The Inside Story of One Tragic MySpace Suicide

The story is so tragic it's actually difficult to read. Thirteen-year-old Megan Meier, victim of an orchestrated cyberbullying pile-on that left her dead, hanged by her own hand in her bedroom, unable to take the abuse any longer. But if you think you know how this one ends, read on.

Teen suicide is nothing new (it's one of the top causes of death for teens), but the online component certainly is, and it's growing. Meier's case, on the surface, has all the hallmarks of classic bullying. Overweight, depressed, and suffering from low self-esteem, she turned to the web, specifically MySpace, to make friends. There she met Josh, who flirted with her for weeks before abruptly cutting her off, sending her nasty notes about her being "mean" and "everybody hates you." Hours later, she had taken her own life.

Weeks later, Megan's parents would learn a horrifying truth: There was no "Josh." Josh was a creation of the parents of one of Megan's former friends, a girl with whom she'd had a falling out. That's right: A 13-year-old girl was bullied into taking her own life by grown-ups.

Ultimately no charges are likely to be filed over Megan's death, simply because there's no law broken for the adults to be charged with. The FBI investigated and was unable to recover all the messages Megan received, so the true level of provocation to suicide may never be known.

Meanwhile, the two families live on the same block. Megan's parents are divorcing. Life will never be the same for any of them. Welcome to MySpace.

No takeaways on this one aside from what you already know: Parents, keep tabs on your kids' online activities, and talk to them about the difference between knowing someone online and in real life. And whatever you do, don't believe anything you see on MySpace.

LINK: A real person, a real death