Posted on 11/29/2007 6:59:16 AM PST by shrinkermd
Megan Meier died believing that somewhere in this world lived a boy named Josh Evans who hated her. He was 16, owned a pet snake, and she thought he was the cutest boyfriend she ever had.
Josh contacted Megan through her page on MySpace.com, the social networking Web site, said Megan’s mother, Tina Meier. They flirted for weeks, but only online — Josh said his family had no phone. On Oct. 15, 2006, Josh suddenly turned mean. He called Megan names, and later they traded insults for an hour.
The next day, in his final message, said Megan’s father, Ron Meier, Josh wrote, “The world would be a better place without you.”
Sobbing, Megan ran into her bedroom closet. Her mother found her there, hanging from a belt. She was 13.
Six weeks after Megan’s death, her parents learned that Josh Evans never existed. He was an online character created by Lori Drew, then 47, who lived four houses down the street in this rapidly growing community 35 miles northwest of St. Louis.
That an adult would plot such a cruel hoax against a 13-year-old girl has drawn outraged phone calls, e-mail messages and blog posts from around the world. Many people expressed anger because St. Charles County officials did not charge Ms. Drew with a crime.
But a St. Charles County Sheriff’s Department spokesman, Lt. Craig McGuire, said that what Ms. Drew did “might’ve been rude, it might’ve been immature, but it wasn’t illegal.”
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
“...but it wasn’t illegal.”
Nonsense!!! This woman is guilty of child abuse. Her entire plot was to cause pain to a child. I hope her life is ruined like she ruined the lives of this family.
I know, them fellows from Nigeria fill up my email box waiting in line for the opportunity to send me money. What a great deal.
She should be punished.
Extrajudicial social punishment has fallen out of favor with our wise leaders, but it still has its place, IMO.
This woman should be horsewhipped by the girl's dad.
Part of the problem here — and I’m basing this on a discussion last week on this subject — is that the so-called “last message” referred to in the story is based entirely on what the father claimed he saw on the computer screen. Nobody has been able to verify that any message of that kind was actually sent, and if I remember correctly they even had FBI computer experts try to recover all those messages during the course of the investigation.
Even if no charges can be filed, this family needs to be made a pariah by its neighbors and made an example of. The kids need to be harassed in school, the parents need to be yelled at and verbally attacked at work, at the market, in the parks, everywhere...until they are forced to move. An example must be made. Evil—and this was a truly evil act—cannot be tolerated in a decent community.
Contributing to the delinquency of a minor, would that not be an appropriate charge?
Bump for later reading....
This was not a prank but a sadistic act.
If I were this girl's mother, I'd end up being the criminal. I'd make this woman's life a living hell (if I could control my anger enough not to kill her outright).
“The world will be a much better place If all FReeepers would send me some money.”
I got some Pesos that are on their way.
I’m really disgusted by this story. Things like this push me closer to my belief in the lord. Hope he has something planned for people like this.
Not me. This was child abuse. Charge her.
Having said that, I pray to God nothing like this ever happens to any of those I hold dear. I'm afraid my mind would go to a dark place and the perpatraitor's biggest problem would not be the police.
If I were that young lady’s father I’d have shot the bitch and went to prison for that. On the other hand a more “civilized way” to approach this will be to sue her in a civil court for wrongful death, for every penny she has... then if that fails, then shoot her.
I agree on that, although the kids didnt do anything to be punished for the sins of the mother did they ?
Not knowing the whole story Id say that such an emotionally fragile 13 year old shoulda been more closely monitored by the parents before she died.
Seems kids wont even go outside to get picked-on anymore, although its very sad that she didnt give herself the opportunity to learn just how pathetic bullies really are...
I don't think the law recognizes this but I do think there is such a thing as extreme provocation
Jury nullification comes to mind as well
Agreed. She should be someplace, under supervision, stringing beads and making clay bunnies.
“Even if a 13-yo didn’t qualify as a “vulnerable adult”, the woman who did this to her knew all about her, and knew that she had been fragile and suicidal.
The woman’s daughter had been the victim’s best friend. If what the woman did, which arguably caused negligent homicide, is not a crime, then whatever abuse the woman may get from outraged citizens shouldn’t be a crime either. I hope the woman never has a place to live again where she won’t be known and spit at. She is no different from any other child abuser.”
good post. You nailed it.
What kind of person does this knowing full well this girl already had troubles?
You’re right. That’s really the only way in this world that you can “get away” with it. But, for those of us who’ve lost children before, it’s a hard, hard thing. When a child is already somehow mentally vulnerable and an ADULT takes advantage of the situation to abuse that child, and NOTHING AT ALL is done, she needs, as some have pointed out, some social reconditioning.
At the hands of the family, if the law won’t do it.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.