Lori Drew Gets Out of Jail Free

Posted by Karoli in News, Technology, Web December 3rd, 2007

Jack Banas, district attorney for O’Fallon, MO says no charges will be filed in connection with Megan Meier’s suicide. He also makes some startling statements with regard to the case; namely, downplaying Lori Drew’s involvement in the creation and monitoring of the fake MySpace profile, laying the bulk of it at the feet of mystery employee “Ashley”, who is unavailable for police and press interviews because she is “hospitalized for psychiatric treatment.”

I have some difficulty with the way the story is being revised, after the storm of comment and controversy around this case. Here is the section of the original police report as Lori Drew reported it to police shortly after Megan’s suicide:

From Page 2 Lori Drew filed on 11/25/06:

Drew stated in the months leading up to Meier’s daughter’s suicide, she instigated and monitored a “my space” account which was created for the sole purpose of communicating with Meier’s daughter. Drew said she, with the help of temporary employee 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 and Megan was aimed at gaining Megan’s confidnce 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 she found out “Megan had tried to commit suicide before.”

Here are the prosecutor’s statements reported on KMBC-TV Kansas City today:

Banas said based on additional interviews, the fake MySpace page was not created by the mother of one of Megan’s friends. He said the page was created by the 18-year-old employee, though the mother and her 13-year-old daughter knew about the page. He said he was unable to speak directly with the 18-year-old, whom he said has been hospitalized for psychiatric treatment.

Let’s start with the decision not to file charges. I can actually understand this one, because I’ve come to believe the one to prosecute is not the DA, but the US Attorney’s office. The US Attorneys are the ones who prosecute those “To Catch a Predator” cases, where they entrap monitor men chattng online with underage girls and then prosecute them.

There is a law on the federal books dealing with anonymous communication, making it a Federal crime. However, it appears as though there’s been a concerted effort on Lori Drew’s part to refocus the bulk of the responsibility away from her and onto the mystery employee who is not available for interview or comment at this time. Forgive the sarcasm, but how conveeeenient!

Which do you thinks has more credibility? Lori Drew’s statements to the police within weeks of Megan’s suicide, or the revisions to those statements now? Does it matter? In my opinion, it doesn’t matter whether it was “Ashley” or Drew.

I’m not a lawyer and I’m not pretending to be one on blogs either, but speaking as a parent, I will just say this: If I had knowledge of a scheme to entrap a child I knew to be at risk from a mental health standpoint, no matter how much she bugged me or how mad I was about her treatment of my daughter, I’d put an end to it immediately and march everyone over to the Meier’s house to confess and apologize. My daughter would be banned from MySpace indefinitely until she demonstrated that she understood what was and was not appropriate behavior on the Internet. The employee would be fired. That’s me. But Lori Drew didn’t do any of those things. Even if you accept the revised version of the story, she still knew and did nothing.

Julie Amero was very nearly sent to jail in Connecticut for a situation not of her own making which had the potential to expose children to pornographic images. The reasoning was that she had a duty to take whatever steps were necessary to protect the children from harm. I realize that the Meier case is in a different state and outside of the realm of school computers, but why wouldn’t the same reasoning apply here? If she knew, she should have done something to stop it. If you accept that she was a passive observer (I don’t), then you also accept that she did nothing to put an end to a situation which was clearly wrong, clearly moved into a realm of “sexual” behavior, and clearly escalated to the point where it seems that just about everyone had access to that MySpace account.

I don’t want more laws. The one they passed in O’Fallon won’t make any difference in the long run, because if you follow the prosecutor’s logic, if you can pass responsibility for the actual messages to a large group of anonymous flamers, no one is accountable. The law that should be enforced is the one already on the books, concerning the Federal Telecommunications Act and anonymous harassment.

If you want to make a statement, please consider a fax or email to the US Attorneys responsible for bringing charges under federal laws. Here is their information:
United States Attorney (Eastern Missouri)
Catherine Hanaway
Thomas Eagleton
U.S. Courthouse
111 S. 10th Street, 20th Floor
St. Louis, MO 63102
Fax: 314.539.2309

Carrie Costantin
Assistant United States Attorney
Project Safe Child Coordinator
Cybercrime Task Force
Fax: 314-539-2309

My other posts on Lori Drew and Megan Meier.

Technorati Tags: , , , , ,

Sphere: Related Content


Leave a comment Comment RSS

Previous: Zebras in my living room
Next: Travel is Tiring

Viewing 14 Comments

    • ^
    • v
    How convenient to pass the buck onto “unnamed” teenagers, aka minors. You just knew when the Drews finally hired a lawyer adept in playing America’s favorite pastime, i.e. the Spin Game, that there was going to be some concerted effort to pass the buck and shift blame elsewhere. Classic America 2007.

    However, the initial police report filed by Lori Drew will stand in perpetuity as testament to her duplicitousness and in sharp contrast to the web of spin currently being woven by her lawyer. Don’t be fooled.
    • ^
    • v
    What do you want? That there be federal laws that adults can no longer make bad judgment calls? What do want the federal justice system to do?

    You have in your mind imaged a woman who deliberately sought to push this child into suicide and no fact is going to change your mind.

    It's not comfortable for you to have to face the fact that maybe this was more complicated than you originally supposed, and that now a family is destroyed because of the actions of webloggers.

    Lori Drew's daughter had to quit school, the family business was destroyed, her husband fired, they're being forced out of their neighborhood -- but that'snot enough for you is it?

    What on earth do you want the federal government to do? Or don't you even know.
    • ^
    • v
    What do you want? That there be federal laws that adults can no longer make bad judgment calls? What do want the federal justice system to do?

    You have in your mind imaged a woman who deliberately sought to push this child into suicide and no fact is going to change your mind.

    It's not comfortable for you to have to face the fact that maybe this was more complicated than you originally supposed, and that now a family is destroyed because of the actions of webloggers.

    Lori Drew's daughter had to quit school, the family business was destroyed, her husband fired, they're being forced out of their neighborhood -- but that'snot enough for you is it?

    What on earth do you want the federal government to do? Or don't you even know.

    Spin provided by the lawyer...it's the same 'spin' by the FBI and the prosecuting attorney. But that's just facts. Good lord, don't let facts get in the way of a good hate.
    • ^
    • v
    >>bad judgment calls
    Hmm - is that all this was - a bad judgment call? Bad judgment is not allowing enough room between you and the car ahead of you to stop in time. Drew's poisonous vindictive behaviour is some else altogether. Then shunting the blame to an anonymous employee is another callous act. What does it take for some folks to finally just admit they did something wrong? Where is the personal responsibility?

    >>now a family is destroyed because of the actions of webloggers.
    I don't accept that. The majority of webloggers smell a giant rat in this affair, and are speaking out to say it's not acceptible.

    >>Lori Drew’s daughter had to quit school, the family
    >>business was destroyed, her husband fired, they’re
    >>being forced out of their neighborhood?

    Any shred of personal responsibility would have caused a person to pause and consider the results of their actions beforehand. No consideration was given, and karma has brought around the results...
    • ^
    • v
    Gosh, I hope that Lori Drew reads this one...


    What a piece of work you are, Lori Drew. A sick example of a mother, a human being, a neighbor, and female. You were hurt growing up a lot like Megan and your daughter. You needed psychiatric help then, but decided to get married and have children to forget the pain. Then, you relived and acted out on your past through your daughter by manipulating young minds to do your long overdue dirty work. You have ruined so many lives. These minds of thirteen year olds are maturing under your watch and this is how you teach? You are a sick person who now is justifying what YOU did in a blog?!! And I know you are campaigning for your supporters to write for you, just like you did last year. I have never wanted to see someone suffer until now. I will pray for you and your family.

    Or, I may make up a fake therapeutic website for the guilt ridden of the world, people who are unhappy with their lives, and let you spill your emotions on our site. You need somewhere to go now. I m sure your mind is slowly dying. Then, I'll pull the plug on it, tell everyone about the things you said and tell you the world would be better with out your fat face.
    • ^
    • v
    Shelley,

    I want no new laws. However, what was the point of passing this federal law if not to address this situation?

    I understand that it's complicated. Isn't it always? It seems especially complicated whenever anyone is hurt -- then it's inevitably so complicated it can't be prosecuted.

    I am not inventing this case -- Lori Drew gave her own statement in her own words recounting the case clearly as she recalled it at the time closest to the events which gave rise to the suicide of Megan Meier. Now that's being revised.

    I take it you still maintain that all responsibility falls to the Meier family with none accorded to the instigator of the trouble, whether it was Lori or her daughter or "Ashley" the employee or one of the other kids who "happened" to obtain the username and password to that MySpace account?

    If so, we still disagree.
    • ^
    • v
    lori drew emotionally manipulated a minor and it ended in a worst case scenario, i think, she should be punished for it, by the law. even if she and her family has suffered indignations, that doesnt mean the law has spoken. how society treats its people and how the government treats them are separate issues. secondly, lets not forget that in a sex with a minor case, the argument is that you took advantage of a person who is too young to understand the way of the world- i dont think is too different.
    • ^
    • v
    The Drews approached the meiers about Megan.When Meiers
    would not listen Boy Did Lori Teach tina and Ron a lesson.The meiers are selling thier second home in Florida to pay legal bills and divorse.I guess it is tina fault. How were the meiers to know that lori drew had done her homework by discussing this with her people she trusted and they told her as long as she did not get too sexual with megan on line,If people found out, just delete Josh Evans profile and they could not prosacute her.Read her post on Megan had it comming.
    Read how she calles tina a phyco mommy bitch,and calls Megan a fat slut,I for the life of me cant figure
    out why the meiers wont give it a rest.How can you call
    what my mom did harassment,We just did it for the Lulz
    Havent you ever had the Lulz?????
    • ^
    • v
    You rock, Karoli. The more I learn about this case the more disgusted I am.

    * Lori Drew told one of her daughter's friends not to say anything about the "Josh account" (thankfully, the girl's mother did the right thing and informed on her)
    * Lori Drew deleted the account AFTER the suicide.
    * The story line has changed several times now.

    Her behavior indicates that she knew that what she was doing was wrong.

    I'm hoping that "megan had it coming" is a hoax (but whoever wrote it knows a lot), but statements in the mainstream media attributed to Lori Drew are quite enough to infer that her real-life attitude is consistent with her attempts to cover up what she, her daughter, and her daughter's friends did.

    There are contradictory statements about the content of exchanges between Megan and the fake "Josh". If it is true about sexual content, then Lori Drew has friends in high places to keep her out of prison. Mainstream media reports indicate that Jack Banas admits that he never spoke to the Meiers, took their story, or spoke to Ashley Grills(s?), who is supposedly under psychiatric care now (probably to keep her out of the spotlight).

    I would like to hear more about Ashley Grill(s?). I just found a mainstream media article that states that she was already 18 at the time of the hoax--meaning that she was another adult party to the hoax. I would also like to know if it is true about the wording of the last message to Megan (you are a bad person...world would be a better place without you...), which the media states was sent by Ms. Grill(s?).
    • ^
    • v
    Historically, lots of people commit suicide, kill other people or both because of mean-spirited, hurtful remarks and bullying victims toward an action having major consequesces to their family, friends and community. These people - the mean-spirited and bullies -- rarely know what action they set in motion and may have committed murder by proxy by their hurtful remarks.
    • ^
    • v
    http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,316049,00.html

    Now she is claiming she basically had nothing to do with it.
    No messages, no blog, nothing.

    Too little too late.

    She KNEW!
    BUT still no apology!

    Read the police report!
    I dont think anything has changed.
    • ^
    • v
    I've known people like Lori Drew, who get a kick out of playing weird games with people online. Or prank phone calls. These people are sick and deserve whatever they get.
    • ^
    • v
    I've known people like Lori Drew, who get a kick out of playing weird games with people online. Or prank phone calls. These people are sick and deserve whatever they get. Its a sad commentary on our society, that adult people want to play sick mind games.
    • ^
    • v
    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. 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
 

Trackbacks

(Trackback URL)

close Reblog this comment
Powered by Disqus · Learn more
blog comments powered by Disqus