Unknown Number: The High School Catfish (2025) is a Netflix true-crime documentary film about a shocking real-life high school catfishing case.
It follows Michigan teens Lauryn Licari and Owen McKenny, who begin receiving disturbing, anonymous text messages in 2020.
For nearly two years they’re terrorized by crude, harassing texts until FBI investigators finally trace the number – revealing a jaw-dropping twist: the messages were coming from Lauryn’s own mother, Kendra Licari.
The film chronicles the entire ordeal (including police bodycam footage of Kendra’s arrest) and the aftermath. It runs 1h 34m and premiered on Aug. 29, 2025.
Plot Overview
The documentary is set in tiny Beal City, Michigan. Lauryn Licari and Owen McKenny have been dating since junior high and were known locally as the “Golden Couple”.
In late 2020 they receive a false breakup text from an “unknown number,” and a year later they are bombarded with dozens of vicious messages a day (threats, obscene taunts, and even suicide encouragements).
Friends and classmates (and their families) are questioned, and a fellow student Khloe is briefly suspected, but it all leads nowhere.
Ultimately the FBI forensics team subpoenas phone records and discovers the texts came from Lauryn’s mother, Kendra Licari.
The doc shows Lauryn and her father Shawn learning this fact in a shocking scene. Kendra eventually pleads guilty to two counts of stalking and is sentenced to prison (19 months to 5 years) people.com.
(By the film’s release Kendra had already been paroled in August 2024.)
The Netflix film weaves interviews with the teens, their parents (Owen’s parents Jill and Dave, Lauryn’s Shawn and Kendra), classmates and school officials, showing how everyone reacted to the case.
Overall, Unknown Number is a suspenseful true-crime whodunit: it unravels the harassment mystery scene-by-scene, with the stunning reveal that the perpetrator was Lauryn’s own mother.
Cast and Characters
The “cast” consists entirely of the real people involved – none are actors. Each person appears as themselves (credited as “Self” with a brief description). The main participants (and their roles) are:
- Lauryn Licari – Self (Stalking & Harassment Victim). One of the two teenage victims. Lauryn was about 13 when the texts began. She and Owen had grown up together and even dated since eighth grade.
- The film follows Lauryn as she endures the bullying; she appears throughout describing her fear and confusion. (By the film’s premiere she was around 18 years old)
- Owen McKenny – Self (Stalking & Harassment Victim). Lauryn’s boyfriend and co-victim. Owen asked Lauryn out in eighth grade, and shared the same onslaught of threatening texts.
- He appears onscreen alongside Lauryn, talking about the harassment and its impact on their lives.
- Sophie Weber – Self (Friend of Lauryn & Owen). A high-school friend who appears as herself. Sophie is one of Lauryn’s close friends and is interviewed about the case. (IMDb credits her as “Friend of Lauryn & Owen”.) This documentary is her first on-screen appearance.
- Macy Johnston – Self (Friend of Lauryn & Owen). Another friend in the same group as Lauryn and Owen. She appears in the film telling her side of the story. (Also credited as “Friend of Lauryn & Owen” moviefone.com.)
- Shawn Licari – Self (Lauryn’s Dad). Lauryn’s father. He appears supporting his daughter and grappling with the revelation. (After Kendra’s arrest he divorced Lauryn’s mother and won full custody of Lauryn.)
- Kendra Licari – Self (Lauryn’s Mom). Lauryn’s mother, who is revealed to have been sending the abusive texts. The FBI traces the phone records to Kendra, and the film shows her confessing when confronted. (In 2023 she pleaded guilty and was sentenced for stalking.) Kendra is interviewed in the doc and her motives are explored (including a brief mention of her struggles).
- Jill McKenny – Self (Owen’s Mom). Owen’s mother. She appears on camera after the texts start, helping investigators look for clues. Jill is shown discussing the case (for example, she noted that only Kendra could have known certain details).
- Dave McKenny – Self (Owen’s Dad). Owen’s father. He appears in interviews alongside Jill McKenny (often simply credited as Owen’s dad).
- Tami Wilson – Self (Khloe’s Mom). Khloe Wilson’s mother. She appears concerned as investigators turn their attention to her daughter. (She was a source of support for Khloe during the investigation.)
- Khloe Wilson – Self (Friend of Owen, Former Suspect). A friend and classmate in their year. Police initially suspected Khloe because some texts imitated her phrasing, so she is interviewed on camera. The documentary later reveals this was a red herring.
- Korin Weber – Self (Sophie’s Mom). Sophie Weber’s mother. She appears briefly alongside her daughter (often credited simply as “Sophie’s Mom”).
- Bill Chillman – Self (Former School Superintendent). The (former) superintendent of Beal City schools. He appears in the film to give context. For example, he comments that Kendra’s actions resembled a form of “Munchausen by proxy” or “cyber Munchausen”.
- Adrianna – Self (Owen’s Cousin). Owen’s younger cousin. Early in the investigation Adrianna was also briefly suspected (Khloe claimed Adrianna had motive), so she appears in the film. She and her parents are shown explaining that she was not involved.
Episode Appearances: Unknown Number is a standalone film, not a series. All the above people appear throughout the single 1h 34m documentary – there are no separate episodes to list.
Release and Availability
- Release Date: August 29, 2025netflix.com.
- Streaming: The documentary is a Netflix original and is available exclusively on Netflix. (It was not released theatrically.)
Trivia and Behind-the-Scenes
- Experienced True-Crime Director: The film is directed by Skye Borgman (who also directed Abducted in Plain Sight and Girl in the Picture). This is Borgman’s latest in a series of twisty true-crime docs.
- Lifetime Adaptation: The bizarre case inspired other media: even as Kendra Licari was in prison, Lifetime aired a TV movie Mommy Meanest (2024) loosely based on the events, starring Lisa Rinna as the catfishing mom thecut.com.
- On-location Filming: Campfire Studios (the Netflix production company) filmed in Beal City and the surrounding area in 2024. Reporters say the crew interviewed nearly everyone involved – “the nearly full cast of the saga” (including Kendra, Lauryn, Owen, Shawn, etc.) sat for interviews. (The Beal City school board did not allow filming at the school, so many scenes were shot off-site.)
- Real Timeline: In real life, Kendra Licari was arrested in late 2022, sentenced in early 2023, and released on parole in Aug. 2024. The documentary was released about a year after her arrest.
- Victim Perspectives: All the “actors” in this film are the actual people (teens and parents) who lived through the events. They had never appeared in any movie or TV before. The director spent time with the families and the small Beal City community to build trust for candid interviews.
- Sensitive Content: Viewers should note the film contains graphic bullying content (profanity, sexual harassment, and suicidal threats in text form). It also shows the moment of arrest, making it a harrowing but impactful true-story tale.
Last modified: August 31, 2025
