MySpace hoax co-creator says Drew wrote some messages
Grills spoke publicly Tuesday morning about the Meier case for the first time on ABC's "Good Morning America." According to Grills, Lori Drew "a couple of times" wrote messages as Josh Evans and sent them to Megan.
Drew, 49, is a neighbor who lives on the same block in Dardenne Prairie where Megan once lived. Drew has denied, through her attorney, ever writing any messages to Megan as Josh Evans.Grills worked in Drew's home as a part-time employee. Grills, Drew and Drew's daughter were involved in creating the MySpace account for Josh Evans, who never really existed. It was created to see if Megan was saying anything mean about Drew's daughter.
Grills said on TV that she found a picture of a handsome teenager for the phony Josh Evans account. Josh then immediately sought out Megan as a friend.
ABC reporter Deborah Roberts asked Grills whose idea it was to create the account.
"That was me and her daughter and then she (Lori Drew) said that sounded like a good idea," Grills said.
Megan and Drew's daughter were intermittent friends. Both were 13 when Megan hanged herself in October 2006 after receiving several mean e-mails from "Josh."
Grills said she was the person who sent the final messages to Megan, including one that said, according to Grills, "Our world would be a better place without you."
Grills said on TV that she wrote those messages because she was trying to get Megan to leave Josh alone so the MySpace hoax would end.
The TV report made no mention of Grills' current mental state. In December, St. Charles County Prosecuting Attorney Jack Banas said that he did not interview Grills during his investigation because she was under psychiatric care as a result of Megan's suicide.
Grills was asked on TV how she felt when she learned Megan had killed herself. "I thought it was my fault," she answered.
Grills broke down in tears during the TV interview. "I should not have said what I said."
Tina Meier, Megan's mother, said Tuesday that Grills has consistently told the same story.
Grills said she wanted the public to know she is not "heartless."
"I do know what I did and I take responsibility for it every day," Grills said.
James J. Briscoe, attorney for Curt and Lori Drew, responded Wednesday to a request for comment. "We have no comment at this time other than Lori stands by her statement," he wrote via e-mail.
Drew said in a Dec. 8, 2007, statement that she "never sent any messages to Megan or to anyone else" using the MySpace account of Josh Evans.
