'Unknown Number': Kendra Licari Seems Unfazed About Bullying Her Daughter, 'That's Not Who I Am'

Netflix’s recently released true-crime docuseries Unknown Number: The High School Catfish has left the internet shaken and horrified. The documentary captures the chilling real-life case of cyberbullying, exposing how Michigan mom Kendra Licari terrorised her own teenage daughter, Lauryn, with thousands of threatening and some alarming texts sent from anonymous numbers for nearly two years. 

Unknown Number features bodycam footage of Licari confessing after police seized her devices, with Lauryn visibly shocked to learn her mother was the cyberbully. Now out of jail, Kendra’s indifferent response in the docuseries has left viewers infuriated at her lack of remorse for the whole incident.

How Kendra Licari justified cyberbullying her daughter

The cyberbullying began shortly before Halloween in 2020, when 14-year-old Lauryn Licari received the first chilling anonymous text. What followed was a relentless stream of cruel messages for the next two years, targeting Lauryn and her then-boyfriend Owen, sometimes flooding their phones with up to 50 texts a day.

Lauryn's mother, Kendra Licari, was revealed as the anonymous bully behind the disturbing case and is at the centre of Netflix’s Unknown Number. FBI investigations revealed she used fake accounts and VPNs to bully her daughter for over a year, leaving Lauryn stunned during the police bodycam-recorded confrontation. 

If Kendra’s shocking actions toward her own daughter weren’t disturbing enough, viewers were even more outraged by how she tried to justify her behaviour, with many seeing it as an attempt to normalise abuse. In the documentary, describing her actions as a mistake ‘anyone’ could make, Kendra can be heard saying:

“Realistically, a lot of us have probably broken the law at some point or another and not gotten caught. I’m sure people drove drunk and haven’t been caught.”

Kendra further distanced herself from her crime, not owning up to her actions, even when she admits she is guilty. Reflecting on the past, the 42-year-old used phrases like 'It was like I had a mask on' and 'that time frame is not who I am as a person.' These explanations have since left viewers reeling with Licari’s lack of remorse.

Some of the abusive texts Lauryn received from the ‘high school catfish’

The documentary shows just how brutal the anonymous texts were. In the disturbing messages, the unknown sender used Licari’s nickname, ‘Lo’, and commented on her outfits and hairstyles, convincing everyone it had to be someone from her close circle, likely within the school. The messages feel even more unsettling after knowing they were sent by Lauryn’s own mother. 

Some of the anonymous texts told Lauryn that Owen didn’t like her, while others cruelly claimed she wasn’t 'sexual enough' for her boyfriend. Kendra also mocked her daughter’s appearance and, in the darkest messages, urged her to take her own life. Lauryn reflected in the documentary:

“She told me to kill myself. It makes me feel a little bit sad. Why is my own mom telling me to do that?”

The fallout of Kendra’s actions

After nearly two years of torment, the FBI traced the messages back to Kendra’s devices, leading to her arrest. She pleaded guilty to stalking a minor and served about a year in prison. The consequences were devastating: her husband divorced her, she lost custody of Lauryn, and her daughter has since become estranged. Now 18, Lauryn has rebuilt her bond with her father, Shawn Licari, while maintaining a cautious bond with her mother.

What Kendra Licari says now

Now free from jail, Kendra Licari reflects on her past as an ‘awful place mentally’, adding that it was her own twisted way to protect her growing daughter. She mentioned an abusive experience from when she was Lauryn’s age, adding that watching Lauryn grow up triggered fear and anxiety she didn’t know how to handle. Licari stated:

"When I was 17, I was raped, and as my daughter was hitting those teenage years, I got scared, very scared. I didn’t want her to go through that process that I did, and I think that really led to me not knowing how to handle things.”

Still, many viewers feel her explanation fails to justify the cruelty of telling her daughter to end her life. Online reaction has been swift, with most calling her reasoning disturbing rather than redemptive. 

What are your thoughts on Kendra Licari’s justification for becoming her teenage daughter’s bully?

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