Unknown Number: The High School Catfish – where is Kendra Licari now?

After the shocking revelations, Kendra was arrested in December 2022 and charged with multiple counts of stalking – both of her daughter Lauryn and Lauryn's boyfriend at the time, Owen – as well as using a computer to commit a crime. 

She later pleaded guilty to two counts of stalking a minor and was sentenced to 19 months to five years in prison, which the documentary notes was at the harsher end of the sentencing scale.

Kendra was released from prison on 8 August 2024 and, by the end of the documentary, still seemed to be seeking a relationship with her daughter. 

Speaking to Netflix's Tudum, director Skye Borgman (Girl in the Picture, Fit for TV: The Reality of The Biggest Loser) explained that Kendra only agreed to participate toward the end of filming. 

"That was appealing to her," said Skye, "[to] sit down and tell her story from her perspective and for Lauryn [to] see her do that. She wanted to do it, I think, for her daughter."

Since her release, Skye continued that Kendra has remorse for her actions, and regrets the damage she caused to her relationship with her daughter. 

"I mean, will they have a relationship? Will they get through this? I don't know. There will probably be some kind of relationship. Will it be the same? Absolutely not. There's no way it can be the same," said Skye. 

The big question viewers were left asking was: why did Kendra do it? While Kendra herself seemed unsure of her own motivations when telling her side of the story, it's suggested her behaviour may have been rooted in past trauma.

"She does mention in the documentary an assault that happened [to her] when she was right around Lauryn's age," said Skye, "and that's what she believes led her to sending these text messages and trying to keep Lauryn close." 

Experts featured in the film compared her behaviour to a form of Munchausen syndrome by proxy, though Skye clarified this was not an official diagnosis. 

When first sitting down with documentary makers in 2023, Lauryn expressed that she still loved her mother and wanted her back in her life. 

"I was communicating with my mum while she was in prison and we sent emails," she says. "She made me feel better." 

But when Skye and the Netflix team returned a year later, Lauryn seemed more guarded. 

"I think I want to trust her now, but I don't think I can," Lauryn explained in the film. "Now that she's out, I just want her to get the help she needs so then when we see each other, it doesn't go back to the old ways and how it was before."

Now 18, Lauryn is entering a new phase of her life, which Skye described as "a really interesting place" for her to explore. 

The end of the documentary also saw Lauryn enjoy a closer relationship with her father, Shawn.