Sometimes truth really is stranger than fiction. Netflix’s new documentary Unknown Number The High School Catfish is making viewers gasp, cry, and yell at their screens all at once. The film dives into one of the most twisted cases of catfishing ever — a mom who pretended to be a bully to torment her own daughter. Yes, you read that right.
The story is shocking, heartbreaking, and absolutely binge-worthy. And of course, the internet is already buzzing about it.
A Small Town Secret That Turned Into a Nightmare
The quiet town of Beal City, Michigan, never expected to land in the national spotlight. But when strange text messages started flooding the phone of a teenage girl named Lauryn, life took a dark turn.
For over a year starting in 2021, Lauryn and her boyfriend Owen were bombarded with texts from an unknown number. Some were petty and manipulative, others were sexual, and many were downright cruel. Messages told Lauryn her boyfriend didn’t love her, that he was cheating, and eventually escalated to death wishes like “kill yourself now.”
At first, it looked like classic teenage drama with a bully hiding behind a screen. But the truth was much darker.
The Shocking Twist It Was Mom All Along
When police and even the FBI got involved, they eventually traced the messages back to someone close to Lauryn. Not a jealous classmate. Not a random internet troll.
It was her own mother.
Kendra Licari, the woman raising Lauryn, was the one sending hundreds of abusive texts to her daughter and her boyfriend. She used apps to disguise her number, making it look like the harassment was coming from a peer. To make matters even stranger, Kendra often checked in with investigators herself, asking if they’d caught the culprit yet.
In December 2022, the police showed up at her home with a warrant. Body cam footage in the documentary shows Kendra’s shocking arrest while Lauryn stood by in stunned silence.
The Messages No One Could Believe
The documentary doesn’t hold back. It reveals some of the vile messages Kendra sent, many of which are too cruel to imagine a parent writing to their child.
- “Kill yourself now b****”
- “His life would be better if you were dead”
- “He wants sex, bjs n making out, he don’t want ur sry a**”
Some texts used Lauryn’s nickname “Lo” — something only close friends or family called her. That tiny detail made the messages extra disturbing and should have been a red flag all along.
At the peak of the harassment, Owen was getting up to 50 texts a day. The stress of the cyberbullying was so overwhelming that Lauryn and Owen broke up, hoping the harassment would stop. It didn’t.
Why Did She Do It
The big question everyone has is the same one Lauryn asks in the documentary Why would a mom do this to her own daughter
Kendra’s reasoning is messy and unsettling. In interviews, she claims she was afraid of her daughter growing up too fast. She references her own trauma, including being raped at 17, and suggests she wanted to keep Lauryn close to her.
Experts in the film say it was almost like a digital version of Munchausen syndrome. Instead of making her daughter physically sick, Kendra created an environment where Lauryn was constantly tormented so she would rely on her mother more.
Still, nothing fully explains the escalation to messages encouraging suicide. Even the director admits Kendra never gives a satisfying answer for that.
A Creepy Obsession With Lauryn’s Boyfriend
The documentary also digs into Kendra’s strange behavior toward Lauryn’s then-boyfriend, Owen. He recalls her cutting up his food for him, attending all his sporting events even after the breakup, and checking in on him in ways that didn’t feel normal.
Both Owen and his mother question whether Kendra may have been attracted to him. The film doesn’t confirm this, but it raises uncomfortable questions that linger long after the credits roll.
From PTA Mom to Prison Time
In 2023, Kendra was sentenced to at least 19 months in prison. Once a trusted figure in her small town and even a school employee, she is now remembered for one of the most bizarre and damaging catfishing cases in recent memory.
The body cam footage of her calm, almost cooperative arrest is chilling. It’s hard to reconcile the image of a mother helping with school events with the reality of someone who spent months sending vile texts to her own daughter.
Where Things Stand Between Mother and Daughter
Lauryn has since graduated high school and is trying to move forward. She’s closer than ever to her dad, Shawn, and appears determined to build a healthier future.
At first, Lauryn stayed in touch with her mom while she was in prison. But by 2024, her feelings shifted. She admitted she wasn’t ready to let Kendra back into her life, at least not in the same way.
In one of the documentary’s most emotional moments, Lauryn says, “I just want her to get the help she needs, so when we see each other, it doesn’t go back to the old ways.” Despite everything, her final words in the film are heartbreaking “I love her more than anything.”
The Internet Reacts About Unknown Number The High School Catfish
Since its release, Unknown Number The High School Catfish has blown up online. Viewers are horrified, fascinated, and emotionally wrecked by the story.
Tweets and TikToks show people saying things like “This is the wildest true-crime story I’ve ever heard” and “I can’t stop thinking about how this girl’s own mom was behind it all.”
Some even joke about Netflix’s growing collection of jaw-dropping true crime docs, writing “Just when I thought Tinder Swindler was peak crazy, Netflix said hold my phone.”
Why Unknown Number The High School Catfish Documentary Hits So Hard
There have been plenty of shocking Netflix true-crime stories, but this one feels different. It’s not about strangers, online scammers, or shady cult leaders. It’s about a mom and her daughter. The betrayal is so personal, it cuts deeper than any con artist or criminal mastermind.
It’s also a reminder of how damaging technology can be in the wrong hands. We talk about teens being cyberbullied by classmates, but this case flips that idea on its head. Sometimes, the bully is closer than anyone realizes.
Netflix’s Unknown Number The High School Catfish Mom Shocker Has Everyone Talking
Unknown Number The High School Catfish is a tough watch, but it’s also impossible to look away from. It’s disturbing, heartbreaking, and mind-blowing all at once.
It leaves viewers asking the same haunting question Lauryn herself is still wrestling with Why would a mother do this
Netflix has once again delivered a documentary that people can’t stop talking about. And while the internet debates, Lauryn’s story serves as a sobering reminder of trust, betrayal, and the complicated bond between parents and children.
