Intellectual Property Law

Teen Involved in MySpace Suicide Hoax Says Adult Also Participated

By Ryan Singel, Kevin Poulsen, Sarah Lai Stirland, Kim Zetter, and David Kravets

A teen involved in the MySpace suicide of 13-year-old Megan Meier (pictured at right) has come forward to reveal that an adult named Lori Drew did in fact participate in the hoax that pushed Meier to hang herself.

Lori Drew, a neighbor of the Meier's, who was implicated in the hoax, denied any involvement in it last year and continues to deny that she participated in the ruse. Drew blamed it on a 19-year-old named Ashley Grills who Drew says instigated the trick.

But this morning Grills, in an interview with Good Morning America, disclosed that she and Lori Drew's daughter created the account with Lori Drew's approval, and that Drew actively participated in the ruse by writing some of the messages that Megan Meier received on her MySpace page.

As you might recall, the tricksters created a fake MySpace account of a non-existent teen named Josh Evans to woo Meier into his confidence and determine what Meier might be saying about Drew's daughter online (Drew initially told police that she "instigated and monitored" activity on the Josh Evans account but later denied that she created the account or sent any messages to Meier). Once Meier was pulled in to the ruse, "Josh Evans" turned against her and began attacking her verbally online. Grills admitted sending the final message to Meier that led her to commit suicide. The message said that the world would be a better place without Megan Meier in it.

This morning, Drew's lawyers continue to insist that Drew did not participate in the hoax.

"Lori Drew did not create or direct anyone to create the Josh Evans MySpace account," the Drews said in a statement released last December, which the lawyers say the family still stands behind. "Although she was aware of the account, Lori Drew never sent any messages to Megan or to anyone else using this MySpace account."

Local prosecutors looking into the case last year determined that they would not file charges against the Drews since no laws had been broken. But in January the LA Times reported that a federal grand jury had issued subpoenas in the case to determine if Drew might be charged with defrauding MySpace by creating the fake Josh Evans account through which the cyberbullying was done. According to ABC News, a U.S. attorney has granted Grills immunity in exchange for testimony against Drew.

See Also:

• Federal Grand Jury Issues Subpoenas in Teen CyberBullying Case
• No Charges Will Be Filed In Cyberbullying Case
• Prosecutor to Make Announcement Next Week About Charges in ...
• Cyberbullying Suicide Stokes the Internet Fury Machine
• Blog Readers Out Anonymous Adults that Newspaper Refused to ...

Full post as published by Threat Level on April 01, 2008 (boomark / email).