Warning: this article contains spoilers for Unknown Number: The High School Catfish

A teenage girl and her boyfriend, who were subjected to cruel cyberbullying, had their world turned upside down upon discovering the identity of the tormentor.

Imagine being persistently harassed by someone using an unknown number, only to uncover that the perpetrator was your own mother. Shockingly, this is not a fictional narrative but a distressing real-life event.

This is exactly what occurred with Lauryn Licari and her then-boyfriend Owen, the focal points of Netflix's latest documentary, Unknown Number: The High School Catfish.

For those who have yet to watch this startling TV series, it delves into the disturbing cyberbullying case that unsettled the small community of Beal City, Michigan, back in 2020.

Lauryn, who was just 13 at the time, began receiving eerie messages from an unknown number. Although these messages paused for a time, they resumed in September 2021, delivering daily torrents of threats and insults for 15 months straight.

Lauryn and Owen began receiving hateful text messages from an unknown sender (Netflix)

The situation was exacerbated by the fact that these messages contained details that only someone close to Lauryn could have known, leading her to suspect this was not a random attack.

To provide some context - Lauryn and Owen met in seventh grade when she was just 12, with their families fully supporting the relationship.

Their mothers even became friends, with Owen's mom Jill describing the pair as resembling 'a high school couple from a movie'.

Despite everything appearing smooth initially, the malicious texts began pouring in, many suggesting that Owen was planning to break up with Lauryn.

One unsettling message stated: "Hi Lauryn, Owen is breaking up with you. He no longer likes you and hasn't for a while. It's clear he wants me. He laughs, smiles, and touches my hair.

"We're both ready to f**k. You're sweet, but I can give him what he wants, sorry not sorry."

Another text that arrived 11 months later read: "'How's the happy couple? Preparing for the end of a golden relationship? We hear about how you're the forever couple.

"Owen loves me, and I will always be the girl he loves. He'll be with me while your lonely, ugly a** is alone."

As the situation deteriorated, Lauryn and Owen's families united to try to catch the culprit, even involving school officials and law enforcement to assist.

After months of investigation, the FBI uncovered the shocking truth that her 44-year-old mother, Kendra Licari, was the person behind the attacks.

During a search of Kendra’s home, the police confronted her and delivered the devastating news to Lauryn that no teenage girl would ever want to hear.

This encounter was captured on an officer's body camera and shown in real-time in the documentary, including the heart-wrenching moment the teen realized her mother was behind the messages.

It transpired that Lauryn's mum, Kendra, was the one behind the vile messages (Isabella County Jail)

In December 2022, Kendra was arrested and charged with multiple counts of stalking and using a computer to commit a crime.

The mother pleaded guilty to two counts of stalking a minor and was subsequently sentenced to 19 months to five years in prison.

She was released on August 8th, 2024, and spoke out about the events in the new documentary for the first time.

Director Skye Borgman shared with Netflix's Tudum that 'she’s remorseful for severely damaging her relationship with her daughter', but found it 'appealing to tell her side of the story.'

Unknown Number: The High School Catfish is available to watch on Netflix now.