U.S. Teen Commits Suicide After Her Fake Online Friend Ends Their Friendship

November 18, 2007 11:42 p.m. EST

Dardenne Prairie, Missouri (AHN) - The parents of 13-year old Megan Meier, who committed suicide after her fake online friend ended their friendship, are seeking measures to protect other children involved in social networking online.

The death of Megan, a resident of Missouri, has sparked many controversies as her parents are pushing for Internet Safety followed a bizarre internet hoax leading to their daughter's suicide.

Megan had made a 16-year old friend named Josh Evans on MySpace and they both started exchanging messages online until he ended their friendship. Because Josh was told that Megan was cruel and that he should stay away from her.

The next day on October 16, 2006, Megan hung herself to death in her bedroom. Although she was on medication, she had stopped taking pills long before her death, according to reports.

But in the end, it turns out that it was a cruel joke allegedly created by Megan's best friend's parents and neighbor.

"People are just totally shocked . . . They can't believe that an adult would have done this," the town's mayor, Pam Fogarty, told the Herald Sun. "That daughter has got to be thinking, 'Oh my gosh, Mum, what were you thinking?' "

Megan's best friend's mother created a fake profile with a teenager's name so that she can learn what Megan was talking around about her daughter. And the mother of a former friend of Megan's also encouraged her daughter to be a part of the "joke".

Tina Meier, Megan's mother, said on Good Morning America Weekend Edition on Sunday, "There needs to be some sort of regulations out there to protect children. Parents can only be in so many places and so many times."

"I wish there were regulations with these forums. There's got to be something."

No charges have been filed in the case as, according to Tina Meier, it didn't fit into any law. However, local authorities have not closed the case and they have promised to find more evidence in the case to give justice.