24. Unknown Number: The High School Catfish

In Beal City, Michigan, a teenage couple starts receiving messages from an unknown number.

At first, it looks like drama around a Halloween party. Then the texts come back. Crueler. More personal. More relentless. They know nicknames. They mention school conversations. They target Lauryn Licari, Owen McKenny, their relationship, their friends, and the fragile trust inside a small-town high school.

Soon, every message becomes a clue. Every classmate becomes a possible suspect. Phones are checked. Friendships fracture. Parents step in. Police try to trace the number. And as the harassment keeps escalating, the case moves from school rumors to a digital investigation that will eventually reach the FBI.

This episode follows the case known as Unknown Number: The High School Catfish, a story about anonymous texting, spoofed numbers, cyberstalking, teenage relationships, and the way one hidden identity can turn an entire community against itself.

Content warning: cyberstalking, harassment, explicit messages involving minors, emotional abuse, and threats. Listener discretion advised.

Hosted by Frank Battiston. Produced by Daniel Urdanivia. A PowerTale Podcasts production.

Stay Aware · Stay Present · Stay Safe.

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