DBKP - Worldwide Leader in Weird: curt drew

Tuesday, December 4, 2007

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.

Death by 1000 Papercuts Front Page.

Thursday, November 29, 2007

Megan Meier MySpace Suicide: 30 Memorable Quotes

30 quotes from the people involved in the Megan Meier MySpace Suicide story and the media.

Megan, the 13-year-old daughter of Ron and Tina Meier, was the victim of harassment by "Josh", a boy she'd met at popular social site, MySpace. Upset at his messages, she hung herself.

"Josh" was later found to be a hoax, the fictional creation of Curt and Lori Drew, neighbors who lived down the street from the Meier's. "Josh" was created to by Lori Drew and her employee to monitor what Megan might be saying about the Drew's daughter after the two girls had a fight.

"Megan Meier is a slut. Megan Meier is fat."
--bulletin posted at MySpace by "Josh"

"Everybody in O'Fallon knows how you are. You are a bad person and everybody hates you. Have a shitty rest of your life. The world would be a better place without you."
--Josh's last message to Megan, according to Ron Meier's best recollection

"They are all being so mean to me."
--Megan Meier, to her mom, on the day of her death

"I grabbed her as she tried to go by," Ron says. "She told me that some kids were saying horrible stuff about her and she didn't understand why."
--Ron Meier right about what happened right before Megan took her life.

"She did sit here in my living room and confess everything to me. She told me that they had pulled an image of a boy off the Internet and that they had created an account using the name of Josh Evans, and she said she knew the last message that left her house that Monday when Megan attempted her life was that, 'The world would be a better place without you".
--an unnamed neighbor about how she learned Lori Drew was behind the hoax

"That is what makes it even more disgusting, that she knew the circumstances around our daughter and still played on it,"
--Ron Meier, Megan's father

“These people were supposed to be our friends.”
--Tina Meier, about their neighbors, the Drews

"Give it a rest. Give it a rest."
--Curt and Lori Drew, reportedly to the Meiers, when confronted by the Meier parents

"You cannot as an adult sit there and do that and hide behind a computer. It is a criminal act. We want to see her go to jail,"
---Tina Meier, Megan's mother, about Lori Drew

"It's time that we do something against this. On all levels, the state
and federal level,"
--Dardenne Prairie Mayor Pam Fogarty, on the need for stricter laws for Internet harassment

"Coincidentally, two months after Megan's suicide, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) reported that antidepressants double the risk of suicidal behavior in young adults. (Psychiatrists have disputed the FDA report.)"
--Jeff , from a post at "Megan's Vigilantes"

"We were concerned about the daughter [of the Drews] and to what extent she was involved and dragged along with this."
--Dave Bundy, editorial director of Lee Enterprises, the newspaper group that includes several papers who broke the Megan Meier story; on why his papers decided not to name the Drews.

"She [Lori Drew] is not being accused in a court of law, she is not being sued and our take is that we don’t run suspects unless charges are filed."
--Steve Pokin, reporter who wrote the original Megan Meier story.

"I posted that — where Curt works. I'm not ashamed to admit that. Why? Because there's never been any sense of remorse or public apology from the Drews, no 'maybe we made a mistake.' "
--Trevor Buckles, 40, a neighbor whose two teenage boys grew up with
Meier.

"We're all in shock. If I have anything to say about it, we'll never have our hands tied legally like this again."
--Mayor Fogerty

"There are enough details for people to find out who it is on their own. They are free to do so. It was a judgment call. I think there were a lot of other issues at stake."
--Pokin, on his critics for his not revealing the Drew's name in his stories.

"We believe that all the publicity about this situation has led to an air of vigilantism. We're concerned people will take things into their own hands."
--Lt. Craig McGuire of the St. Charles County Sheriff's Department

“Give me a break; that’s nothing. But it’s the most we could do. People are saying to me, ‘Let’s go burn down their house.’”
--Mayor Pam Fogarty said of the penalties imposed by the town of Dardenne Prairie, MO on cyber harassment. It's now punishable by up to a $500 fine and 90 days in jail.

"Ms. Drew used the same same exact mode of operation as a child predator enacts in the seduction of a child. Drew posed as a member of the opposite sex and spent weeks and weeks luring this girl into a relationship. But yet it went further. The adult Drew formed a heated relationship with the 13 year old girl. She worked hard to gain the girl's confidence. She exploited the girl intimately by posing as a boyfriend. Do you really thing there was no intimate grooming going on?"
--online comment by DanCnKC

"Oh and I don't think Lori Drew is so evil as everyone says. Megan was a total bitch to everyone around her especially Laura so if I was her mom I would be mad at Megan too and I would check up on her to see what shit she was spreading about my daughter."
--"Kristen", author of "Megan Had it Coming" blog.

"Lori Drew is a psychopath. That part is clear. But more disturbing than that are the actions of authorities: If it had been an adult MALE that "carried on" in a sexually explicit way with a 13 year old girl, even if it WERE for the purposes of revenge for his teen daughter, he'd be locked up as a pedophile."
--online comment by Danny Vice

"Every story has two sides and if you don't think so - then I hope you are never tried and convicted in your own court."
--JennaD, from a comment posted on "Megan Had it Coming" blog

"All we feel is frustration, anger. For months, we've been asking ourselves, 'What mother in her right mind would do this? And why won't the cops do anything to punish them? We just want them gone."
--neighbor Kristie Kriss, of the Drews

"The woman emotionally raped this child. She took her supposed love and sexual stimulation and crushed the girl emotionally with them. This girl was mentally raped [by] a mother and her employee. This adult and her friends played this girl into an emotional high... and then pulled the plug when it would inflict the highest possible damage. It took 4 months of planning."
--online comment by DanCnKC

"So nobody in the news talks about what Megan the bitch was like so now you know. Oh and don't bother trying to figure out who I am. Unlike Megan, I DO have a boyfriend and he knows computers and he totally covered my tracks."
--"Kristen", author of "Megan Had it Coming" blog

"Lori Drew groomed her victim like many child predators do, enticing her with flirtation, mild sexual conversation and playing on Megan's weakness. Lori knew that Megan had a low self esteem and was treated for depression.

Outing Child Predators has been public policy in most states and is usually upheld under the premise that the public has a right to reasonably protect itself from criminal behavior where it exists. Families with children have a right to know when those who might prey upon their child, live nearby. Public policy dictates that if a child is exposed to potential harm from predatory activity, then parents should at least have the opportunity to be aware such harm may exist."
--online comment by Danny Vice

"It's not to say if only Megan (spoke out/did this/did that/reached out), it's to say there has to be more positive and supportive role models out there for our youth.
The parents can only do so much. My solution: it's time to stop the "code of silence." It's time to not be afraid to speak up when something is wrong."
--online comment by Jo

"Megan's story really won't matter; some writers will bend it to fit their preconceived point of view. It'll not be about Megan to them: it'll be about using her as a tool to advance their cause. Laws for regulating the Internet; for stricter controls on what can be said online; to raise money; that any negative reactions are 'vigilantism'; for more money for suicide prevention: take your pick.

They'll all invoke the name and story of Megan Meier. To most of those, she'll cease to be a 13-year-old schoolgirl: she'll be a slogan."
--RE Bierce, commenting the first week of the story on future likely reactions.

“There are no words to explain my rage.”
--Tina Meier

by Mondoreb