'Unknown Number: The High School Catfish' is a shocking true-crime twist that no one saw coming

From the OG series, “Catfish: The TV Show”, on MTV, to the subsequent string of streaming offerings from “The Tinder Swindler”, “Con Mum”, “Sweet Bobby: My Catfish Nightmare”,  to “Fanatical: The Catfishing of Tegan and Sara”, I believed I had seen every conceivable catfish scenario. 

Along comes “Unknown Number: The High School Catfish” on Netflix, and social media has been blowing up about the shocking twist in the tale. 

Curiosity got the better of me, and so I watched the documentary, which is based on a 2021 case of cyberbullying in Michigan. 

At the heart of the story is Lauryn Licari, a typical sweet-natured teenager living her best life and in a healthy relationship with Owen McKenny.

The 14-year-old couple’s shared love for sports makes them the perfect fit. 

The teenagers' close bond eventually leads to the two families forming a strong friendship over the years, as is often the case.

Everything seems picture perfect, until Lauryn and Owen start receiving harassing text messages that sometimes creep up to 40 and 50 messages a day. 

At first, the teenagers try to ignore it. But the consistent assault of messages that vary from vulgar to toxic gets worse, which becomes a huge concern for the parents. 

The moms, Kendra Licari and Jill McKenny, grow increasingly concerned about the disturbing messages and decide to approach the school principal, Dan Boyer, to try and find some kind of solution to the unrelenting harassment. 

While the dads, Shawn Licari and Dave McKenny, are no less troubled by the situation, they provide stoic background support. 

However, the cyberbullying plants seeds of doubt, anger and insecurity and eventually takes a toll on Lauryn and Owen, who eventually decide to go their separate ways. 

Speculation on the stalker being a female with strong feelings for Owen starts swirling.

With the moms trying to do their best to handle the problem, it isn’t long before everyone at school becomes aware of the situation. 

Not just that, popular mean girl Khloe Wilson becomes a person of interest due to her close relationship with Owen. 

However, her parents, Craig and Tami Wilson, defend her to the hilt. 

At some point, the severity of the case sees Superintendent Bill Chillman and Sheriff Mike Main get involved. However, despite all the interviews and cross-checks on their end, they find no definitive proof of the culprit. 

Even Owen, during a brief attempt to move on with another girl he meets, finds that situation cut short when the stalker gets wind of it and sends worrying messages to the unsuspecting teenager’s mother. 

The cyberstalking continues for about 18 months, and when local law enforcement finds themselves at a dead end, they turn to Bradley Peter, an FBI liaison.

Peter then looks at all the evidence gathered to date and starts issuing warrants to access crucial data information around IP addresses.

After a long-winded process of eliminating suspects, one number stands out, and the culprit is unveiled. 

This unforgivable act opens a can of worms, hitting too close to home. It triggers intense feelings of betrayal as a torrent of lies, secrets, and unstable mental behaviour comes to light.

Sadly, the court case and sentence handed down to the offender offer little solace. While the person attempts to clear the air, the explanations hold no water. 

Director Skye Borgman, who has a wealth of experience under her belt, does a wonderful job of giving all the key individuals a platform to give their side of the story. 

With deftness, she leads viewers from a state of concern and curiosity to outrage and disgust. 

However, while the cyber-assault is brought to an end, there is much healing to be done as trust issues remain embedded. 

The true tragedy, in my opinion, lies in the stolen relationship of a teenage couple and the unnecessary mental and emotional torment they endured.