Megan Meier MySpace Suicide: Prosecutors Question Drew's Employee

Prosecutors in Los Angeles questioned Lori Drew's employee, Ashley Grill, before a Grand Jury over the Megan Meier MySpace suicide case. Grill, who was 17 when Megan Meier committed suicide in October of 2006, testified that she did not act alone in setting up a fake MySpace account used to pull a hoax on the 13-year-old Megan. Grill's testimony could begin to peel away the fake facade of innocence maintained by Lori Drew through her attorneys.

Grills, who attempted to take her own life after Megan ended hers, stated that while she was responsible for setting up the profile of the fake 16-year-old boy named "Josh Evans", that Lori Drew and her daughter were also involved in the cruel online hoax.

Megan and her family lived just a few doors down from the Drews in a quiet suburb of St. Louis where the two girls were friends since elementary school. When the girls reached the 7th grade the relationship had become on-again, off-again, with Megan transitioning to a new school. Megan had asked her parents if she could open a MySpace account, after all, all the other kids were doing it too. Megan's parents agreed but counseled their daughter to be careful, to be wary of the people she met online. Megan met a boy on MySpace who said his name was Josh Evans, he was 16 and he lived in her area.

Megan's parents warned her to be careful but the online relationship with Josh seemed harmless and made Megan happy. Megan, like many girls her age, was insecure and unable to see her own unique qualities that made her special. After a period of about six weeks the relationship with Josh took a sharp turn with Josh telling Megan that "she was mean to her friends".

On October 16th, Megan went to school with invitations to her upcoming 14th birthday party. She had picked out a new dress and when she returned home from school she asked her mother to log onto the computer so Megan could see if Josh had posted any new messages to her. Megan wanted to know why Josh had been "so mean" to her.

Tina logged on but had to leave to take her other daughter to an appointment. Before she left she could see that Megan was still upset, evidently Josh's newest messages troubled Megan. Tina, in a hurry to get to the orthodontist's appointment told Megan to sign off.

"I will Mom," Megan told her. "Let me finish up."

Read Megan Meier MySpace Suicide: Prosecutors Question Drew's Employee at DBKP.com

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Lori Drew, Megan Meier: Prosecutor Presents Points in Drew's Defense

Jack Banas, the St. Charles County prosecutor who announced that no charges would be filed over the Megan Meier Internet hoax, answered some questions yesterday about why no charges would be forthcoming.

But he did not put an end to all the questions in the public's mind. And he was not the only one who commented on the story yesterday.

---BREAKING: Drew's Lawyer: Drew Knew, Didn't Stop It VIDEO REPORT

A blogger claiming to be Lori Drew posted "I'm Lori Drew" yesterday and engaged, for several hours in a running argument with readers who commented.

Whether it was really Lori Drew or not, it was one of the only places that was arguing another side to the Megan Meier story--albeit, not very effectively.

After looking over press accounts of the report yesterday by the prosecutor, we picked out what might be some items for the defense of Lori Drew in the public's mind.

They were among the reasons that Banas stated no criminal behavior had taken place among the hoaxers that he could find.

We present some salient facts. Do they argue for or against the prosecutor's decision?

* A friend and employee of the Drews', Ashley Grills, who was 18 at the time, located Megan's MySpace page. The three [Lori Drew, Ashley Grills, and Drew's daughter] created Josh Evans to find out what Megan was saying about Drew's daughter.

* For six weeks, Josh and Megan traded "innocuous" messages, Banas said, with no sexual suggestion and no "demeaning or disrespectful" language sent by either.

* On Oct. 15, 2006, the day before Megan committed suicide, a friend of Drew's daughter was given the password to the Josh Evans account. The friend sent Megan a message as Josh saying he had heard Megan was mean to her friends.

Who gave the friend of Drew's daughter the password?

Is a supervising adult responsible for the behavior of minors in her care? Hopefully, someone with a law degree will care to leave a comment or drop us an email.

MORE:

* Banas said it's unclear who created the fake MySpace profile. Grills told lawyers that Drew wanted her to set up a fake profile.

* Drew, however, said her daughter and Grills came to her with the idea. Drew agreed but told the girls they should only speak to Megan "in polite terms and not say anything disrespectful," Banas said.

* Drew told the FBI she let her daughter write Megan when she was present — only once or twice.

* There is no evidence that Drew wrote a single message, Banas said.

* On the day Megan hanged herself, it was Grills who wrote the final message, Banas said.

* Until now, the story told was that Grills told a lawyer representing Megan's parents that Drew was present and that she was telling Drew what she was typing.

* But according to an FBI report, Drew said she wasn't even home when the "heated exchange" between Josh and Megan took place, Banas said.

* And that same report shows that Grills had changed her story: It wasn't Lori Drew at home, but her husband, Curt Drew.

* Curt Drew said he was home, Banas said, but unaware.

Since the Drews have remained tight-lipped on the subject--except for police and FBI reports--these are the points in their defense.

What's the verdict, dear readers? Can anyone be held responsible in no court, other than public opinion?

Should even the court of public opinion find Lori Drew innocent? Do these facts included above hold any water with the public?

Is shunning an effective tool today? Is the contempt and scorn of neighbors and business associates a form of punishment?

Or can someone just choose to ignore the icy stares and whispers that follow their daily movements? Does that make a difference? Is it a form of punishment when all else fails?

Now that the information on why the prosecutor declined to file any charges is out, did it change your minds?

by Mondoreb

Source:

St. Louis Post-Dispatch - "Neighbor's Side of the Story Emerges"
DBKP - "Blogger: Lori Drew or Internet Troll?"
DBKP - "A Conversation Between Lori Drew and Internet Readers?"
DBKP - Lori Drew Author of 'Megan Had it Coming' Blog?

COMPLETE MySpace Suicide, Megan Meier, Lori Drew Coverage:
DBKP MySpace Suicide Library
Complete coverage - stories and videos from the first to have it on the Internet.




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