Shivangi Sinha
Jill McKenny was left without answers or hope for resolution when her son, Owen McKenny, became the victim of cyberbullying. The messages he received were disturbingly explicit and raised serious concerns for his safety. Jill suspected the culprit might be someone close, perhaps even someone she had welcomed into her home, and the fear that her son was in real danger never left her. In Netflix’s ‘Unknown Number: The High School Catfish,’ she recounts the ordeal and shares her emotions as the catfisher’s identity was finally revealed.
Jill McKenny Believed Kendra Licari to be Her True Friend and Confidant
Jill McKenny and her husband, Dave, were raising their children, Owen and Macy, in Beal City, Michigan. It was a place they knew intimately, where everyone was familiar with one another due to its small size. The couple was very involved in their kids’ lives, so when Owen introduced them to his girlfriend, Lauryn Licari, they welcomed her with open arms. Jill described the young couple’s relationship as sweet, almost like something out of a storybook, since both shared a love for sports and seemed very compatible. Over time, their families also grew close, with Jill forming a strong friendship with Lauryn’s mother, Kendra Licari. They bonded over their shared experiences as mothers.
In October 2020, when Owen and Lauryn began receiving harassing messages from unknown numbers and were subjected to cyberbullying, Jill leaned on Kendra for support. Together, the two families approached the school authorities and the police, urging them to take action and identify who was behind it. Jill felt that they were in this battle side by side, though it was far from simple. Eventually, Owen and Lauryn broke up, which Jill believed was due to the overwhelming stress of the situation. While she was advised to take Owen’s phone away and replace it with a new one, she rejected the idea. She thought doing so wouldn’t solve the problem, and it would also cut off the only direct link to the perpetrator, making it even harder to catch them.
At one point during the investigation, Jill went to the police station and broke down. She said that she did not know what else to do. Her fear intensified when she discovered that one of the pictures sent to Owen was taken from inside their own home and it confirmed that someone was stalking her son. The situation worsened when Owen began dating a girl in another town, only for the stalker to interfere there as well. Jill felt powerless and terrified for her child’s safety. In December 2022, when police informed her that the person arrested was Kendra, Jill was shocked. She initially believed it had to be a mistake, as Kendra was someone she had considered a close friend. The revelation left her feeling very unsettled about the trust she had placed in her.
Jill McKenny is Working to Get Normalcy in Her Life Back Today
In April 2023, during the sentencing of Kendra Licari, Jill McKenny made a powerful appearance in court alongside her son, Owen McKenny. Along with her husband and son, she delivered a victim impact statement that carried both strength and emotion. Jill expressed her belief that prison time would ultimately serve a purpose and give Kendra the space to reflect on the harm she caused. After speaking directly to Licari, Jill said, “It felt good. It felt good to actually look her in the eye. It felt good to just address her and ask why. I know I’ll never get the reason, a true reason, but it just felt good to address her today.” She also pointed out that in the two and a half years Kendra carried out her actions, she had ample opportunity to reconsider, but chose not to stop and caused a lot of damage. Jill also apologized to Khloe Wilson and her family for pointing her finger at them and has said she feels a lot of guilt about it.
Away from the courtroom, Jill is best described as the devoted mother who is always on the sidelines, cheering Owen and her daughter, Macy, in their sports and accomplishments. Both children’s successes bring her immense pride. She has acknowledged how the support of her close-knit community carried her through the difficult aftermath, a time that understandably led her to shield her family from the public eye. Today, Jill and her husband, David McKenny, are focused on preparing for Owen’s upcoming college journey while Macy remains at home with them in Beal City, Michigan. Their family life continues to revolve around the small traditions like celebrations with extended relatives, annual Christmas cards, and vacations. Jill has come out of the tough times with a lot of grace, and she is glad to have put it all behind her.
Read More: Lauryn Licari: Where is the Cyberbullying Survivor Now?
