Government's Star Witness Stumbles: MySpace Hoax Was Her Idea, Not Drew's

[BlueJessamine]

Source: WIRED

LOS ANGELES -- The young woman who typed the final, cruel message to 13-year-old Megan Meier the day she killed herself Thursday that it was she -- and not defendant Lori Drew -- who came up with the idea to create a fake MySpace account as a boy who first flirted and then turned on the troubled teen.

Ashley Grills, a confidant and former employee of Drew, was granted immunity from prosecution to testify for the government. But several moments in 20-year-old Ashley Grill's 80-minutes of testimony seemed to undermine the government's case. Her most damaging statements: that it was her idea, not Drew's, to create a fake MySpace account to befriend Megan. And Grills herself opened the account, clicking through the MySpace terms of service that are at the core of the case.

Though the jury doesn't have to find that Drew instigated the plan to convict her of conspiracy, the revelation is nonetheless at odds with the government's position that the 39-year-old Drew took a leading role in creating a MySpace account for "Josh Evans," a purported 16-year-old boy, who flirted with the emotionally-vulnerable Megan, and ultimately turned on her. Drew is charged with one count of conspiracy and three counts of unauthorized computer access for allegeldy violating the MySpace terms of service to inflict psychological harm on Megan.

The statement came as Grills described the genesis of the hoax, which unfolded at Drew's home in September 2006.



Read more: http://blog.wired.com/27bstroke6/2008/11/lori-drew-pla-3.html

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Although she did not conceive the plan herself, Drew applauded it.



After learning that the victim had committed suicide:


When they returned with news of what Meier had done, Grills said Lori's husband, Curt Drew, started yelling at them to get rid of the MySpace account.

Lori Drew, who was consoling her daughter, then also started yelling at them to delete the Josh Evans profile, and told them not to say anything to anyone, Grills said.

Grills said Drew worried that their scheme may have "pushed overboard because she was suicidal and depressed."

[sasquatch]

1. Why the fuck are they wasting our time with this?

:shrug:

[aquart]

4. Pity you can't think of a reason.

[sasquatch]

5. She made somebody felt bad and they took an extreme solution to a temporary problem

I'm sorry but that's not a crime.

[Tempest]

8. Causing the death of someone IS a crime

But then you blamed her mother for her death.

It's sad to think there's someone as heartless as you running around in the world.

[sasquatch]

10. She didn't cause the death of this teenager, the teenager did

The mother refused to listen to her complaints as well and now that these are the consequences she wants somebody to pay. All the while it being someone else but the parties that are actually responsible, her daughter and herself. This can also set a dangerous precident in law because if you're a high school football coach and you strat one player over another he takes his life over it, you're now criminally negligent.

[LisaL]

17. You have to cause someone's death for it to be a crime.

Being mean to someone isn't a crime. Or at least it wasn't, as far as I can tell.

[Tempest]

2. There's a special place in hell for this woman

I just hope karma doesn't decide to even the score by having some ugly violent death befall her daughter.

[sasquatch]

3. Why, the girl took her own life because her mother was a shitty parent

[Tempest]

7. So it's her mother's fault?

So the MySpace harrassment and deception played no part when it obviously pushed her over the edge?

Blaming the mother is pretty fucked up by any standard.

[sasquatch]

12. Did you ever hear the story from her mother about what happened the day she took her life?

Probably not, because on the day she left her room crying her mother told her it was probably her fault, and she then killed herself.

[MicaelS]

9. Your lack of empathy is appalling

Lori Drew and Ashley Grills are both horrible people and I hope they prosecute both to the maximum ability.

[sasquatch]

11. I don't give a shit what kind of people they are, they aren't criminally negligent

If they are found negligent this will set a dangerous precident. Cause now you could be a convicted felon if you made somebody feel bad and they in turn took their life.

[LisaL]

16. Ashley has been given immunity, even though she apparently

admits to setting up the account, and that account being her idea.
How does it make sense?

[Politicalboi]

6. This woman had no business

Tricking this girl into thinking she was chatting with a boy. She tricked her into thinking that this boy really cared for her. This woman told Megan that the world would be a better place without her. Only Megan thought the boy told her that. She thought he cared for her and then all of a sudden he breaks up with her. I think this woman should spend some time in jail.

[sasquatch]

13. Are you nuts? Do you know what legal precident this will set?

If you make somebody feel bad and they kill themselves because of it, you're now criminally liable. I'm sorry but that's batshit crazy.

[LisaL]

15. Yea, and if a real boy breaks up with girl, would he be charged

if the girl kills herself? Real teenagers can be pretty mean to each other. Furthermore, Drew isn't charged with driving someone to suicide. She is charged with violating my space service agreement. Well if she didn't personally set up an account, and setting up an account was not even her idea, why is she being charged?

[mbperrin]

18. Yes, check out the Kiss and Kill murder from the 60s in Odessa, Texas

Young man killed his girlfriend at her request, because they couldn't be together.

First use of the temporary insanity plea.

[abelenkpe]

19. That girl was bullied to death

By adults. The girl was known to have mental problems. She was harassed. And toyed with. You really are pretty heartless with your comments. I suppose it would be okay if your child was treated this way? I hope this woman does see jail time. Her actions lead to a tragedy and without them that girl would be alive today.

[LisaL]

20. What exactly should the woman see jail time for?

She didn't set up the account. And apparently setting up the account was not her idea. The person who did set up the account is given immunity, but the woman is prosecuted. The woman also didn't send the message about the world being a better place without Megan. So why exactly is prosecution going after her?

[sasquatch]

21. They're doing it to win cases so they're viewed as better attorneys

These are loyal Bushies and actual justice is the last thing on their agenda.

[LisaL]

14. It wasn't Drew who send the message that world would be a

better place without Megan either.
So, basically, the "star witness" with immunity admits Drew didn't set up an account. That message about world being a better place was not send by Drew.
Yet Drew is the one being prosecuted.