Warning: this article contains spoilers for Unknown Number: The High School Catfish

A truly chilling documentary premiered on Netflix last Friday (29 August), and the buzz surrounding it remains strong.

The documentary revisits a real-life cyberbullying case that shook the small community of Beal City, Michigan, in 2020. It all began when 13-year-old Lauryn Licari and her then-boyfriend Owen started receiving mysterious texts from an unknown number.

Although the creepy messages paused for a while, they picked up again in September 2021. Over the next 15 months, the teens were bombarded with daily threats and vicious insults.

School officials soon sought assistance from law enforcement when the messages included information only someone close to Lauryn could know.

The initial investigation, led by Isabella County Sheriff Mike Main, focused on Lauryn and Owen’s classmates and friends, raising suspicions across the school and straining relationships.

When those efforts stalled, Bradley Peter, a police officer, acted as a liaison to the FBI, only to uncover that the culprit was her own 'obsessed' mother, Kendra Licari.

In December 2022, Kendra was arrested and faced multiple charges of stalking and using a computer to commit a crime. She pleaded guilty to two counts of stalking a minor, receiving a sentence of 19 months to 5 years in prison, and was released on August 8, 2024.

Lauryn Licari was just 13 when she started receiving the abusive messages online (Netflix)

While the Netflix documentary didn't ultimately reveal the reason why Kendra persistently tormented her daughter, Isabella County prosecutor David Barberi speculates her behavior might be a form of cyber Munchausen syndrome by proxy.

What is Munchausen syndrome by proxy?

Munchausen syndrome by proxy, also known as Factitious Disorder Imposed on Another (FDIA), is a mental illness and a form of child abuse where a child's caretaker, usually the mother, exaggerates or induces symptoms of illness in the child.

Lauryn's mother, Kendra, was found to be the perpetrator (Isabella County Sheriff’s Office)

However, in this instance, it involved cyberbullying rather than illness, and Kendra has not been officially diagnosed.

"Attributing a medical basis to it is somewhat problematic. … But I believe elements of Munchausen by proxy - harming someone to keep them close - were certainly present," director Skye Borgman commented.

Interestingly, Kendra agreed to participate in the documentary, which concluded with her release from prison after not seeing Lauryn for a year and a half.

Understandably, Lauryn, now 18, wasn't ready to see her mother yet.

The Netflix doc ended with Lauryn's tragic six-word statement about her mother (Netflix)

As screenshots of the cruel text messages Kendra sent her daughter appeared on screen, Lauryn told the camera: "Now that she’s out, I just want her to get the help she needs, so when we see each other, it doesn’t go back to the old ways and the way it was before."

She concluded the documentary with a poignant six-word statement: "I love her more than anything."

Unknown Number: The High School Catfish is currently available to stream on Netflix.