et al.)
XXXVIII Mo.Rev.Stat. Sec. 565.090 Harassment.
Section 090 Harassment.
565.090. 1. A person commits the crime of harassment if for the purpose of frightening or disturbing another person, he
(1) Communicates in writing or by telephone a threat to commit any felony; or
(2) Makes a telephone call or communicates in writing and uses coarse language offensive to one of average sensibility; or
(3) Makes a telephone call anonymously; or
(4) Makes repeated telephone calls.
2. Harassment is a class A misdemeanor.
(L. 1977 S.B. 60)
XXXV Mo.Rev.Stat. Sec. 509.210 Libel and slander, averments–defenses.
Section 210 Libel and slander, averments–defenses.
509.210. In an action for libel or slander, it shall not be necessary to state in the petition any extrinsic facts, for the purpose of showing the application to the plaintiff of the defamatory matter out of which the claim arose, but it shall be sufficient to state, generally, that the same was published or spoken concerning the plaintiff; and if such allegation be not controverted in the answer, it shall not be necessary to prove it on the trial; in other cases it shall be necessary. The defendant may, in his answer, allege both the truth of the matter charged as defamatory and any mitigating circumstances admissible in evidence to reduce the amount of damages; and whether he prove the justification or not, he may give in evidence the mitigating circumstance.
(L. 1943 p. 353 53)
Lori, I just want to know how you live with yourself being a murderer and all. You have also destroyed your own daughters’ life.
Lori, I just want to know how you live with yourself being a murderer and all. You have also destroyed your own daughters’ life. How would you like to hear that the world would be a better place without YOU!!!
Colin, Are you for real!? Do you even have any children?! I am so sick and tired of people who think they are experts placing the blame on the victims! I think you are Lori pretending to be Colin!!
I just caught this story on
“Sixty Minutes.” My condolences
to the parents, family and
friends of this beautiful girl,
Megan. I grieve with you.
It is impossible to know how
anyone could be so devious as to
harass a child to the point of
suicide, but unfortunately the
world is filled with bad people
and Mrs. Drew appears to be one
of them. I do believe in karma.
Assuming Mrs. Drew is as corrupt
as has been reported, she and
those in her life will pay
dearly for her actions.
Lori is a pyschopathic cunt who will rot in hell for what she did
I read on Lori blog that she let her daughter have a MySpace account because everybody else did. Was not her exact words but similar. SO WHAT IF EVERYBODY HAS ONE. If you were a good mother you would of not let her have one. I have four chilren ages from 19 to 4. They have no MySpace account and never will. There is nothing good about MySpace
If anyone would like to write a “review” of the Drew’s business, Drew Advantage, you can do so at:
http://www.yelp.com/biz/PsQxK7u59fv1kPBVn7cvsw
By the way, apparently Lori is now denying know anything about what happened. Riiiiight… crock of sh*t.
LOL @ the anonymous lady saying she’ll never let her kids have a myspace account, even the ones who are fully grown. Computer did something mom didn’t like so she’s going to try to hide it now. Guess what. The 19-year-old already has an account. I guarantee it.
Hearing Lori Drew tell her story - all she does is blame the victim. She won’t take any responsibility for what she has done. How does an adult blame a child? Especially one with emotional problems. Didn’t Lori Drew have anything more relevant going on in her life than to be involved in teenagers gossip? LORI DREW - YOU SHOULD BE ASHAMED OF YOURSELF!!
karma will make right what the laws cannot
What about Ashley Grills? Don’t forget that she’s 18 years old adult, and she’s part of this mind game that drove 13 years old kid to her grave. We also need to teach Ashley Grills that her action will not be forgiven.
Of course, who is not going to be affected by this tragedy? The adults were despicable as was the teen who took part in this cruelty. However, if each of us looks within ourselves, we are likely to find some ugliness from the past that we are ashamed of, or even some current ugliness. It is very easy to go after people that perpetrate cruelty. But it is very hard to objectively look within ourselves and see if we, too, are guilty of some kind of ugliness. On another note, parents need to get a life and let their kids live their own lives. It is pathetic when parents have no life and interfere in everything that their children do. Most of us who are adults now were able to enjoy growing up without our parents polluting every last thing we did. Lastly, the Internet basically stinks. Kids need to have real fun, and not imaginary fun.
We live in a world where teachers are having sex with our children; celebrities are flashing their privates during halftime (with young children watching!); toddlers are being stuffed into crates and thrown into rivers; and a very large percentage of this country’s convicted child molesters can’t be found through the registration system that is now in place. Our legal system simply can’t keep pace with the sheer number of crimes against children, and this case is no exception. Lori Drew is another example of a generation of adults who are selfish and immature, and our children are the ones who are and will pay for it in hundreds of ways. How did this generation get this way? I see it everywhere, everyday. It isn’t fair to blame law enforcement for the struggle; they are simply overwhelmed by the acts of a depraved generation. Our local law enforcement workers are underpaid and overworked, and bless them for continuing the fight!
To the parent who thinks her children don’t have a My Space account I have two words
Public Library.My library offers computer
use free,and I see a lot of young people going
on to My Space.To others who read this,go to Find A Grave,Put in Megan Meier and leave notes,flowers,etc.Megan RIP
This woman should be held accountable in some way, either financially or thru the courts. What kind of 40 something year old woman would do such a thing? She obviously needs mental help and her child/children should be removed from her home. I read now that the neighborhood where both she and the Meier family lives is ostracizing her. Geez, and she wonders why? She should be thrown out of the town and everywhere else she chooses to take up roots. She is so low. She obviously is a nut case and a very immature one at that. She sickens me.
Why isn’t anybody looking at Megan’s parents? Why was this teen depressed like this? Sure, what Lori did was stupid, childish and dumb. But killing yourself over what some guy you never even meant said is even dumber.
Why isn’t anybody looking at Megan’s parents? Why was this teen depressed like this? Sure, what Lori did was stupid, childish and dumb. But killing yourself over what some guy you never even met said is even dumber.
Yup samo samo blame the victims. Depression is a chemical embalance and not a parent problem. Frank- you should know your facts before you point fingers at parents that lost their daughter to the hands of an adult that knew she had a depression problem. Give me a fing break point the finger where it belongs not at mom and dad who lost their daughter. people like you make me sick. My heart hurts for these parents and this poor young girl that was tormented by a full grown adult to the point that she took her own life.
I have a 17 year old child who has suffered from depression since he was eight years old. Unless you live this life you cannot possibly identify with the temendous struggle we as a family face(Frank). There isn’t a day that goes by that I don’t pray for strength to help us through. The tears and frustration are endless….the pain deep. As a parent of a child like this you are forced to become their ‘everything’. Their best friend (and many, many times their only friend), their confidant, their life coach, their therapist, their doctor and their hero. There are no days off, no vacations. And yes, we do get tired. There comes a point in their lives when you HAVE to step back, let them go and hope they can start to figure some of this out on their own. There comes a time when we have to stop monitoring every movement, every conversation and every encounter. And that’s when the intense praying sets in. I hope you never have to feel (Frank) the fear that we as parents of kids like this feel EVERY time they close the door to their bedroom or even leave the house on their own. The fear we feel every time we hear a thump, bump or unusual movement coming from their room on a ‘bad’ day. It’s very painful to live every day with the knowledge that at any time it could be the last day that you talk, hold, or love your child….because they make take their life at any time…AND the knowledge of knowing there is NOTHING you can do to change it or take their pain away.
My prayers are not only with Megans parents but with Megan as well. I pray that she has finally found the peace that alluded her throughout her short life. God Bless you Megan.
And to all of you who criticize the Meier’s and question where they were or why they didn’t do more…STOP. I’m certain this was one of those times that they as parents made the decision to let her try and figure it out for herself. And now they are paying unfairly for their decision. What a terrible price to pay.
And finally, I pray for myself and my inability to pray for Lori Drew. Her behavior in this situation is nothing short of criminal and her morals and integrity..despicable. She is paying the price as well.
Your follow up comments don’t surprise me. I never said Lori didn’t do anything wrong, she acted like a Child. But Megan’s parents have acted just as childish. By leaving a smashed foosball table in their driveway? By outing them in front of the whole country and destroying their lives as well? Seriously, if Megan was so easily set off by some comments on Myspace, her actions were inevitable. How long before a real boyfriend broke up with her, or she doesn’t get turned down for a job etc. You’re so quick to jump to her defense and call me a insensitive, but life is full of disappointments and hardships, and there are cruel people out there. You have to be strong enough to deal it with.
I agree that Lori Drew should be held responsible for Megans death I cant believe that an adult would do something like this and not feel the least remorse. This is a woman who should not be allowed to be around children including her own. Hopefully they havent been damaged as badly as she is. I have faith that if the law refuses to act that God will evenually give her what she deserves.
It’s survival of the fittest out there people. If Megan couldn’t hack it, she wasn’t fit.
I feel terrible about the loss of Megan. The problem I’m having is that her parents knew she was depressed and fragile. Why didn’t they have her in therapy and on medication? Why did they let have a myspace account? Why are they not being held accountable for their part in all of this?
To those asking about Megan’s parents’ responsibility:
Until that day when everything blew up, the MySpace account had been a source of joy for Megan. It was only that day, when messages started coming in that were ugly and mean, that it became a problem. And when it did, Megan’s mother told her to turn off the computer and stay off of it until she could review the messages. Of course, what came next was tragic.
Some folks think she shouldn’t have been allowed on MySpace at all. I disagree. She was being monitored and as far as her parents knew, all was well and it would have been, if someone who got the password from Lori Drew had not decided to turn Megan upside down by using the “Josh” account to bully her.
While the Megan Meier case seems outrageous and unique, it isn’t unique. Hundreds of cases of egregious and heinous acts go on every day with the same excuses out of our lawmakers.
One such other case….The case of Nikki Catsouras, is a classic example of disgusting, hateful activity against innocent victims, while our lawmakers excuse themselves from enacting laws to prevent this.
The excuse lawmakers use to let themselves off the hook stem from the growth of the Internet and how fast it’s changing. This is a sham.
Chat rooms, message boards, instant messengers and email have been in existence for far over a decade now. While the software used to transmit messages changes slightly, the basic essence of using the Internet to send a message is largely the same. Is a decade or two long enough to establish some basic decency laws in regards to Internet usage?
I’ve posted the Nikki Catsouras story along with many details about the Megan Meier case so the inactivity out of our lawmakers towards these types of cases can be clearly seen.
Those who are interested in learning about cases like Megan’s and Nikki’s case are encouraged to drop by and comment on them if you like. I have a couple of polls set up as well. Danny Vice would like to hear your point of view.
Public awareness of the problem and discussions about possible solutions are the best way to pressure elected officials into action instead of excuse making.
I invite you to come by and share your opinion.
Danny Vice
http://weeklyvice.blogspot.com
Anyone that wants to turn blame (some or all) on Megan’s parents (FRANK) should have to spend six months working with ADHD children. (I have)
The object is to help them live a normal life and to associate with others in a normal way. That would include email and if chosen “My Space”.
Unfortunately there are sick and twisted predatory people out there prowling on the week and innocent (Charles Darwin). These predatory personalities create fictitious characters (Charles Darwin) to hide so that they can do harm. Knowing they are wrong and afraid to show their real faces.
As for your theory Charles Darwin… as a former large cat handler (Tigers, leopards etc.) I fully understand the laws of the wild jungle. But our society is NOT a wild jungle (or at least.. it is not supposed to be.) We have rules to live by. I wonder if you had been one of the victims in those Colorado Churches yesterday if someone would stand over your dead body, shake their head and say,,, “oh well, survival of the fittest?”
Again I am left with this question… how are you two (Frank and Charles Darwin) related to the Drews… Family.. friends.. Them?
Phil Gray (my real name)… Florida
Phil,
Darwin is right. If it wasn’t this, what else could it of been? What happens to Megan when a real boy breaks up with her. Do you blame him for the suicide? What if she fails a test in school and kills her self, do you blame the teacher? What if she got a job at McDonalds and got fired, do you blame the manager? In no way, am I defending the actions of Lori Drew, but the way people on the internet have been calling for her head is out of control. So many people on here won’t even listen to reason, and people like me get labeled as insensitive. I think its important to step back examine the whole situation for what it really was.
Frank,
This blog-site was intended to discuss these particular events, NOT ALL HAPPENINGS IN GENERAL. At least that is how I understand it (please forgive me if I am wrong)
This WAS NOT a real boyfriend… though Megan was led to believe It WAS prompted by actions of deception directed by Lori Drew. This was a trap…
If you and DARWIN (whoever they really are) want to discuss Laws of the jungle or even better yet, strategy of JUNGLE WARFARE where traps are laid in order to surprise a stronger adversary,.. then I would be glad to engage…
Frank… you need to step back and see the whole picture for what it was.. a physiological trap to do harm to an ADHD thirteen year old child whom Lori Drew knew was dealing with the effects of ADHD.
You and DARWIN are welcome to deliver all the smoke screening you want… the owner of this blog site has allowed an open format… But know that I will respond to anyone who tries to redirect others views from the truth..
I have NO connection to the Meier’s family, I have never met them.. spoke to them nor had any communication of any kind with them. I am just the grandfather of two ADHD grandchildren of Megan’s age and have been touched by the story..
I do NOT want any physical harm to come to anyone in the Drew family… I DO want to see Lori Drew spend time behind bars… Those are the rules of our society..
An adult knowingly help create an ongoing lie that led to a child’s demise..
These are ONLY MY OPINIONS from my view and I do NOT claim to know all truths… But my opinions ARE educated hands-on opinions… But I do know there IS a GOD and GOD knews all truths and Lori Drew and her supportive friends and family will meet their maker sooner or later… Thank God for her.. God is more forgiving than men.
Phil Gray… Florida
Phil, Frank and Darwin,
Whether Lori Drew actually wrote the series of messages that led Megan down the path to her suicide is in question. However, she had control of the password and account information and as an adult, should have shut down that account rather than sanctioning and continuing it over a span of six weeks.
How on earth would she ever have been able to get out of it without causing Megan heartache?
I believe that she did not intend for anything to happen that would have caused Megan’s suicide. On the other hand, she was the adult and should have known better than to even consider, much less implement, a deception that was dead-ended and cruel. Why invent a boyfriend? Why not just a girl who was a friend of a myspace friend? The boyfriend ruse was clearly intended to get Megan’s attention and gain her trust rapidly.
Like Phil, I am not, nor have I ever, advocated any harm coming to the Drew family. In fact, I’m concerned for Lori Drew’s daughter and her forced isolation from friends and others as a result of the threats being made against her. This post and the others I’ve written have called for legal recourse against Lori Drew’s actions, which she cleverly avoided by spreading around the login information and being fortunate enough to walk right in between the lines.
If there is no legal recourse, I certainly do not advocate vigilante justice. That’s even more wrong than the original act.
However, society has the right to exclude her as a result of her actions, and that’s what is happening now.
As to those who say that Megan’s parents were irresponsible about letting her on MySpace when they knew she was fragile, I will reiterate: Until the day that everything blew up, that interaction was a positive thing in Megan’s life, not negative. And when it did blow up, it did it fast and furious, which is typical of flame wars in online communities. It happened randomly, with no rhyme or reason, and I’m sure it devastated Megan. I wish she would not have acted on her suicidal impulse, but she did, and yes, no one tied the knot on the noose for her. However, to discover after the fact that the instigator was a supposedly responsible parent is just about beyond comprehension.
Thank you Karoli..
Well put ..
I wish we could turn back the clock, have Megan’s life back and all still keep the life lesson… But we can’t.
I feel certain in my heart that Megan is looking down at us, saddened and wishing that we would let this go…
I wish we could too. But we must prevent these actions from reoccurring and the best way I know is to show people examples of other people’s cruelty and the results… History is the best teacher of actions and the resulting reactions, cause and effect.
I wish all of you A Happy Holiday Season and my Special Thoughts and Prayers go out to all involved
Phil Gray… Florida
But I say unto you: Love your enemies and pray for those persecuting you.
Let us not now in our anger indulge ourselves in an orgy of outrage and hate but instead let us pray that the two families might forgive each other’s trespasses so that there might again be peace and concord between them. Let us loose ourselves of our self righteousness so that we might know that we all are sinners who only by the grace of the LORD do we walk upon this earth and that we all deserve nothing and that we ourselves all have at one time or another caused injustices to befall others. Let us not follow the examples of those who, in their eagerness to pursue justice, cause injustices to fall upon others as Mrs Wells has done but instead let us follow the path that Christ has laid out before us; that of forgiveness and love. I beseech all of you let go of your anger and to find a more constructive and -dare I say- more Christian response to this tragedy that has fallen upon both families and upon their neighbours.
To Phil and Gail and Danny and all the others writing books on here,cut it a little shorter.I’m sure you have alot to say but I skip over them or stop reading them.Half of you start babbling on and say alot but say nothing.I found the best comments get right to the point and are 10 lines or less.
Dear you bore me,
There are several simple tests for ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder). Most Psychiatrists can administer them. I suggest you try one.
(5 lines, well within your attention span)
Phil Gray… Florida
What’s wrong Mr Phil Grey did I hurt your feelings, maybe you shouldn’t post if you can’t handle criticism.Like I said you say alot but you say nothing.
Looks like it’s time to close comments on this post.
[...] an interesting twist, LA prosecutors may be weighing whether to charge Lori Drew with fraud for her MySpace hoax of Megan Meier, reasoning that the crime occured inside their jurisdiction, since MySpace is headquartered in [...]
[...] dweitzReally interesting read I found today:She was a child struggling with a weight problem, peer issues, depression and ADHD. Been there, done that. She changed schools because she had been bullied, and had a one-day-friends-one-day-enemies relationship with the Drews’ daughter … [...]