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Megan Taylor Meier (November 6, 1992 – October 17, 2006) was an American teenager from Dardenne Prairie, Missouri, who died of suicide by hanging three weeks before her 14th birthday. A year later, Meier's parents prompted an investigation into the matter and her suicide was attributed to cyberbullying through the social networking website Myspace. Lori Drew, the mother of a friend of Meier, was indicted on the matter in 2008, but was acquitted in the 2009 case ''United States v. Drew''. ==Background== Megan Taylor Meier was born on November 6, 1992, to Christina "Tina" Meier and Ronald Meier in O'Fallon, Missouri. During Megan's childhood she lived in the nearby Dardenne Prairie. She had a younger sister named Allison. From the third grade, after she had told her mother she had wanted to kill herself, Megan had been under the care of a psychiatrist. She had been prescribed citalopram (an antidepressant that has a possible side effect of increasing suicide risk in young people), methylphenidate, and the atypical antipsychotic ziprasidone. She had been diagnosed with attention deficit disorder and depression, and had self-esteem issues regarding her weight.〔(Meganmeierfoundation.cwsit.org ): Megan's Story〕 She was described by her parents as a "bubbly, goofy" girl who enjoyed spending time with her friends and family. Meier attended Fort Zumwalt public schools, including Pheasant Point Elementary School and Fort Zumwalt West Middle School〔 in nearby O'Fallon, Missouri. For eighth grade, her parents enrolled her at Immaculate Conception Catholic School〔"(''A Hoax Turned Fatal Draws Anger but No Charges'' ), ''The New York Times''〕 in Dardenne Prairie. They thought that its policy requiring uniforms and prohibiting makeup and jewelry might help Megan fit in. Soon after opening an account on Myspace, Meier received a message supposedly from a 16-year-old boy, Josh Evans. Meier and "Josh" became online friends, but never met in person or spoke. Meier thought "Josh" was attractive. As Meier began to exchange messages with this person, her family said she seemed to have had her "spirits lifted". This person claimed to have moved to the nearby city of O'Fallon, was homeschooled and did not yet have a phone number. A 16-year-old male named "Josh Evans" was registered on the account used for bullying messages to Meier. But Lori Drew, the mother of Sarah Drew, a former friend of Meier, later admitted creating the Myspace account. At the time of the suicide, the Drew and Meier families were neighbors, living four doors apart.〔(''Frail egos caught in killer net'' ), ''The Sydney Morning Herald'' 30 November 2007.〕 Lori Drew was aided by Sarah and by Ashley Grills, an 18-year-old employee of Lori. Lori and several others ran the hoaxed account. Witnesses testified that the women intended to use Meier's messages sent to "Josh" to get information about her and later humiliate her, in retribution for her allegedly spreading gossip about Drew's daughter.〔"(Exclusive: Teen Talks About Her Role in Web Hoax That Led to Suicide )." ''ABC News''.〕〔(Meganmeierfoundation.cwsit.org )〕〔"(Cyber vigilantes on attack )," ''CNN'', December 4, 2007〕〔(Key events in the Megan Meier case )." ''Associated Press'' at ''USA Today''. May 15, 2008. Retrieved on August 14, 2009.〕〔"(Prosecution: Lori Drew Schemed to Humiliate Teen Girl )"〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Suicide of Megan Meier」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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