Home Buzzing Celebrity Trends 04

5 Shocking Revelations From 'Unknown Number: The High School Catfish' On Netflix

• minute read
Contents

The search term "Catfish High School Netflix" is currently trending, but it refers to one of the most disturbing true crime documentaries to hit the streaming platform in recent memory: Unknown Number: The High School Catfish. Released to massive public attention, this documentary is not a new season of MTV's Catfish: The TV Show, but a deep dive into a real-life, prolonged cyberbullying and catfishing campaign that rocked a small Michigan community and exposed a perpetrator no one saw coming. As of December 2025, the film continues to generate intense discussion for its jaw-dropping revelations and the profound impact of digital deception on young lives.

The film, directed by Skye Borgman (known for Abducted in Plain Sight), unravels a two-year-long nightmare faced by a high school couple, Lauryn and Owen, who were relentlessly harassed by a mysterious, anonymous texter. This case transcends typical high school drama, evolving into a complex criminal investigation with twists that left even seasoned detectives stunned. The documentary serves as a chilling warning about the dangers lurking behind the anonymity of a screen.

The True Story: Unmasking the High School Catfish

The documentary Unknown Number: The High School Catfish centers on the harrowing experience of Lauryn and her then-boyfriend, Owen, students at a high school in the small town of Isabella County, Michigan. Their relationship became the target of an unrelenting catfishing and cyberstalking campaign starting in 2021.

The perpetrator used multiple anonymous phone numbers and social media accounts to send thousands of harassing, threatening, and manipulative messages. The messages were designed to sow discord between the couple, alienate them from their friends, and ultimately destroy their lives. The intensity and volume of the cyberbullying were unprecedented, leading the victims and their families to seek help from the police and school authorities.

The case was initially difficult to crack due to the sophisticated use of technology to mask the sender's identity, including the use of virtual private networks (VPNs) and burner apps. Local police eventually enlisted the help of specialized investigators. The investigation painstakingly tracked the digital trail, leading them to a shocking conclusion that turned the entire community upside down.

The Catfish: Kendra Licari Biography and Profile

The identity of the person behind the relentless catfishing campaign was revealed to be Kendra Licari, a 42-year-old mother who was deeply embedded in the lives of the victims. Her profile details are as follows:

  • Full Name: Kendra Gail Licari
  • Age: 42 at the time of her arrest (44 as of late 2025)
  • Location: Remus, Michigan (Isabella County area)
  • Relationship to Victims: She was the mother of Lauryn, one of the primary victims, and a volunteer coach at the high school.
  • Role in the Community: Known as a local mother and active community member, her position of trust made the revelation even more shocking.
  • Motive: The documentary explores various potential motives, including a desire to keep her daughter and Owen apart, or a form of Munchausen by proxy (creating a crisis to gain attention and sympathy).
  • Legal Status: She was charged with two counts of felony stalking and two counts of using a computer to commit a crime.
  • Sentence: In 2023, she was sentenced to a minimum of 19 months to a maximum of five years in prison, along with a $7,783 fine.

The fact that a parent was the orchestrator of the abuse against her own child and her child's boyfriend is the central, gut-wrenching twist that has made Unknown Number: The High School Catfish a must-watch true crime entry.

5 Shocking Revelations from the Netflix Documentary

The documentary is a masterclass in building tension and revealing uncomfortable truths. Here are the five most shocking revelations that captivated audiences and defined the case:

1. The Catfish Was the Victim's Own Mother

The single most unbelievable twist is that Kendra Licari, Lauryn’s mother, was the person behind the anonymous numbers. She was sending thousands of texts and messages to her daughter and Owen, often pretending to be another teen, a concerned parent, or even a school administrator. This act of "parental catfishing" is a rare and deeply disturbing form of abuse, shattering the trust a child should have in their primary caregiver.

2. She Catfished Her Daughter to Gain Sympathy

While the exact, concrete motive is complex, investigators and commentators suggest that Licari may have been seeking attention and sympathy. By creating the crisis, she could position herself as the supportive, caring mother helping her daughter through a terrible ordeal. She was actively participating in the investigation and comforting her daughter while simultaneously sending the malicious messages. This level of psychological manipulation is what makes the case so chilling.

3. The Scale of the Cyberbullying Was Massive

This wasn't a one-off prank. The catfishing campaign lasted for nearly two years and involved a staggering volume of communication. Licari admitted to sending over 12,000 text messages, social media posts, and emails, often using sophisticated methods to hide her identity. She established multiple fake personas, cycling through different accounts to maintain the illusion of numerous tormentors. The sheer dedication to the deception highlights the severity of her psychological state.

4. The Use of Advanced Digital Evasion Tactics

Kendra Licari demonstrated an alarming level of tech savviness. She used VPNs (Virtual Private Networks) to mask her IP address, burner phone apps to generate anonymous numbers, and other digital tools to evade detection. The documentary details the painstaking process the investigators had to go through, collaborating with multiple tech companies and obtaining warrants, to peel back the layers of digital deception and finally trace the activity back to her home network.

5. The Catfish Continued After the Breakup

A particularly disturbing detail is that the catfishing didn't stop once Lauryn and Owen broke up. Licari continued to harass Owen and his new girlfriend for a full year after the initial couple split. This strongly suggests that her actions were not solely motivated by a desire to protect her daughter, but by a deeper, more personal obsession with controlling or tormenting the victims. This extension of the crime solidified the severity of the stalking charges against her.

The Broader Impact and The Legacy of Catfishing Documentaries

The success of Unknown Number: The High School Catfish on Netflix is part of a larger trend of true crime documentaries focusing on digital deception. While the original Catfish film and subsequent MTV show popularized the term, this new wave of documentaries—including titles like Sweet Bobby: My Catfish Nightmare—highlights the darker, criminal, and often deeply personal consequences of online manipulation.

The film serves as a critical piece of media for parents, educators, and teens, illustrating that cyberbullying and catfishing are not just harmless online pranks. They have real-world, devastating psychological effects. The case of Kendra Licari is a stark reminder that the perpetrators of these crimes can be anyone, even those closest to the victims, operating from a place of deep-seated psychological need or malice. The documentary's legacy is a heightened awareness of the importance of digital literacy, online safety, and the need for rigorous investigation into anonymous online harassment.

If you were searching for "Catfish High School Netflix," be sure to watch Unknown Number: The High School Catfish. It is a fresh, unique, and terrifying look at how deep the rabbit hole of digital deception can go, and how a mother's betrayal became a national true crime obsession. The story is a powerful cautionary tale for the digital age, proving that sometimes, the call is coming from inside the house.

5 Shocking Revelations from 'Unknown Number: The High School Catfish' on Netflix
catfish high school netflix
catfish high school netflix

Detail Author:

  • Name : Roslyn Fay
  • Username : boyle.sage
  • Email : ellie.wintheiser@yahoo.com
  • Birthdate : 1981-12-21
  • Address : 8406 Rippin Estate Lake Alexandrea, MD 32899
  • Phone : 1-341-742-7190
  • Company : Eichmann PLC
  • Job : Telephone Station Installer and Repairer
  • Bio : Aut et et dolorem nihil qui. Ut inventore occaecati repellendus iure blanditiis dolor corporis. Id nobis possimus qui nam aliquid.

Socials

facebook:

tiktok:

linkedin:

Random Posts