A father shares his emotional response after discovering that his wife had anonymously bullied their daughter online for over a year. The chilling case is explored in the Netflix documentary Unknown Number: The High School Catfish.
In a heart-wrenching twist, a father’s world was turned upside down when he learned that his wife, Kendra Licari, was behind the anonymous bullying and harassment of their 13-year-old daughter, Lauryn. The shocking discovery is explored in the new Netflix documentary Unknown Number: The High School Catfish, which delves into the devastating impact of online bullying and the lengths one mother went to deceive her family.
The story began in October 2020 when Lauryn Licari started receiving threatening and degrading messages from an anonymous source. Her then-boyfriend, Owen McKenny, also began receiving similar messages. The bullying temporarily stopped, only to resume almost a year later in September 2021, escalating both in frequency and severity.
Kendra, Lauryn’s mother, along with Owen’s mother, worked closely with school officials and law enforcement in Beal City to uncover the identity of the mysterious bully. After a thorough investigation, the truth came to light — it was Kendra herself sending the harassing messages.
The documentary captures the shocking moment when Lauryn’s father, Shawn Licari, received the call from the sheriff’s office. He recalls: “I get this crazy phone call at work, and it’s the sheriff saying that they figured it out. I’m like, ‘sweet, finally this is gonna be over with.'”
However, Shawn’s relief quickly turned to disbelief when the sheriff revealed the unimaginable: “I’m sorry, I gotta’ tell you this… unfortunately it’s your wife.”
Shawn was left speechless, struggling to process the devastating news. The sheriff explained that Kendra’s phone number had been traced back to every threatening message sent to Lauryn and Owen. With a search warrant in hand, authorities seized Kendra’s phones and computer, confirming her involvement in the online harassment.
In body cam footage from the investigation, the sheriff can be seen explaining the severity of the situation to Shawn. “Felony stalking. That’s what the charge is,” the sheriff stated, detailing how Kendra had lost her jobs during the investigation, though Shawn had been under the impression that she had resigned voluntarily.
When Shawn confronted Kendra at home, he was visibly shaken. He questioned her about losing her jobs and demanded answers. “We’ve got to be separated for a little while,” he said, still in shock.
In the documentary, Kendra offers her side of the story, insisting that she didn’t send the initial messages, which told Lauryn that Owen was going to break up with her. Instead, she claims to have started sending the subsequent messages in an attempt to uncover the truth. She says, “In my mind, I’m like, ‘How long do we let this go on? What do I do as a parent?’ I really wanted to get to the bottom of who it was.”
Kendra explained that her actions were driven by a desire to find out who was bullying her daughter, but over time, it spiraled out of control. “It was a snowball effect,” she admitted, acknowledging that she didn’t know how to stop. “I was somebody different in those moments. I was in an awful place mentally. It was like I had a mask on or something, I didn’t even know who I was.”
In the documentary, Kendra expresses deep remorse for her actions, saying she is “very disappointed” in herself and has let down her family. Lauryn is now living with Shawn, who has full custody of her, as the family works to heal from the betrayal and emotional turmoil.
The documentary Unknown Number: The High School Catfish is now available to stream on Netflix, shedding light on the profound effects of online bullying, deception, and the shocking twists that can unfold in families.
