Kendra Licari prosecutor reveals missing details in Unknown Number: The High School Catfish

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The main discussion about Netflix’s show “Unknown Number: The High School Catfish” often revolves around Kendra Licari. However, according to David Barberi, a key figure involved in the case and a prosecutor, there is significantly more to this story that needs to be explored.

Untitled Number: The High School Catfish Chronicles delves into a tale initially unfolded by The Cut during the year – a chilling account that shook the quiet town of Beal City, Michigan, in October 2020, as it found itself at the center of an unwanted and mysterious cyberbullying campaign.

22 months ago, the phones of Lauryn Licari, who was 13 at the time, and her boyfriend Owen McKenney, received offensive messages. A person subjected them to relentless bullying, harassment with sexual overtones throughout this period. This individual even urged Lauryn to consider suicide.

A surprising array of peers from the teenagers were viewed as potential suspects, but it was none other than Lauryn’s very own mother, Kendra Licari, whom the FBI eventually traced the number to. This and various other aspects are delved into in the Netflix documentary.

What’s missing in Unknown Number: The High School Catfish

Instead, on News Nation this week, Barberi shared insights into the unseen consequences of Kendra’s actions – the heartbreaking effects felt by the families of the affected children and the broader Beal City community.

During his tenure as Isabella County’s previous prosecuting attorney, Barberi personally encountered this situation. He oversaw the inquiry into the real-life mystery case where it was discovered that the anonymous texter was, in fact, Lauryn’s mother.

He shared with the media outlet that the documentary effectively portrayed the disturbing nature of the text messages. However, he felt that it fell short in depicting the profound effect these events had on all the affected families.

It’s quite challenging to encapsulate the depth of their experiences, as they endured this ordeal for more than a year. They faced traumatic situations, persistent harassment, and incessant graphic text messages that were sent to them repeatedly.

In addition to the Licari family experiencing this traumatic event, it also affected Owen’s family. In a revealing documentary, his mother, Jill McKenny, shares her experience, initially defending Kendra, but later uncovering the shocking reality.

Barberi adds, “Owen’s family faced numerous challenges during this ordeal, and one can only empathize with the feelings of his mother and family as they witness their son grappling with these issues – both at school and among his peers.

Each attempt they made to silence this individual, be it confiscating their phone, altering their phone number, or modifying their social media connections, proved unsuccessful. They persistently managed to trace the person and carry on the harassment.

The prosecutor further stated that the McKenneys displayed remarkable resilience during the trial, and he expressed admiration towards their family for managing the situation effectively, acknowledging that it was an extremely challenging time for them.

Prosecutor reveals “craziest part” of Kendra Licari case

During a different conversation on the Reality Life with Kate Casey podcast, Barberi provided additional insights and disclosed the most surprising aspect of the incident – Kendra’s response upon being approached by law enforcement.

It’s fascinating to consider this situation because even when faced with evidence, typically individuals would admit guilt and work towards reducing their sentence. However, in this case, it seems she doesn’t follow the usual pattern; instead of accepting responsibility and working on mitigation, it appears she maintains her innocence.

Instead of saying, “But she just really seemed cold and callous throughout the whole process,” you could express it as, “However, she appeared to be quite detached and insensitive throughout the entire ordeal.” And instead of saying, “I wouldn’t say that she was totally apathetic, but she didn’t really have a lot of emotion,” you could paraphrase as, “To be fair, she wasn’t completely indifferent, but her emotional expression was quite limited.

As a gamer, I’d say: “She carried on as if nothing was amiss, seemingly unphased by whatever was happening around us. It felt like she was simply sticking to her routine, maintaining her bond with her daughter and family, and we were just disrupting the normal flow of things.

At the final stages, no significant psychological breakthroughs or rigorous counseling sessions seemed to have occurred. Instead, it appeared as though she was simply going through the motions without much emotional depth or introspection.

In the mystery “Unknown Number: The High School Catfish,” Casey echoes an explanation provided by Kendra, stating that one factor contributing to her behavior was a reaction stemming from a past traumatic experience of sexual assault when she was a teenager.

When someone inquired if this could be related, Barberi stated, “Trauma can present itself in numerous forms. To me, it appeared that this wasn’t a typical reaction. Frankly, it didn’t add up…

To be honest, I found the given explanation rather questionable. It appeared to me that there might have been other driving forces at play, possibly something akin to Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy, or perhaps an intention to inflict harm in order to increase emotional bonding with her daughter.

It’s clear to me that some aspect of it occurred. However, I’m not convinced it was due to any traumatic experience. While I acknowledge the profound impact trauma can have on individuals, I believe this situation is atypical when it comes to how people usually react to traumatic events, particularly in later stages of life.

It appeared to me that she was intentionally causing emotional distress in her daughter, so that she could offer solace. That’s essentially our interpretation.

As a dedicated follower of the case, I found that Barberi’s role as the legal representative did not involve any psychological assessment, yet it was widely speculated within our investigation group that this could be the dominant theory among the prosecutors.

He further highlighted how Kendra fabricated details about her job, as well as her excessive influence on Lauryn and Owen’s sports and academic activities, suggesting a pattern of obsession, deceit, and desire for dominance.

In addition to the information presented in the Netflix documentary, Barberi disclosed an unshared detail: upon the arrival of the police, they discovered a phone concealed within a pile of firewood. As the police arrived, Kendra apparently fled and secreted the phone in the woods.

Now he wonders what prompted Kendra to join the Unknown Number documentary. ‘It seems she must have expected something beneficial from her participation… It merely highlights her desire for limelight.’

In a conclusion to his remarks, Barberi emphasized that this case serves as a reminder to carefully consider the company we keep.

While we don’t have direct influence over other families’ circumstances, we can strive to stay vigilant and engage in discussions that may help prevent similar occurrences from happening in the future.

Title Unknown: Currently streaming on Netflix, “The High School Catfish”. Explore if Kendra’s marital status with Shawn Licari remains unchanged. For updates on true crime stories, delve into whether Jussie Smollett’s case was fabricated, Amanda Knox’s prison experiences, and the present whereabouts of the Tinder Swindler.

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2025-09-10 16:22