- Netflix documentary Unknown Number: The High School Catfish reveals a disturbing story of cyberbullying
- A Michigan teen and her boyfriend were bombarded with explicit and threatening texts for months
- Authorities discovered the shocking culprit was the girl’s own mother
- Experts point to possible Munchausen-like behavior behind the motive
The New Netflix Hit That Everyone Is Talking About
Netflix has built a reputation for gripping true-crime documentaries, and the latest addition to its catalog, Unknown Number: The High School Catfish, has quickly become one of the most talked-about releases of the year. The film traces the shocking case of a Michigan teenager who, alongside her boyfriend, became the target of relentless harassment from an anonymous phone number.
What begins as unsettling but seemingly ordinary teenage drama spirals into a terrifying ordeal of psychological abuse. And just when viewers think they understand where the story is heading, the reveal turns the entire case on its head.
The documentary has already secured a spot in Netflix’s top ten, with both viewers and critics describing it as one of the most disturbing stories in recent memory. Many are calling it a companion watch for fans of Netflix’s Trainwreck series, which similarly captivated audiences with its chaotic blend of crime, manipulation, and deception.
A Community in Beal City Rocked by Mysterious Texts
The story takes place in the small town of Beal City, Michigan, in late 2021. Teenager Lauryn Licari and her boyfriend, Owen, began receiving strange messages on their phones. At first, the texts appeared to be petty attempts to stir up trouble in their relationship. One message to Lauryn read, “hi Lauryn, Owen is breaking up with you,” while others attempted to pit the couple against one another with taunts and rumors.
But the messages escalated in both frequency and intensity. For Owen, the harassment became overwhelming, with as many as 30 to 50 messages arriving daily. The messages sent to Lauryn took a darker turn. They included explicit language, sexual threats, and one particularly chilling statement suggesting she would be “better off dead.”
The harassment began to affect their lives beyond the screen. Both Lauryn and Owen were consumed with fear and confusion. With no idea who was behind the messages, every classmate, teacher, and friend became a suspect in their minds.
The FBI Joins the Hunt for the Bully
By January 2022, the situation had escalated to the point where local authorities became involved. Beal City’s law enforcement officials quickly realized they were dealing with more than standard teenage pranks. The sheer volume of messages and their menacing tone suggested a deliberate campaign of psychological intimidation.
When the harassment showed no signs of stopping, the FBI was called in by April 2022. Investigators used advanced tracking methods to trace the source of the texts. With each step, the sense of dread within the community grew. Students whispered about possible suspects, parents worried about their children’s safety, and the small Michigan town found itself at the center of a case that seemed pulled from a crime thriller.
The Shocking Truth: A Mother Behind the Mask
The investigation ultimately uncovered a truth so shocking that it stunned not just Lauryn and Owen but the entire community. The harasser was not a jealous classmate, an anonymous online predator, or a stranger lurking in the shadows. It was Lauryn’s own mother, Kendra Licari.
Using apps that disguised her phone number, Kendra posed as another student who appeared infatuated with Owen. She manufactured drama between the teens, inserting herself into their private lives through relentless digital manipulation.
FBI liaison Bradley Peter explained in the film how investigators noticed that Kendra’s phone number repeatedly appeared in connection with the messages, despite her attempts to mask it. That discovery eventually led to her arrest in December 2022. Agents seized her devices, uncovering a trail of evidence linking her directly to the harassment.
The documentary shows the dramatic bodycam footage of Kendra’s arrest. In the footage, she tries to downplay her actions, insisting that many people have broken the law at some point without facing consequences. At one point, she is heard saying, “realistically, a lot of us have probably broken the law at some point or another and not gotten caught.”
Why Would a Mother Terrorize Her Daughter?
Perhaps the most haunting question left by the case is the motive. Why would a mother torment her own child with such cruelty?
The documentary explores several theories. Some suggest that Kendra was motivated by a desire to control her daughter’s relationship and keep her dependent on her guidance. Others argue that her actions may align with a form of Munchausen syndrome by proxy, a psychological disorder in which a caregiver fabricates or causes harm to create reliance and attention.
As former Beal City superintendent Bill Chillman explains in the film: “She wanted her daughter to need her in such a way that she was willing to hurt her, and this is the way she chose to do that versus physically trying to make her ill, which is typical Munchausen behavior.”
The suggestion is deeply unsettling. Rather than protecting her child, Kendra deliberately created a hostile environment of fear and manipulation.
A Chilling Reminder of Digital Vulnerability
Unknown Number: The High School Catfish is more than just a shocking true-crime story. It highlights the vulnerability of young people in the digital age. Cyberbullying has become one of the most pressing challenges for schools, families, and law enforcement alike.
The documentary shows in stark detail how anonymous harassment can erode trust, damage mental health, and disrupt entire communities. The fact that this harassment came not from a stranger but from within a family underscores how complex and unpredictable digital abuse can be.
Why This Documentary Is Hard to Forget
Viewers of Unknown Number are in for an emotional and unsettling experience. The chronological storytelling takes audiences step by step through the investigation, allowing them to feel the same confusion and fear that Lauryn and Owen endured. The final reveal delivers a gut punch that is difficult to process even after the credits roll.
With its mix of real footage, interviews, and firsthand accounts, the documentary immerses viewers in a story that could have easily been dismissed as teenage drama, only to reveal itself as one of the most shocking cases of manipulation and betrayal in recent memory.
For fans of Trainwreck or anyone fascinated by the darker side of human psychology, Unknown Number is essential viewing. But be warned: once you see the story unfold, you may find it impossible to forget.
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