What Is the True Story Behind Unknown Number: The High School Catfish? Inside the Shocking Small-Town Scandal By Beth Sobol

Netflix’s documentary Unknown Number: The High School Catfish tells the real-life account of a teenage couple who were cyberbullied for nearly two years before the culprit was identified as someone no one expected.

In the small town of Beal City, Mich., Lauryn Licari and Owen McKenny were called the “Golden Couple.” Together since junior high, they entered high school closer than ever.

Out of nowhere, a group text was sent to both Licari and McKenny from an unknown number claiming he was cheating on her. They found it odd, but dismissed it. A year later, the texts returned at an alarming rate, up to 40-50 a day. The messages, as shown in the documentary, threatened Licari and made sexually explicit advances toward McKenny.

Because the sender used an app that kept regenerating new phone numbers, Licari and McKenny were unable to block them. It also prevented law enforcement from tracing the texts.

After nearly two years of harassment, the FBI finally cracked the case, and the sender’s identity was revealed in a twist that shocked the entire town. The Netflix documentary, which premiered on Aug. 29, retraces the steps of the case and sees where Licari and McKenny are now.

Here’s everything to know about the true story behind Unknown Number: The High School Catfish.

Licari and McKenny received the first menacing text in October 2020

Having grown up next to each other, McKenny officially asked Licari out in eighth grade. They spent so much time together that their parents became good friends, having each other over for barbecues and other family activities.

In 2020, shortly before Halloween, Licari and McKenny received the first round of texts from an unknown number. The first read, “Hi Lauryn, Owen is breaking up with you.” Others included, “He no longer likes you and hasn’t liked you for a while,” and “It’s obvious he wants me.”

Then they stopped.

Friends and family were accused of sending the texts

Then, the texts returned the following year, with Licari and McKenny receiving messages all day and often through the night.

The sender also started calling Licari by her nickname, Lo, indicating they knew her personally. They would also comment on the outfit she was wearing in class and how she styled her hair that day, leading everyone to believe it was someone at school.

The principal contacted state police, who questioned Licari and McKenny’s friends. All claimed they had nothing to do with it.

At one point, a student named Khloe was suspected because she had several burner accounts on her phone, and some of the texts mimicked the language she used online. Khloe insisted she was being framed, possibly by McKenny’s young cousin Adrianna, who Khloe claimed disliked her.

Unable to find phone records that matched Khloe’s number, the police moved on.

Licari and McKenny later broke up because of the stress of the harassment

The nonstop harassment caused tension in Licari and McKenny’s relationship. The couple fought and Licari said she grew increasingly insecure and started questioning McKenny’s loyalty. He decided they should give the relationship a break in hopes the sender would leave them alone.

Instead, the messages got worse. Licari began receiving physical threats and messages encouraging her to die by suicide. Other texts made reference to McKenny’s new girlfriend, who lived in another town, which implied the sender was stalking him.

The FBI eventually solved the case after years of investigating

The case reached a cyber expert from the FBI Computer Crimes Tax Force, who subpoenaed the app company’s phone records, then meticulously went through every number used by the sender to find an IP address (an individual number assigned to every cell phone and laptop) that matched.

There was only one match: Licari’s mother, Kendra.

The police went to the Licaris’ home, where Kendra admitted to being the perpetrator nearly right away. Using police cam footage, Unknown Number shows video of the confrontation. Upon being told Kendra was the culprit, Licari appeared in disbelief, and her father was irate.

Kendra also confessed she had been lying about her employment for the past year, claiming to have a job that didn’t exist.

Licari’s mom was arrested and charged with two counts of stalking a minor and two counts of communicating with another to commit a crime, according to NBC News. In April 2023, Kendra pleaded guilty to the two stalking counts and was sentenced to 19 months to five years in prison.

She was released on parole in August 2024, per the Michigan Department of Corrections.

Mckenny’s mom later said it made sense that Kendra was the culprit

For McKenny’s mom, Jill, things began adding up as she started remembering details only Kendra could have known.

At one point, the sender texted a photo of McKenny taken at their Christmas party, which meant that only someone who attended the celebration could have been the perpetrator. At first, this was another reason Adrianna was suspected of framing Khloe, but Kendra was also present at the party.

McKenny’s mother also said that after Licari and McKenny’s breakup, Kendra continued to quiz her about her son’s love life. After Kendra confessed, Jill realized that’s how the texter knew about her son’s new girlfriend.

Licari and her mother have since stopped speaking

After Kendra’s arrest, the story made national news. Licari’s father divorced Kendra and won full custody of his daughter, per The Cut.

Kendra emailed her from prison, but once she was out, Licari explained in the documentary that she is no longer allowed to see her. The teenager added, though, that she would like to rebuild their relationship “when the time is right.”

The documentary also revealed that Licari and McKenny never got back together and are no longer close.