To those asking about Meghan
A letter
Thank you to those of you who took the time to reach out.
I did not anticipate that story getting the level of attention it’s received, but I am grateful that so many people are seeing Meg’s name and learning about her. The comments I’ve been receiving personally have been very caring and respectful so far. I wish I could say the same for the Internet at large.
I hope you understand that I don’t feel comfortable replying to strangers’ questions about Meg or her disappearance.
As a blanket statement to those who have asked: Yes, of course, everything I know about her situation has been shared with her family and the police in full. My personal feelings on the police as an institution do not erase the reality that they are the only entity we have to deal with situations like this at present. They haven’t asked me much, but I’ve told them everything I know or guess about the situation. I don’t have any updates about their investigation.
There are directions the media narrative of her disappearance is now going that I do not feel comfortable speculating on. According to the police, there is currently no evidence of a crime, but as mentioned, there is also no evidence of anything.
To the public at large, I humbly ask you to please remember that this is a very personal tragedy for those of us close to her. I’m both glad to see her story getting attention, but also uncomfortable about the number of “true crime” bloggers and vloggers using her disappearance to make a quick buck and build hype for their own platforms.
I had originally posted my story about her unmetered — meaning I do not make money off of it — before Medium asked to feature it in Human Parts. I decided the added publicity of her name was worth the queasy feeling it gives me to turn her story into another instrument of profit for a tech company. I am donating any amount of money the story makes me to the GoFundMe established by Meg’s brother, Peter. I asked the Medium editors to do the same, and they did not directly address my question.
Here is the link to that fundraiser: https://www.gofundme.com/f/findmeghanmarohn-findmeghanmarohncom
At the time of writing, the story has so far earned $11.49.
Please, keep sharing her name, but also please remember that rampant speculation and strangers offering theories based on little to no evidence is not particularly helpful to the search. I cannot speak for others but myself, but it personally makes me very uncomfortable — especially the comments I’ve seen shaming Meg for going for a walk, as though this is somehow an unsafe activity or something she should have avoided. This perpetuates the same narratives that entrap and blame women who are victims of violence, and is an utterly shameful way to think. To put it politely: Stop it.
I appreciate everyone who spreads the word, but please, be adults about it. Share from a genuine desire to find a missing woman and offer solace to her loved ones, not to fulfill any other emotional needs of your own that are going unmet. That’s what therapy is for.
If you are encountering news of Meghan Marohn for the first time and are yearning for more information, I can only say: I understand and empathize. Take a moment to empathize in turn with how those of us who love her are feeling before you comment on the situation.
Sincerely,
Anna
