Overview

• Unknown Number: The High School Catfish, a 94‑minute documentary from director Skye Borgman, debuted on Netflix on August 29 and quickly climbed the service’s film charts as viewers reacted strongly.
• The story tracks a 2020–2021 barrage of anonymous, often sexualized texts that targeted 13‑year‑old Lauryn Licari and her then‑boyfriend Owen in Beal City, Michigan, drawing in local police and later the FBI.
• Investigators described using subpoenas to messaging apps alongside Verizon carrier data to pinpoint a source, leading to a December 2022 arrest, a March 2023 guilty plea to stalking minors, and a 19‑month to five‑year sentence.
• Court records show the person at the center of the case was released on parole in August 2024 with supervision into 2026 and restrictions that prohibit contact with Lauryn, who remains estranged.
• The documentary explores competing motive theories without offering a clinical diagnosis and underscores the role of digital forensics, schools, and families in responding to cyberbullying.