UPDATES ON THE MEGAN MEIER/ MYSPACE SUICIDE CASE

As of May 2008: CLICK HERE FOR LORI DREW'S INDICTMENT ANNOUNCEMENT

EOPC reiterates that we and "Fighter" (the pseudonym used by all the people who run this site) has NEVER at any time encouraged anyone to harm to the Drew family or any other sort of vigilante justice.

We do ask, as Tina Meier (Megan's mother) has asked - to continue to write to legal authorities and ask for justice in the case. A case in which NOTHING was done for over a year!

2 Articles from the Meier Family Local Paper:
POKIN AROUND: Who is 'Kristen'? And who, really, is 'Lori Drew'? The investigation begins.

By Steve Pokin

"I'm Lori Drew" is the introduction to a Dec. 3 posting on the inflammatory blog "Megan Had It Coming."

The blog's creation Nov. 18 was a painful and sad moment in a story with enough pain and sorrow for a lifetime.

Megan Meier, a 13-year-old who lived in Dardenne Prairie, took her life in October 2006 not knowing that Josh Evans, the 16-year-old boy who was mean to her on MySpace, was not real. Instead, he was created as part of a hoax played out by neighbors down the street and an 18-year-old girl.

And now the St. Charles County Sheriff's Department, with its highly regarded computer forensics department, will try to find out who stooped so low.

"The matter is under investigation," Lt. Craig McGuire said. "Where that is going to lead us, we don't know."

Will it lead to Lori Drew? The real Lori Drew? The one in Dardenne Prairie?

Absolutely not, says James L. Briscoe, Drew's attorney.

"Someone claims to be her," Briscoe says. "It's not her. She has not done anything anywhere. So that makes it pretty simple."

Briscoe on Friday released a statement that, in part, said: "Any internet message that purports to be a member of the Drew family is being managed by an impostor and undoubtedly is being done for the purpose of further damaging the Drews' reputation."

Then who is it?

Some insider? Someone close to the story? Someone in the Waterford Crystal neighborhood?

Or will investigators discover this dismaying chapter was penned by someone a thousand miles away who'd read about the case and had no personal connection to it?

Will it be someone who, for whatever reason - maybe there wasn't anything good on TV that night - sat down at a keyboard to see how much anger, hate and sadness could be set in motion?

The debate in the blogosphere is whether this was really Lori Drew. Some argue it must be. There was so much detail, they say.

I read the posting and, for many reasons, I say it's not.

The "Lori Drew" post ends this way:

"The final word from authorities has come down that there will be no charges, so I don't have to remain silent. There's no point in hiding anymore. The internet has made it clear that mob revenge must prevail, even if there's no justice in it. So be it.

"Here I am internet. Come get me."

Can you imagine anyone in Lori Drew's position saying that?

I can't.

But if it's not Lori Drew, asks Randy Bierce, who in August created the blog "Death By 1000 Papercuts," why hasn't the real Lori Drew called Google and demanded that "Megan Had It Coming" be taken down?

"Lori Drew could have this blog shut down at the touch of the button," says Bierce, who blogs as Mondoreb and, at times, as Randy Richochet, in an office near Pittsburgh.

His blog has covered extensively the Megan Meier story, as well as the controversy surrounding "Megan Had It Coming."

Bierce says he and co-workers are split on whether the person posting as "Lori Drew" is really Lori Drew.

"The question is, 'Why would anybody in their right mind do that?'" he said. "But the reaction to the whole story is why would anybody do what she did in the first place?"

"Megan Had It Coming" falls within Blogger.com, which is owned by Google. A spokesman for Google on Friday responded to my questions via e-mail.

According to Google's Terms of Service, although negative and distasteful content is allowed, it is a violation to impersonate someone by using their real name. (Impersonating someone by using a nickname, handle or screen name is allowed.)

"When we are notified of the existence of content that may violate our Terms of Service, we act quickly to review it and determine whether it actually violates our policies," according to the Google spokesman. "If we determine that it does, we remove it immediately. We are currently reviewing an impersonation claim related to this blog."

The "I'm Lori Drew" poster also claimed to be the same person who started the blog. The creator, in that first post, wrote in the persona of a teenage girl who called herself Kristen, acknowledging that Kristen was not her real name.

Kristen claimed she and Megan were "sort of friends," and she called Megan a "drama queen" just as likely to have killed herself for not getting enough to eat at dinner.

Predictably, others responded with shock and anger and accused "Kristen" of being the real Lori Drew.

It makes me wonder: Who writes this stuff? For what purpose? Just to do evil?

Bierce explained that "trolls" are people who have no connection to a story but post comments simply to pour gasoline on a burning controversy.

Bierce said his analysis of postings from "Kristen" and "Lori Drew" indicates that Kristen, after making that first entry, did not post for several days. That behavior is unlike a typical "troll," he said.

On the other hand, "Lori Drew" posted and responded for several hours until, apparently, he or she quit following an avalanche of response. This would more closely fit the "troll" pattern.

Bierce said he expects law enforcement to eventually ascertain who really posted as "Kristen" and who really posted as "Lori Drew."

Ron and Tina Meier, who are divorcing in large part because of Megan's death, support the investigation by the sheriff's department.

Ron said the blog puts his daughter in an untrue, negative light.

"I am just glad that they are looking into this stuff and treating it more seriously," he said. "I don't know if it's Lori Drew who did it. I believe not."

Tina Meier sees irony in that someone posing as Lori Drew could possibly be charged under a new Dardenne Prairie law created in response to Megan's death and the MySpace hoax behind it.

Tina wants the sheriff's department to pursue not only this case, but also all local cases where there's a complaint of cyberspace harassment, bullying or impersonation.

The real Lori Drew has not complained to law enforcement.

Jack Banas, the St. Charles County prosecuting attorney, said he asked the sheriff's department to investigate the blog after being questioned by a TV reporter.

"I have not talked to Mrs. Drew about this at all," Banas said.

He would not comment on what the possible violation might be.

"I'm not going to speculate on what crime it might be or what it might not be because I don't know until it is investigated," Banas said.

SOURCE

MORE ON THE MEGAN HAD IT COMING BLOG - Click Here

WHO'S AT FAULT? THE BLOGGERS OF COURSE! click here

DOES LORI DREW SPEAK WITH FORKED TONGUE? click here

30 QUOTES FROM THE WEB ON THE MEGAN MEIER CASE - click here

MORE PRESS ON THE MEGAN MEIER CASE - click here

POKIN AROUND: No charges to be filed over Meier suicide

No charges will be filed in connection with the October 2006 suicide of 13-year-old Megan Meier, of Dardenne Prairie, who was the victim of a MySpace hoax involving a boy who never existed.

Jack Banas, St. Charles County prosecuting attorney, said at a Monday press conference that he reviewed state laws regarding harassment, stalking and child endangerment and concluded that the intent of those who created the fake MySpace account did not meet the criminal threshold.

In fact, Banas said, Lori J. Drew, 48, the woman down the street who was involved in creating the fake account for "Josh Evans," was not home the day several mean messages were sent to Megan through the Josh account, including one that stated, "The world would be a better place without you."

Ron Meier, Megan's father, said he believes that is the final message Megan saw before she went upstairs to her room and hanged herself.

Banas said Lori Drew saw the ambulance at the Meiers' house when she arrived home and quickly learned from her daughter and a temporary employee about the messages that had been sent to Megan from Josh.

Banas' Monday announcement was not news to Megan's parents, Ron and Tina Meier. Banas had contacted Tina Meier on Friday.

"I am very disappointed, very let down," Ron Meier said Monday.

Banas said communication between Josh and Megan was benign until an Oct. 15, 2006, message that was sent from a different girl on the block who had been given the password to the Josh account.

The message said: "I don't know if I want to be friends with you anymore because I've heard that you are not very nice to your friends."

Banas said most of the messages sent from Josh over six weeks were written by Ashley Grills, then 18, of O'Fallon, a temporary employee of Lori Drew's business, Drew Advantage. Grills often worked from the Drews' home.

Banas said it was Grills who typed what is believed to be the final message and it was Grills who was at the computer in the Drews' home typing messages for hours as Josh before Megan killed herself. Banas said the Drews' daughter, then 13, was with Grills at the time.

Banas said he was unable to interview Grills, now 19, because she has been under psychiatric care and was hospitalized as a result of her involvement in Megan's death. He said he saw no need to interview her at a later date.

Banas said he knows Grills' role because she was interviewed in an FBI investigation into Megan's death. The U.S. Attorney's Office for Eastern Missouri also did not file charges.

Prior to the FBI interview, attorney Scott Rosenblum, who was working for Ron and Tina Meier, interviewed Grills in November 2006.

In that interview, Grills stated that when the final messages were sent to Megan, Lori Drew was in the kitchen and fully aware of what was going on.

However, Banas said Monday that Grills did not tell the truth in that interview but did when interviewed by the FBI, when she stated that Lori Drew was not home.

"The girls involved in this will never forget this," Banas said. "Nor should they."

Banas said that Curt Drew, Lori Drew's husband, had known about the fake MySpace account and told his wife and daughter it was a bad idea. Nevertheless, the account was not closed.

Grills and Lori Drew dispute whose idea it was to create the fake MySpace account, Banas said.

Grills says it was Lori Drew's idea, and Lori Drew says that her daughter and Grills came to her with the idea, Banas said.

The Meiers and news media have focused on a Nov. 25, 2006, St. Charles County Sheriff's Department report that states: "Drew stated in the months leading up (to) Meier's daughter's suicide she instigated and monitored a "my space" account which was created for the sole purpose of communicating with Meier's daughter."

In an interview before the story was first published Nov. 11 in the Journal, Lori Drew said the report was "totally wrong" but declined to explain what she thought was incorrect.

Banas said the report, in essence, is correct, but that in other interviews, including the one with him, Lori Drew has maintained that it was not her idea to create the account.

Lori Drew's daughter was an on-again, off-again friend of Megan's for several years. In the summer of 2006, the two girls had a falling out.

Banas said Grills found Megan's MySpace account. Megan would not accept either Grills or the Drews' daughter as a "friend" on her account.

But Megan readily accepted Josh Evans. The phony account included a photo of a handsome 16-year-old boy who said he was new to the area, from a broken home and found Megan attractive. Megan and Josh quickly struck up a friendship.

Banas said it was Grills who created the Josh Evans account.

Regarding Megan's MySpace account, Tina and Ron Meier had the password and closely monitored their daughter's use.

Tina Meier has said her daughter for many years battled depression and struggled to keep her weight down and was thrilled Josh was interested in her.

Megan had switched schools and was attending Immaculate Conception in Dardenne Prairie for eighth grade and was the happiest she had been in years, her parents say.

Banas said that Lori Drew said she knew Megan had attention deficit disorder but did not know Megan suffered from depression. Ron Meier disputes that.

"Lori Drew knew without a doubt that our daughter suffered from depression," he said Monday. "She knew the medications that she was on for depression. She knew that Megan was in counseling and went to therapy."

The actions of the Drews and Grill were not criminal, Banas said, because their intent was not to stalk, endanger or harass.

"They did it so they could find out what Megan was saying about Mrs. Drew's daughter," Banas said. "That is undisputed.

"The only purpose was to find out what one little girl was saying about another little girl," he said.

Banas said his review has brought to light loopholes in existing laws that need to be "cleaned up." For example, he said, the state charge of harassment makes no mention of the Internet.

Banas said - as Tina Meier also has said - in the hours before Megan took her life, she was upset and was firing off mean messages with foul language.

Tina Meier had left Megan alone on the MySpace account because she had to take her younger daughter to an orthodontist appointment. Megan had promised to sign off as soon as she had finished writing a message. She didn't and things got worse.

Banas said Lori Drew should have ended the charade.

"The adults should have said something to stop this and not become involved in a spat with a couple of 13-year-old girls," Banas said.

"I think parents need to step back and take a look at what can happen when you become too involved with your child as a friend and not as a parent," Banas said.

Banas said he was aware of the national outrage directed at the Drews, much of it originating in cyberspace. Lori and Curt Drew have had their address posted on the Internet, as well as their phone numbers. One site showed a satellite photo of their home.

In addition, the Drews' home has been vandalized.

"Because we can't prosecute somebody, it certainly does not justify violating the law," Banas said.

He described Lori Drew as "upset, cautious and guarded" when he interviewed her. Banas said that Lori Drew felt "terrible" about Megan's death.

Banas said the Drews' daughter, now 15, is attending a different school and is not currently living with her parents. He said Lori Drew was fearful of telling him where her daughter lives.

The Meiers did not attend Monday's press conference.

Ron Meier questioned Banas' review of the case.

"Did he ever talk to me? No," Ron Meier said. "Did he ever talk to Tina? No. Did he talk to the 18-year-old employee? No. The only ones he ever talked to were Curt and Lori Drew."

Banas said he did not talk to Ron Meier because of a pending criminal vandalism charge. Ron Meier is accused of tearing up the Drews' front lawn with his pickup truck in March.

Banas did talk to Tina Meier Friday. But Ron Meier said that conversation was for Banas to inform her of his decision.

Banas was asked Monday if he came away from this case with insights or conclusions regarding cyberspace.

Yes, he said, "You don't know who you are talking to."

SOURCE

CLICK HERE FOR AN OPEN DISCUSSION BOARD ON THE MEGAN MEIER CASE

PLEASE CONTINUE THE PRESSURE ON THE LAW MAKERS TO CHARGE LORI DREW!

Write and/or fax a letter to:

Jack Banas, Prosecuting Attorney (who refuses to file charges and talk to the Meier famiy directly!)
Courts Administration Building
Room 601
300 North Second Street
St. Charles, MO 63301
~~~~~~~~~~

Tom Neer,
St Charles County Sheriff Department
101 Sheriff Dierker Court
O' Fallon, MO 63366
Fax: (636) 949-3078
E-Mail: sheriff@sccmo.org

Mrs. Lori Drew, the ADULT woman who started it all, actually had the gall to file a complaint against the parents of the girl she tormented, for destroying a "foosball table" she asked them to hide for Christmas.

The Meier family, when they learned of Drew's harassment of their daughter months after her death, destroyed the foosball table and drove its remains onto the Drew lawn. The police filed a report about the property damage -- but not about Drew's harassment and goading of Meier?!

Tell the police to drop the property charges and file new ones against Mrs. Drew.
~~~~~~~~

Rep. Doug Funderburk
MO House of Representatives
201 West Capitol Avenue
Room 236B Jefferson City MO 65101

Congressman Todd Akin (St. Louis)
District Offices 301 Sovereign Court, Ste. 201
St. Louis, MO 63011
314-590-0029 voice
314-590-0037 fax
EMAIL CONGRESSMAN AKIN

If you're not from Missouri, also write your own senator and representative. Ask them to work on a federal law that would make online stalking, punishable by mandatory community service, mandatory counseling and/or jail time.

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES - CONTACT
SENATORS - CONTACT
~~~~~~~~~~

Ed Weeks
President and CEO
The Saint Peters Chamber of Commerce
1236 Jungermann Road, Suite C.
St. Peters, Missouri 63376
Fax 636-447-9575

Mrs. Lori Drew is a member of this above Chamber. Make sure the Chamber knows that using a business temp to harass someone, albeit a 13 year girl, using their office equipment, goes against all ethics. Ask that Lori Drew and her company's membership be suspended immediately.
~~~~~~~~~~

United States Attorney (Eastern Missouri)
Catherine Hanaway
Thomas Eagleton U.S. Courthouse
111 S. 10th Street, 20th Floor
St. Louis, MO 63102
Fax: 314.539.2309

Carrie Costantin
Assistant United States Attorney
Project Safe Child Coordinator
Cybercrime Task Force
Fax: 314-539-2309

Ask the US Attorneys to take on this case and punish the Drew family for facilitating this girl's death.