Watching Unknown Number on Netflix is how I learned that “cyber Munchausen syndrome” is a thing… and, well, ignorance was bliss. The haunting documentary tells the story of Beal City, Michigan teenagers, Lauryn Licari and Owen McKenny, who were bullied via horrible texts from an anonymous number. They’d receive up to 40 to 50 texts a day, and the messages would include cruel comments on their appearances, threats, and lots of sexually explicit content. Although the school and local police tried to help, the number was difficult to track down because the texter was using an app that always generated new numbers. The cyberbullying campaign began in October 2020, paused for a bit, and then resumed from September 2021 to February 2022 — until the FBI intervened and ultimately resolved the case.
The culprit? Lauryn’s mother, Kendra Licari. When police arrived at her house to question her, she pretty much confessed right then and there. The doc includes the moment when Lauryn finds out her mom’s been sending the messages, and we see the teen looking completely shell-shocked.
Three years later, where is Kendra Licari now? Is she still married to Lauryn’s father, Shawn Licari? Here’s an update on the subject of Unknown Number.
Unknown Number Doc: Where Is Kendra Licari Now?
Kendra Licari Jail Sentence
In December 2022, Kendra was arrested and charged with two counts of stalking a minor and two counts of communicating with another to commit a crime. She eventually pleaded guilty to the two counts of stalking and was sentenced to 19 months to five years in prison.
Lauryn’s mom was released on parole in August 2024 and will remain under supervision until February 2026. She isn’t currently allowed to see her daughter. “It’s been about a year and a half since I’ve seen her,” Kendra reveals in the doc. “We both know that we’re with each other no matter what. I definitely think we can have a healthy relationship. I know we both hold that bond that we have close.”
Lauryn notes that she’s open to seeing her mom “when the time is right,” but for now, she hopes her mom gets help. “Being without that relationship is really hurting me,” the teen adds. “I think rebuilding our relationship will help both of us a lot. I love her more than anything.”
The Unknown Number director, Skye Borgman, explained to Netflix’s Tudum: “She’s remorseful that she has severely altered her relationship with her daughter in most likely a negative way. I mean, will they have a relationship? Will they get through this? I don’t know.”
Are Kendra And Shawn Licari Still Married?
No, Kendra and Shawn are divorced now, and Shawn also won full custody of Lauryn. “I just can’t believe she would do something like that to her daughter that supposedly she loved dearly,” Lauryn’s dad says in the doc. “Just makes me sick. She stabbed me in the heart — shot me in the heart — and threw it away.”
In the doc, he also explains that he and Kendra were already having issues before he found out she was responsible for the texts. “Kendra and I were fighting and arguing,” he says. They’d moved between four homes because of concerns about a possible stalker. Meanwhile, Shawn had no idea that Kendra had lost her jobs and was lying about that.
