Ashley Grills
Ashley Grills, along with her boss Lori Drew, and Drew's teenage daughter, developed a MySpace persona named Josh Evans in 2006. The women allegedly started an online romance between the fictional Evans and 13-year-old Megan Meier, a friend of Drew's daughter, then harassed and dumped her. Meier committed suicide in October 2006, allegedly due to the breakup. Drew was convicted of misdemeanor charges of accessing a computer without authorization in November of 2008, and will not likely face any jail time.1
Fast Facts
- Age: 18 at time of Megan's death
- Lived in O'Fallon, Missouri
- Temporary Employee of Lori Drew
- Drew family lived four houses down from the Meier family
- Reportedly has been under psychiatric care since Megan's death
- April 1, 2008: Publicly admitted her involvement on Good Morning America
- Said she created the Josh Evans persona with Drew and Drew's daughter
Lori Drew Charged
Drew was charged with one count of conspiracy and three counts of accessing protected computers without authorization to obtain information to inflict emotional distress on May 15, 2008. Grills was granted immunity for testifying against her, she will not be charged.
Good Morning America Interview
In an interview with Good Morning America on April 1, 2008, Grills publicly admitted to creating the Evans profile, and stated the MySpace persona was the brainchild of Drew, Drew's daughter and herself. Grills said that in a message to Meier, she wrote "the world would be a better place without you," which may have motivated Meier to hang herself.
Granted Immunity
According to ABC News, Grills was granted immunity for her testimony implicating Drew, who has not been charged in the case. In January 2008, MySpace was issued a subpoena in regards to Drew's involvement in federal wire fraud and cyber fraud regarding this case.
Categories
