Dead Teen's Mom Testifies In MySpace Trial

Prosecutors Say 49-Year-Old Neigbor "Fully Intended To Hurt" Girl

(CBS/AP)  The grieving mother of a Missouri girl told a jury Wednesday how her daughter hanged herself with a belt after receiving cruel messages on her MySpace account, some of which were from a boy whose identity was later revealed to have been invented by a neighbor.

Prosecutors said it's the nation's first cyber-bullying trial and its results could set a legal precedent for dealing with the issue of online harassment.

Tina Meier recounted how "Josh Evans" interacted online with her 13-year-old daughter, Megan, during the first day of the trial against Lori Drew, who is accused of taking part in the Internet hoax that prosecutors say led to Megan's suicide.

Meier said after a name-calling exchange between Megan, "Josh," and two other girls in October 2006, she told a sobbing Megan, who was being treated for attention deficit disorder and depression, that she wasn't supposed to be online and shouldn't have gotten into the argument.

"The last words she said to me were 'You are supposed to be my mom, you are supposed to be on my side,"' Meier said as she tried to hold back tears.

Meier said she ran later upstairs and found Megan hanging in the closet with a belt around her neck. She died the next day.

Drew, 49, has pleaded not guilty to one count of conspiracy and three counts of accessing computers without authorization. Each count carries a potential sentence of five years in prison.

She is not on trial for murder or any violent crime, as CBS' Katie Couric noted yesterday. A judge said that girl's suicide should not be a factor in the case.

In his opening statement to jurors, U.S. Attorney Thomas O'Brien said Drew helped create "Josh's" false identity on MySpace to learn if Megan was spreading malicious rumors on MySpace about Sarah Drew, the defendant's then 13-year-old daughter.

O'Brien said the evidence will show Drew opened the MySpace account and "fully intended to hurt and prey on Megan's psyche."

For the first time, O'Brien disclosed what Megan wrote after allegedly receiving a message the day she killed herself that said the world would be better off without her. Megan sent a response saying, "'You are the kind of boy a girl would kill herself over,"' O'Brien said.

Defense attorney Dean Steward told jurors Drew did not violate the Computer Use and Fraud Act - used in the past to address computer hacking - and reminded them she was not facing charges dealing with the suicide.

"This is not a homicide case," Steward said.

Before the trial began, Steward tried to get U.S. District Judge George Wu to forbid mention of the suicide. Wu rejected the request but instructed jurors the case is about whether Drew violated MySpace's terms of service, not about whether she caused Megan's suicide.

After jurors were dismissed for the day, Steward unsuccessfully requested a mistrial, saying the emotional testimony was "totally improper in a computer fraud case."

Prosecutors said Drew conspired with her daughter and Drew's then 18-year-old assistant, Ashley Grills, to invent "an attractive male teenager" on MySpace to find out what was being said about Sarah.

Steward countered it was Grills who set up the MySpace account and his client was driving home when the message about the world being a better place without Megan was sent. Grills has been granted immunity to testify.

The case is being prosecuted in Los Angeles because MySpace computer servers are based in the area.

[tipsyinct]

yes your right people do make false ID''''s on line. But this young girl was clearly made a target by a full grown woman that had the skills to do what she did. her daugter my not have been so successful.
That woman should be charged in this young girls death. What she did is as bad as sexual preditor or worse. you loose a child and lets see how you feel about this subject then. this woman knew what she was doing and indeed went to extremes to set it up to be able to do it. She is resposible.
Posted by lilly1232 at 11:37 AM : Nov 20, 2008

First this has nothing to with the grief of losing a child. Its probably one of the most horrible things anybody can go through, but when it comes to law emotions can''t and shouldn''t be involved.

Second it states many times in the article that the girls suicide has no bearing on this case.

and finally third, The woman has done nothing illegal, hateful, yes, borderline psycotic, yes, but illegal, no. unfortunately this woman will probably walk, and unfortunately I will agree with this decision.

[lilly1232]

yes your right people do make false ID''s on line. But this young girl was clearly made a target by a full grown woman that had the skills to do what she did. her daugter my not have been so successful.
That woman should be charged in this young girls death. What she did is as bad as sexual preditor or worse. you loose a child and lets see how you feel about this subject then. this woman knew what she was doing and indeed went to extremes to set it up to be able to do it. She is resposible.

[hamiltongrad]

The intent of this strange neighbor was to do harm, given that, and the fact that the girl was a minor, I would say that she deserves to have a heavy fine and prison time, as a lesson to others as well as a just punishment.

[eitakj]

ANYONE that pretends to be someone else in order to fool a MINOR should be charged with child endangerment. It''s no different than sexual predators.

[lucilioness]

LORI DREW HASN''T PROGRESSED BEYOND HIGH SCHOOL. LIVING WITH HERSELF AFTER WHAT SHE DID, IS PUNISHMENT ENOUGH FOR HER.

[wolfear1]

Posted by shanev137
Don''t get me wrong I agree w/ your "slippery slope" arguement, but I think that this case is a bit different. She knew the girls state of mind and about her depression. So she knew the kid was somewhat mentally vulnerable. To that end I beleive that she has a certain amount of culpability. Now me telling you (who I don''t know) to go kill yourself is a different matter all together. And I can see where the courts would end up trying to over reach their authority but in this case I think she needs to be charged.

[shanev137]

There''s a lot of really emotional people on here who are not thinking this one through.

Some already eluded to it. Do you really want a live police officer knocking on your door at 2am telling you to "be nicer to that person 1200 miles away that you''re chatting with"...or he will arrest you and take you to jail?

That is what it will come down to. A bad ruling in a case like this would blow the lid off free speech issues, privacy issues, wrongful death issues, assault issues...etc.

Anyone on the internet who didn''t like you, could just say that you were "bullying them" and then have you sent off to prison.

I guarantee you it would completely scare off all human interaction over the internet. But then again maybe that''s what everyone wants deep down. Maybe it would get all the people who were interacting over the internet to start doing it out in person again.

[wolfear1]

Posted by shanev137 at 06:39 AM
Ya know, that may not be completely true. I seem to remember a case (OH I think) a number of years ago. A woman and her husband were fighting and she thretened suicide. He went up stairs and got her a loaded gun. He gave it to her and she promptly shot herself in the head. He was prosecuted in her death for providding the means. So I would think there has been some precedent.

[hennighg]

When a kid believes something she reads can you really be confused? Kids are kids. Logic is not their strong suit. Whenever an adult takes advantage of that, punishment should occur. In this case, the punishment should be harsh. These grownups purposely set out to hurt a kid. Never mind what the kid believed or didn''t or should have or shouldn''t have, when it''s adults vs. kid, the adults should pay the harshest for their actions. I can''t believe there is any question about this. Cyberspace might be new, but child abuse isn''t.

[keisha713-2009]

What this woman did was childish and cruel but NOT criminal. The parents of this girl needs to take responsiblility. She had a history of depression and should not have been allowed to have a myspace account because you are supposed to be 14 and she also had mental problems. She saw her daughter was getting obsessed with this person and should have stop the interaction immediately but she did not. They need to stop trying blame someone for their daughter suicide. Lets all be honestly here, we have all lied about our identities on the internet. So if this woman gets convicted be prepared for major changes regarding prosecuting internet cyberbulling.

[ybotheratall]

Why,,,,Why, would you EVER assume that someone is who they say they are on the internet?
Why?
Posted by shanev137 at 07:13 AM
------------------
An EXCELLENT point. Others have brought this up on a very regular basis. WHY did that child have private access to a computer? My children can use the computer but there are many restrictions. They have to agree to let me view what they are doing/saying on a regular basis and I restrict sites based on many factors. The computer is centrally located in my house and I''m always in the vicinity. The computer has a master password so I decide when they get on and when they log off. They are the children and I am the adult. However, in SO many houses I hear of children having their own internet connected computer in their room. Yes, there are good kids out there who ''get it'' and don''t get in trouble, but for everyone of them, there''s a gullible one. What this mom did is criminal. It''s common sense that if you know of someone who is depressed, you don''t pile on as much hatred as you can on the person and telling them they would be better off dead. She may not have pulled a trigger, but she contributed to that little girl''s death, REGARDLESS of the girl''s mother''s awareness in this situation.

[shanev137]

Imagine if that were your little girl, suffering from depression, who was mentally tortured by this vile excuse for a mother

---------------


Sorry, but it would never happen.

If my daughter was THAT depressed or suicidal, she sure in the hell would NOT be allowed to talk to complete strangers in an internet chat room.

Everyone already learned over a decade ago that psychos and pedophiles hang out on the internet and pose as different people.

Why,,,,Why, would you EVER assume that someone is who they say they are on the internet?

Why?

[ybotheratall]

I hope that piece of trash mother who did this has nothing but heartache and ruin ahead of her in her life. The fact that she can''t be held accountable for that little girl''s suicide is very sad. Imagine if that were your little girl, suffering from depression, who was mentally tortured by this vile excuse for a mother. I wish her nothing but bad luck and I hope karma bites her in the read hard. Scum.

[shanev137]

She really should be tried for causing the death of the girl.

Posted by gramto8 at 02:48 AM : Nov 20, 2008


-----------


It''s not going to happen.

As big of a slimy scumbag as Drew is.....she did not walk over and physically kill the girl.

I hate to be the one to break it to you, but if I tell you to go jump off a bridge, and you''re dumb enough and do it, I''m not going to go to jail for your death.

You people really need to start thinking about the ramifications of what you''re advocating. I suggest watching the movie Minority Report.

[stupidrules3]

I submit that this girl was one mean comment away from suicide anyway, whether it was delivered over the internet or in person is irrelevant. Teens are brutal, always have been. This girl killed herself over comments from a person she did/could not even know.I guess if mom can blame it on somebody else, she doesn''t have to assume any responsibility herself. If you prosecute anyone for false internet information, then the courts will be able to do nothing else.

[barbaram99]

Rudy is right. Cyberbulling has been in the news and kids do bully. We grew up. It is an issue and Rudy makes a good point. I say the parents need to buy a book or 2 on computers and not be scared of them. What about some of the games they play online. I play games as well. Some are not fit for kids. I am 54.

[rudy6543]

Mum.I have to ask ye this.Why was the computer NOT in the fsmily room.
********

Excellent question Barbara. I wish more would ask this very question. The girl was off in her own room suffering with the parents out in the other room completely unaware. Children need to be watched when they are on the internet, just as a parent keeps watch on them when they are outside.

[barbaram99]

i USED TO LIVE IN sT charls mo. I don''t use the social sites. I have them on the computer but I don''t use them.

[rudy6543]

I think the girl''s mother in this case needs to take full responsibility for letting an internet program control her daughter''s life. It was only a matter of time that this girl would have done what she did. That''s not to say that cyber bullying is ever justified, but it is clear to me that this mother is having a hard time realizing where her responsibility was and where it extended.

[barbaram99]

Mum.I have to ask ye this.Why was the computer NOT in the fsmily room. I am sorry but ye knew yer duties. I am hanicapped. I know the mind of a bully.
kids can be mean. I know. It is up to the care takers to put a stop to it. I have been picked on and I say this is pick on Barbara day..They are hurting themselves not me as i let them make fools of themselves. I feel for the child that killt herself..Where were ye. Computers are here and they are a tool. THER ARE NICE PEOPLE ON LINE. tEACH THEM TO HANDLE THE GOOD AND THE BAD.