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Narrator: TWO OUTCASTS BECOME BEST FRIENDS...
THEY GRAVITATED TOWARDS EACH OTHER.
Narrator: ...UNTIL THEIR FRIENDSHIP
IGNITES A DEADLY PLOT FOR REVENGE.
JUST EXPLODED.
I WOULD HAVE NEVER EXPECTED THIS.
OPERATOR: What is your emergency?
TINA: Please help me.
Please help me.
Narrator: KEEP YOUR FRIENDS CLOSE
AND YOUR ENEMIES CLOSER.
-- Captions by VITAC -- www.vitac.com
CAPTIONS PAID FOR BY DISCOVERY COMMUNICATIONS
OKAY, NOW, WHO HAS A STORY THAT THEY WANT TO SHARE WITH US?
MEGAN MEIER IS OUTGOING WITH A LOUD, IN-YOUR-FACE ATTITUDE.
FROM EARLY ON, MEGAN WAS HER OWN PERSON --
GOOFY, FUNNY, DEFINITELY A FAR-OUT-THERE-TYPE GIRL.
Woman #1: THIS GIRL HAD SO MUCH ***.
SHE WAS JUST KIND OF, "I'M MEGAN MEIER.
I'M HERE. I'M HERE TO STAY."
Narrator: BUT HER QUIRKY AND IMPULSIVE PERSONALITY
MAKES IT DIFFICULT FOR HER TO MAKE FRIENDS.
THAT IS, UNTIL SHE MEETS SARAH DREW IN THE 4th GRADE.
SOON, THE GIRLS BECOME BEST FRIENDS.
THEY GRAVITATED TOWARDS EACH OTHER.
Narrator: LIKE MEGAN, SARAH IS ALSO LONELY AND UNPOPULAR.
SARAH WAS SO RIDICULOUSLY SHY.
I MEAN, IT WAS, LITERALLY, IF YOU SAID "BOO,"
THE KID WOULD HAVE JUMPED AND, LIKE, BEEN STARTLED.
SHE WAS JUST THIS REALLY SWEET GIRL,
JUST SO MILD-MANNERED AND QUIET, AND SHE WAS VERY SOFT SPOKEN.
Narrator: FOR THE NEXT THREE YEARS,
THEY'RE JOINED AT THE HIP.
THEY'D, LIKE, HANG OUT FOR, LIKE, A WHOLE WEEKEND,
LIKE, INSEPARABLE.
[ LAUGHING ]
Narrator: MEGAN AND SARAH THINK THEY'LL ALWAYS BE CLOSE,
BUT LITTLE DO THEY KNOW
THEIR FRIENDSHIP WOULD HAVE DEADLY CONSEQUENCES.
[ BOTH LAUGHING ]
[ TAPE FAST-FORWARDING ]
IT ALL STARTS IN THE 7th GRADE.
MEGAN AND SARAH ARE NO LONGER JUST UNPOPULAR.
NOW THEY'RE THE TARGET OF EXTREME BULLYING.
Woman #1: PEOPLE WOULD DEFINITELY TALK BEHIND SARAH'S BACK.
THEY WOULD BE LAUGHING AND GIGGLING AND WHISPERING.
Narrator: SARAH KEEPS TO HERSELF
AND TRIES TO FLY UNDER THE RADAR TO AVOID BEING PICKED ON.
BUT MEGAN CAN'T.
HER LOUD AND OVER-THE-TOP PERSONALITY
ATTRACTS THE ATTENTION OF EVEN MORE BULLIES.
THEY WERE MORE AGGRESSIVE TOWARDS MEGAN.
Narrator: DAY IN AND DAY OUT, MEGAN IS BULLIED WITHOUT MERCY.
THEY WOULD COMMENT ABOUT MEGAN'S APPEARANCE,
AND THEY WOULD CALL HER, LIKE, A ***.
"MEGAN, YOU'RE ANNOYING. MEGAN, SHUT UP."
Woman #1: SHE DEFINITELY PUT UP A FRONT THAT IT DIDN'T BOTHER HER.
BUT, DEEP DOWN, IT DID BOTHER HER.
IT REALLY DOES TAKE A TOLL ON YOUR SELF-ESTEEM.
WHEN MEGAN WOULD LOOK IN THE MIRROR,
SHE TRULY THOUGHT SHE WAS ALL OF THOSE THINGS.
SHE SAID, "I HATE MYSELF, MOM. EVERYBODY HATES ME."
Narrator: MEGAN DESPERATELY TRIES TO FIND A WAY OUT OF HER SITUATION.
IT WAS SURVIVAL.
IT WAS TRYING TO GET THIS BULLYING TO STOP,
SO MEGAN CAME UP WITH A PLAN.
Narrator: AND HER PLAN IS AMBITIOUS.
MEGAN SETS HER SIGHTS ON BEFRIENDING THE POPULAR GIRLS
AND JOINING THE "IN" CROWD.
Tina: IN HER MIND, SHE THOUGHT IF SHE CAN BEFRIEND THEM,
MAYBE THESE BOYS WHO WERE NICE TO THOSE GIRLS
WOULD STOP MAKING FUN OF HER
BECAUSE SHE'D BE INCLUDED IN THAT GROUP.
Narrator: MEGAN IS WILLING TO DO ANYTHING
TO BE ACCEPTED BY THE POPULAR GIRLS.
SHE EVEN TRIES TO BUY THEIR FRIENDSHIP
BY GIVING THEM GIFTS
AND DECORATING THEIR LOCKERS ON THEIR BIRTHDAYS.
MEGAN WOULD HAVE GIVEN THEM EVERY SINGLE THING SHE OWNED
IF THEY JUST WOULD HAVE BEEN FRIENDS WITH HER.
Narrator: IT SEEMS TO WORK.
WHEN THE POPULAR GIRLS BEGIN TO INVITE MEGAN TO PARTIES,
SHE BELIEVES THEY'VE ACCEPTED HER.
NOW MEGAN IS SO BUSY WITH HER NEW FRIENDS
THAT SHE STARTS TO IGNORE SARAH.
SARAH KIND OF FELT THAT, "WELL, WHY -- WHY --
WHY ARE YOU WANTING TO BE FRIENDS WITH THEM?
I'M YOUR FRIEND."
BUT MEGAN FELT SARAH WOULD HAVE HELD HER BACK.
Narrator: SARAH AND MEGAN'S RELATIONSHIP BEGINS TO SUFFER.
SARAH RESENTS BEING LEFT BEHIND BY THE NEWLY POPULAR MEGAN.
Woman #2: WHEN MEGAN WOULDN'T HANG OUT WITH HER,
SHE'D, LIKE, FEEL REALLY HURT AND, LIKE, JEALOUS.
SHE WAS SO DEVASTATED,
AND I GENUINELY FELT SO BAD FOR HER.
THINGS STARTED TO TURN.
Narrator: SOON,
THE GIRLS BECOME SO ANGRY AND RESENTFUL WITH EACH OTHER,
THEY START TO ARGUE ALL THE TIME.
Woman #1: ONE GIRL WAS HAVING HER FEELINGS HURT,
ONE GIRL WAS UPSET.
WHEN THEY WERE IN AN ARGUMENT -- OPPOSITE ENDS OF THE ROOM.
FRIENDS ONE DAY, NOT FRIENDS THE NEXT DAY.
YOU'RE LYING.
Narrator: IT GETS SO BAD
THAT SARAH'S MOTHER, LORI, CALLS MEGAN'S MOTHER, TINA,
TO TRY TO SALVAGE THE RELATIONSHIP.
LORI WAS SO INVOLVED WITH THE FRIENDSHIP
THAT IT WAS OVERWHELMING.
I FINALLY SAID,
"I CAN'T MAKE MEGAN WANT TO BE FRIENDS WITH HER
LIKE YOU CAN'T MAKE SARAH WANT TO BE FRIENDS WITH MEGAN."
Narrator: THERE'S NOTHING ANYONE CAN DO,
AND BY THE END OF 7th GRADE, THE FRIENDSHIP ENDS.
IT WAS DONE AND OVER WITH.
Tina: MEGAN JUST KIND OF MOVED ON,
BUT SARAH FELT ABANDONED.
Woman #2: SARAH WAS REALLY HURT.
Woman #1: I COULD ONLY IMAGINE LOSING SOMEONE
THAT HAD BEEN MY BEST FRIEND FOR SO LONG.
Narrator: BUT IT'S ONLY THE BEGINNING.
THE REJECTION SARAH FEELS WOULD SET INTO MOTION
A CHAIN OF EVENTS NO ONE COULD HAVE IMAGINED.
I DIDN'T THINK SOMEONE WHO HAD ALWAYS APPEARED TO BE SO NICE
BE CAPABLE OF DOING SOMETHING SO HORRENDOUS.
Narrator: MEGAN HAS JUST DUMPED SARAH,
HER BEST FRIEND OF FOUR YEARS,
TO GET IN WITH THE POPULAR GIRLS AT SCHOOL.
Tina: SARAH VIEWED IT AS ABANDONMENT
WHERE MEGAN KIND OF VIEWED IT AS MOVING ON.
SHE THOUGHT THE POPULAR GIRLS
COULD ELEVATE HER OUT OF THIS BULLYING SITUATION
THAT SHE WAS GOING THROUGH.
Narrator: BUT SOMETHING UNEXPECTED HAPPENS.
MEGAN'S NEW POPULAR FRIENDS DUMP HER.
I MEAN, LOOK AT YOUR, LIKE, SHOES AND YOUR --
Young girl: YOUR HAIR.
ONE MINUTE, THEY WERE BUDDY-BUDDY,
THE NEXT MINUTE, EVERYONE TURNED ON MEGAN.
AND SHE WAS OUT AS FAST AS SHE WAS IN.
Narrator: SARAH FEELS SECRETLY VINDICATED
THAT MEGAN IS NOW GETTING A TASTE OF HER OWN MEDICINE.
Woman #1: SARAH JUST WANTED MEGAN TO FEEL THE SAME WAY THAT SHE HAD.
Narrator: BUT NOW THAT MEGAN IS OUT OF THE "IN" CROWD,
SHE'S BULLIED WORSE THAN BEFORE,
AND SHE SEES NO HOPE OF IT EVER STOPPING.
SHE CRIED IN THE MORNINGS GOING TO SCHOOL,
BEGGING ME, PLEASE, TO NOT MAKE HER GO BACK.
Narrator: MEGAN CAN'T TAKE IT ANY LONGER
AND DECIDES TO TRANSFER TO A DIFFERENT SCHOOL FOR 8th GRADE.
Tina: AND IT WAS JUST THIS FRESH START.
MEGAN MADE THESE AMAZING, WONDERFUL FRIENDS.
Narrator: ALTHOUGH SARAH IS STILL ANGRY WITH MEGAN,
SHE TRIES TO MAKE NEW FRIENDS, TOO.
Woman #1: SARAH TRIED TO JUST HANG OUT WITH MORE PEOPLE,
AND SHE REPLACED MEGAN.
Narrator: HER NEW BEST FRIEND IS A GIRL NAMED JESSICA MULFORD.
LIKE SARAH, SHE HAS TROUBLE MAKING FRIENDS.
SARAH AND JESSICA WERE LIKE TWO OUTCASTS THAT BECAME FRIENDS.
Narrator: BUT EVEN THOUGH SARAH HAS A NEW FRIEND,
SHE STILL HASN'T GOTTEN OVER
WHAT SHE CONSIDERS MEGAN'S BETRAYAL,
AND HER ANGER WOULD SOON BOIL OVER.
ONE DAY AT SCHOOL, MEGAN HEARS A RUMOR
THAT SARAH IS TALKING TRASH ABOUT HER ON MySpace.
Woman #1: MEGAN WAS CONCERNED
THAT SARAH WAS SAYING THINGS ABOUT HER ON MySpace.
Narrator: A FEW DAYS LATER,
SARAH HEARS THAT MEGAN HAS RETALIATED ONLINE.
THERE WAS A RUMOR THAT WAS GOING AROUND
THAT MEGAN HAD CALLED SARAH A LESBIAN.
Narrator: THE GOSSIP GOES BACK AND FORTH IN CYBERSPACE,
BUT THE TWO GIRLS NEVER TALK FACE-TO-FACE.
SOON AFTER, MEGAN RECEIVES A MySpace FRIEND REQUEST
FROM A CUTE OLDER BOY NAMED JOSH EVANS.
HE WAS 16.
HE WAS, LIKE, REALLY CUTE, REALLY HOT,
AND SHE WAS SO EXCITED.
LIKE, SHE WAS ALWAYS TALKING ABOUT HIM.
Tina: HE STARTED TELLING MEGAN THAT SHE WAS BEAUTIFUL
AND JUST GAVE HER THAT BOOST OF SELF-ESTEEM.
Narrator: MEGAN AND JOSH TALK EVERY DAY.
SHE CONFIDES IN HIM ALL HER FEELINGS,
EVEN NEGATIVE ONES
ABOUT GIRLS SHE'S ANGRY WITH FROM HER OLD SCHOOL,
INCLUDING SARAH.
JOSH IS ALWAYS THERE TO LEND AN EAR.
AND OVER THE NEXT FIVE WEEKS,
THEIR ONLINE RELATIONSHIP BLOSSOMS.
HE TOLD MEGAN THEY WERE BOYFRIEND AND GIRLFRIEND.
Narrator: THEY HAVEN'T MET IN PERSON YET,
BUT LIKE MOST KIDS THEIR AGE,
THEIR CYBER-ROMANCE IS AS MEANINGFUL AS ANY.
MEGAN HAD LEARNED TE AMO IN SPANISH, WHICH IS "I LOVE YOU."
AND SO, YOU KNOW, THEY WOULD SAY "TE AMO" BACK AND FORTH.
Narrator: BY MONDAY, OCTOBER 16, 2006,
MEGAN HAS NEVER BEEN HAPPIER.
SHE IS FINALLY FREE FROM BULLYING AT SCHOOL
AND IN A WONDERFUL RELATIONSHIP.
BUT SARAH IS STILL SEETHING WITH ANGER
THAT MEGAN DUMPED HER IN THE FIRST PLACE.
AND UNBEKNOWNST TO MEGAN, SARAH IS PLOTTING TO MAKE HER PAY.
SARAH FELT THAT MEGAN, ON PURPOSE,
WAS TRYING TO HURT SARAH BY NOT BEING FRIENDS WITH HER ANYMORE.
SARAH WANTED TO HURT MEGAN.
Narrator: AFTER SCHOOL THAT DAY, MEGAN LOGS IN TO MySpace,
AND A MESSAGE FROM JOSH SHATTERS HER ENTIRE WORLD.
SHE WAS JUST LIKE, "WHAT HAPPENED?"
LIKE, "WHAT DID I DO WRONG?"
SHE DIDN'T KNOW WHAT TO DO, AND SHE DIDN'T KNOW WHERE TO TURN.
JUST EXPLODED.
Narrator: SARAH IS SECRETLY PLOTTING REVENGE
AGAINST HER EX-BEST FRIEND MEGAN.
MEGAN HAS NO IDEA.
SHE IS NOW FOCUSED ON JOSH,
HER ONLINE BOYFRIEND AND ABSOLUTE DREAM GUY.
Woman #2: MEGAN FINALLY HAS SOMEBODY
WHO LIKED HER AND TOLD HER THAT SHE'S BEAUTIFUL.
AND SHE REALLY WAS, LIKE, A LOT MORE UPBEAT.
Narrator: BUT FROM SUCH A HIGH,
MEGAN IS DEALT A SUDDEN AND UNEXPECTED BLOW
WHEN ON MONDAY, OCTOBER 16, 2006,
SHE SEES A DEVASTATING POST ON MySpace.
Tina: IT WAS A MESSAGE FROM JOSH THAT SAID,
"I DON'T WANT TO BE FRIENDS WITH YOU ANYMORE.
YOU'RE NOT A NICE PERSON. NO ONE LIKES YOU.
NO ONE WANTS TO BE FRIENDS WITH YOU."
Narrator: JUST LIKE THAT, JOSH BREAKS UP WITH HER.
SHE WAS DEVASTATED.
Narrator: MEGAN RACKS HER BRAIN TO FIGURE OUT
WHAT SUDDENLY WENT SO WRONG AFTER A PERFECT FIVE WEEKS.
Tina: WHY WOULD HE ALL OF A SUDDEN
FLIP AND CHANGE ON HER LIKE THAT?
SHE WAS, LIKE, BAWLING HER EYES OUT.
IT REALLY, REALLY HURT HER.
Narrator: BUT THINGS WOULD ONLY GET WORSE FOR MEGAN
WHEN JOSH TURNS OTHER PEOPLE AGAINST HER, TOO.
HE DIGS UP MEGAN'S EARLIER MESSAGES
CONTAINING NASTY COMMENTS
ABOUT THE POPULAR GIRLS FROM HER OLD SCHOOL.
THEN JOSH FORWARDS THEM TO THOSE GIRLS.
Tina: THEN HE SAID,
"LOOK WHAT, YOU KNOW, SHE'S SAYING THINGS ABOUT YOU."
AND THEN THEY STARTED ATTACKING MEGAN.
Narrator: THE GIRLS BEGIN CALLING MEGAN NAMES ON MySpace
FOR EVERYONE TO SEE.
AND IT DOESN'T STOP THERE.
WHEN OTHER KIDS IN TOWN SEE WHAT'S BEING SAID,
THEY GET WHIPPED INTO A FRENZY AND JOIN IN THE CYBERBULLYING.
Woman #1: "MEGAN MEIER'S FAT, MEGAN MEIER'S NOT A GOOD FRIEND,
SHE'S A LIAR."
Tina: "YOU'RE A ***, YOU'RE A ***, YOU'RE A [BLEEP] ***,"
TELLING HER THAT NO ONE LIKED HER.
Narrator: IT'S LIKE HER CHILDHOOD BULLYING ALL OVER AGAIN,
BUT THIS TIME, THE BARRAGE OF VICIOUS ATTACKS
CATCHES HER COMPLETELY OFF GUARD.
ALL OF A SUDDEN, IT STARTED SPIRALING OUT OF CONTROL.
SHE WAS HYSTERICAL.
EVERYBODY AT HER OLD SCHOOL, EVERYBODY AT HER NEW SCHOOL,
AND ALL THESE PEOPLE NOW WERE AGAINST HER.
Narrator: IT SEEMS EVERYONE HAS JOINED IN,
EVERYONE EXCEPT MEGAN'S EX-BEST FRIEND SARAH,
WHO MYSTERIOUSLY SAYS NOTHING.
BUT THEN THE MEANEST AND MOST DEVASTATING MESSAGE OF THEM ALL
APPEARS,
AND IT COMES FROM THE PERSON
MEGAN ONCE THOUGHT CARED ABOUT HER THE MOST.
JOSH SAID, "THE WORLD WOULD BE A BETTER PLACE WITHOUT YOU
AND HAVE A [BLEEP] REST OF YOUR LIFE."
ALL OF A SUDDEN, I THINK, FOR HER, IT CAME CRASHING DOWN.
IT SET HER OFF.
IT MADE HER THINK, "NOBODY LIKES ME.
NOBODY CARES ABOUT ME. I FEEL LIKE I'M JUST ALONE."
AND SHE JUST LOST IT.
I KNEW SHE WAS UPSET. I KNEW IT HURT HER FEELINGS.
IT WAS JUST NOT SOMETHING
THAT I EVEN DREAMED THAT MEGAN WOULD HAVE DONE.
Narrator: MEGAN'S ONLINE BOYFRIEND JOSH HAS JUST BROKEN UP WITH HER
AND CAUSED DOZENS OF KIDS IN TOWN
TO PUBLICLY ATTACK HER ON MySpace.
ALTHOUGH HER EX-BEST FRIEND SARAH
SURPRISINGLY DOESN'T JOIN IN,
IT SEEMS EVERYONE MEGAN KNOWS IS NOW CYBERBULLYING HER.
JUST EXPLODED.
IT WAS ALL FROM PEOPLE SAYING
ALL THESE HORRIBLE THINGS ABOUT HER.
Narrator: IT'S ALL FALLING APART FOR MEGAN,
AND FAMILY AND FRIENDS CAN'T SEEM TO HELP HER.
MEGAN JUST PANICKED
BECAUSE SHE FELT THAT EVERYBODY AT HER OLD SCHOOL,
EVERYBODY AT HER NEW SCHOOL,
THEY WERE GONNA START BELIEVING THESE THINGS.
SHE INSTANTLY SAW THAT FLASHBACK TO THE BULLYING,
AND SHE WAS PETRIFIED OF THAT HAPPENING AGAIN.
I JUST THINK SHE JUST HIT HER BREAKING POINT.
OH, MY GOD. WHAT AM I GONNA DO?
WH-WHAT'S THE MATTER? WHAT HAPPENED?
I WAS TRYING TO JUST GET HER TO KIND OF CALM DOWN,
BUT IT WAS JUST SO OVERWHELMING, SO CRUSHING FOR HER
THAT SHE LOOKED AT ME CRYING AND STARTED TO RUN UP THE STAIRS.
PROBABLY 20 MINUTES WENT BY,
AND I JUST HAD THIS HORRIBLE FEELING
THAT RAN THROUGH MY BODY.
I CAN'T EVEN EXPLAIN IT.
Narrator: TINA RACES TO MEGAN'S BEDROOM
AND COMES FACE-TO-FACE WITH A MOTHER'S WORST NIGHTMARE.
Tina: I SCREAMED.
MY HEART IS POUNDING, LIKE COMPLETELY NUMB.
THE MOST HORRIBLE FEELING.
Narrator: MEGAN IS HANGING FROM A BELT IN THE CLOSET.
Tina: I RAN OVER TO TRY TO LIFT HER UP.
SHE WAS LIFELESS.
HER DAD RAN UPSTAIRS,
AND HE GOT HER DOWN AND WAS STARTING CPR.
I'M RUNNING AROUND THE HOUSE,
LITERALLY SCREAMING AT THE TOP OF MY LUNGS TO THE 911 OPERATOR.
OPERATOR: What is your emergency?
TINA: My daughter just hung herself!
Calm down. What is going on there?
My daughter just hung herself.
Oh, my God. Please help me.
Please help me.
Tina: I REMEMBER JUST, LIKE, LITERALLY PRAYING, LIKE,
"PLEASE. PLEASE, I WILL DO WHATEVER.
PLEASE SAVE HER. PLEASE HELP HER."
Narrator: BUT THERE'S NOTHING ANYONE CAN DO.
JUST 20 DAYS SHY OF HER 14th BIRTHDAY,
MEGAN MEIER DIES.
A COMPLETE PART OF ME DIED...
...ALONG WITH HER.
WALKING OUT OF THAT HOSPITAL WITHOUT YOUR CHILD,
I MEAN, IT WAS...IT'S JUST -- YOU CAN'T EVEN UNDERSTAND IT.
I -- I STILL, TO THIS DAY, LOOK BACK AND THINK --
I JUST DON'T KNOW HOW IT HAPPENED.
Narrator: MEGAN'S EX-BEST FRIEND SARAH FINDS OUT
AND SEEMS TO BE IN COMPLETE SHOCK.
Woman #1: SARAH WAS GRIEVING HEAVILY OVER IT.
I REMEMBER HER CRYING A LOT.
Narrator: NOW MEGAN'S PARENTS ARE DESPERATE
TO UNDERSTAND THE EVENTS LEADING UP TO MEGAN'S SUICIDE.
TINA STARTS BY QUESTIONING WHAT HAPPENED WITH JOSH.
HIS RELATIONSHIP WITH MEGAN HAD STARTED OUT SO WELL.
HOPING FOR ANSWERS, SHE DECIDES TO CONTACT HIM ON MySpace.
I REMEMBER LOOKING ON THE COMPUTER AND SEARCHING,
LOOKING FOR THIS JOSH EVANS ACCOUNT.
Narrator: BUT JOSH'S ENTIRE ACCOUNT HAS BEEN DELETED.
ALL OF A SUDDEN, IT JUST WENT AWAY.
HOW IN THE WORLD DID HE JUST, POOF, DISAPPEAR?
Narrator: MEGAN'S PARENTS ASK ALL OF MEGAN'S FRIENDS FOR INFORMATION,
BUT, STRANGELY,
THEY CAN'T FIND ANYONE WHO HAS EVER MET JOSH IN PERSON.
WHAT WAS GOING ON? WHY DID ALL OF THIS STUFF HAPPEN?
Narrator: THEN, ON NOVEMBER 25, 2006,
TINA GETS SHOCKING INFORMATION FROM AN UNLIKELY SOURCE --
THE MOTHER OF SARAH'S NEW BEST FRIEND, JESSICA.
SHE SHOOK HER HEAD AND STARTED HAVING TEARS ROLL DOWN HER FACE
AND SAID,
"I JUST NEED TO TELL YOU THIS JOSH EVANS ACCOUNT'S FAKE."
Narrator: THERE IS NO JOSH EVANS.
MEGAN'S BOYFRIEND WAS MADE UP
BY HER EX-BEST FRIEND SARAH ALONG WITH HER MOTHER, LORI,
AND LORI'S WORK ASSISTANT ASHLEY GRILLS.
I WOULD HAVE NEVER EXPECTED THIS.
IF -- IF I DIDN'T KNOW, I WOULD HAVE NEVER BELIEVED IT.
Narrator: INCREDIBLY, THEY HAD CREATED THE FICTIONAL JOSH CHARACTER
TO START A FAKE RELATIONSHIP WITH MEGAN.
THEY KNEW THAT MEGAN WAS BOY CRAZY.
IT WAS ABSOLUTELY A TRAP.
AND MEGAN WALKED RIGHT INTO IT.
Narrator: ONCE MEGAN CARED ABOUT JOSH,
SARAH'S PLAN FOR REVENGE WAS FINALLY SET IN MOTION.
THEY HAD HIM DUMP HER
SO SHE WOULD FEEL THE SAME HURT AND REJECTION THAT SARAH HAD.
Tina: IT WAS A WAY FOR THEM TO SAY,
"YOU DIDN'T WANT TO HANG OUT WITH HER?
WE'RE GETTING YOU BACK."
BUT I DON'T THINK THEIR ORIGINAL INTENTION WAS
"MEGAN'S GONNA TAKE HER OWN LIFE."
Narrator: STILL, WHAT HAPPENED TO MEGAN
HAD ITS ROOTS IN THE CYBER ATTACK THEY HAD PLANNED.
AND I THINK FOR LORI,
SHE WAS TRYING TO DEFEND HER DAUGHTER.
AND FOR SARAH, I THINK SHE THOUGHT, YOU KNOW,
"SINCE MY MOTHER IS IN ON THIS, TOO, IT CAN'T BE THAT BAD."
I DON'T THINK ANYONE EVER THOUGHT
THAT IT WOULD COME TO THIS.
Narrator: ALTHOUGH THEY DIDN'T MEAN TO DRIVE MEGAN TO SUICIDE,
ULTIMATELY, THEIR ACTIONS DID A PLAY A PART.
THE MEIERS REPORT THE DREWS' DEADLY DECEPTION
TO THE AUTHORITIES.
LORI DREW IS CHARGED
WITH VIOLATING THE FEDERAL COMPUTER FRAUD AND ABUSE ACT.
WE WENT TO TRIAL IN NOVEMBER OF 2008.
THE JURY FOUND LORI DREW GUILTY ON THREE MISDEMEANORS,
WHICH CARRIED A YEAR APIECE.
I ABSOLUTELY WANTED HER TO FACE EVERY SINGLE DAY.
THIS IS JUSTICE.
Narrator: BUT UNFORTUNATELY FOR MEGAN'S FAMILY,
THE CONVICTION IS LATER OVERTURNED.
IN THE EYES OF THE LAW,
IT IS ISN'T ILLEGAL TO MAKE UP A FICTITIOUS ONLINE ACCOUNT.
THE JUDGE WOULD HAVE TO CONVICT ANYBODY ELSE
WHO LIED ON SOCIAL NETWORKING SITES,
SO, UNFORTUNATELY, THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO.
Narrator: AS WORD OF THE CASE SPREADS, THE COMMUNITY IS UP IN ARMS.
Tina: SOCIETY ITSELF WAS ABSOLUTELY OUTRAGED,
AND THEY WENT AT THEM WITH A VENGEANCE.
THEY CLOSED HER BUSINESS DOWN,
BRICKS WERE THROWN THROUGH THEIR WINDOWS,
PEOPLE WERE HACKING INTO THEIR CELLPHONES.
Woman #1: SARAH WAS MORE ALIENATED THAN EVER,
AND THEIR LIFE WAS JUST UNDER A MICROSCOPE.
EVERYONE WAS SO SWEPT UP IN THE MEDIA FRENZY.
Narrator: THE DREWS EVEN RECEIVE DEATH THREATS.
SARAH AND HER FAMILY ULTIMATELY MOVE AWAY.
IN 2007, TINA STARTS THE MEGAN MEIER FOUNDATION
TO TELL CHILDREN SUICIDE IS NOT THE ANSWER
AND RAISE AWARENESS ABOUT HOW FATAL BULLYING CAN BE.
MEGAN WAS THIS AMAZING, WONDERFUL GIRL
WITH A GREAT SPIRIT.
I FEEL SO BLESSED TO BE A MOM
BECAUSE SOME PEOPLE DON'T HAVE ALL OF THAT THROUGH A LIFETIME,
AND I WAS ABLE TO GET THAT WITH MEGAN FOR ALMOST 14 YEARS.
SO, SHE WAS AN AMAZING KID.
Narrator: IN THIS CASE,
BEST FRIENDS MEGAN AND SARAH WERE BOTH VICTIMS OF BULLYING.
AND IN THE END, TO SEEK REVENGE, SARAH BECAME A BULLY HERSELF
AND HELPED PUSH MEGAN OVER THE EDGE.
THERE IS DEFINITELY TWO SIDES TO EVERY STORY,
AND THIS STORY'S, UNFORTUNATELY, A TRAGIC ONE.