Unknown Number: The High School Catfish - Everything Netflix Didn't Show
Unknown Number: The High School Catfish: What They Didn’t Show
Welcome to MsMojo, and today we’re taking a deep dive into the most shocking details from the real-life case behind “Unknown Number: The High School Catfish” that Netflix left out of the documentary. Needless to say, there are spoilers ahead.
Background of the Case
The Netflix documentary “Unknown Number: The High School Catfish” left viewers around the world dumbfounded when it dropped in August 2025. The film explores the truly baffling case of Lauryn Licari and Owen McKenny, two teenagers in the small town of Beal City, Michigan who began receiving threatening text messages from an unknown number in 2020. Although the harassment briefly stopped, it resumed in September 2021 and escalated significantly over the next year. This time, the torment was far more severe. Every single day, Lauryn and Owen were bombarded with graphic and disturbing messages, with Lauryn bearing the brunt of the ordeal. The anonymous sender exploited her deepest insecurities and mocked her relentlessly, even urging her to take her own life.
The Identity of the Anonymous Sender
It quickly became clear that the anonymous sender was someone close to Lauryn and Owen, as the messages contained details only an insider could know. And thus began an investigation into their friends and classmates. Suspicion soon fell on Khloe Wilson, a popular athlete who played sports with Lauryn and was also close to Owen. However, the case against her fell through. Once the investigation hit a dead end, the FBI was called in to assist. They eventually traced the messages to the last person anyone watching could have suspected: Lauryn’s own mother, Kendra Licari. When Isabella County Sheriff Mike Main confronted Kendra at her home, she confessed, blaming her actions on stress and financial issues.
A Suspect to Many
The reveal may have shocked viewers, but it was less surprising to many in Beal City. What the documentary left out was some key details about Kendra’s past and her standing in the community. Unlike most parents, who had grown up together in the town, Kendra was a transplant. She met Lauryn’s father, Shawn, in college and they moved to his hometown after marrying. Eager to fit in, Kendra reportedly sought attention and validation from locals. This made her a suspect when the messages began. Khloe Wilson’s father, Craig, told the Sheriff early on that he believed Kendra was responsible. Another parent who saw the messages said they sounded like they came from an adult and admitted, “I wouldn’t put it past Kendra.” Even the high school secretary, Diane Fussman, told the principal she suspected Kendra because she was “a little obsessive with her child.” But when Sheriff Main brought this theory to Owen’s parents, they quickly dismissed it.
Kendra Licari’s Suspicious Behavior
Although Owen’s mom, Jill, was skeptical of that theory at first, she gradually began noticing strange behavior from Kendra. Months after Lauryn and Owen broke up, Kendra questioned Jill about her son’s love life, asking if he was dating Khloe. Through these conversations, Kendra discovered that Owen was seeing a girl in another town, and soon began targeting her. Her constant prying forced Jill to restrict their conversations to matters about the anonymous sender. But even while Lauryn and Owen were together, Kendra’s behavior was concerning. She frequently asked them to pose with their arms around each other for pictures, which she then converted into gifts for Owen, like a customized phone case. She even tried to turn Owen’s tournament in Florida into a family vacation, an idea Jill quickly declined. In one particularly troubling incident, a friend claimed Kendra took Lauryn’s phone, read her texts with Owen, then replied as her daughter saying “I love you.”
The Confusing Nature of the Messages
Lauryn and Owen began as one of the most popular couples in school, but the constant stream of threatening messages soon wore down their relationship. Over time, Owen started pulling away from Lauryn. During one volleyball game, when they sat apart, Kendra texted her daughter directly, not as the anonymous sender but as herself, saying “Sit next to him. Answer me. Come here now. I am fuming pissed off.” Then, as the anonymous persona, she continued sending messages that both undermined and praised the couple. One text taunted, “Could this be the end of the A.K.A “Golden” couple?” while another insisted, “you’re the definition of a perfect couple and will be the forever couple that gets married.” It’s not hard to see how these contradictory messages could have further tormented Lauryn and Owen, especially as their relationship was heading for the rocks.
Kendra’s Lies & Control Over the Family
The documentary only scratches the surface of Kendra’s deception, especially regarding her employment status. Kendra initially worked at Central Michigan University, but told her husband, Shawn, that she secured an additional, higher-paying position at Ferris State University. Believing this story, the family moved into a bigger house. In reality, Kendra only got the Ferris State job after she was fired from Central Michigan, and it didn’t come with any salary bump. That position was also short-lived, as she was soon placed on a performance-improvement plan for spending “excessive time” on personal texts and calls. She eventually quit, but pretended to work remotely, even faking work calls whenever Shawn was home. When the family could no longer afford the house and were evicted, Kendra lied once again. She told Shawn and Lauryn that structural issues with the house’s foundation required them to move out for repairs.
Kendra’s Participation in the Documentary
Most crime documentaries like “Unknown Number: The High School Catfish” rarely feature the perpetrators themselves. That’s why many viewers were shocked to learn that the anonymous sender had been right in front of them all along. But Kendra’s participation in the film almost didn’t happen. In fact, according to director Skye Borgman, the documentary was almost complete before Kendra finally agreed to an interview. She explained that she wanted to address the audience directly and share her side of the story. Yet, when asked why she harassed her own daughter for almost two years, Kendra offered no clear answer. Her explanation, that she was trying to protect her daughter from the same trauma she once endured, received mixed reactions from viewers.
Lauryn’s Changing Relationship With Her Mother
It’s a question many viewers might have asked themselves after watching the documentary. What would you do if your parent harassed you with such messages for two years? For Lauryn, answering that question was certainly not easy. Apparently, when the filmmakers first interviewed her in 2023, Kendra had just gone to prison, and Lauryn missed her mother deeply. As shown in the film, they kept in touch while Kendra was incarcerated. However, by the time of a second interview in 2024, Lauryn’s relationship with Kendra had changed. She had chosen to distance herself from her mother and their communication was a lot more strained. After Kendra’s release, Shawn divorced her and was granted full custody of Lauryn. Kendra now lives with relatives outside Beal City, and reportedly has even less contact with Lauryn than she did while in prison.
Have you seen “Unknown Number: The High School Catfish”? What were your thoughts on the baffling case? Let us know in the comments below.