The chilling tale of Morgan Geyser, the Wisconsin woman who stabbed her middle-school friend 19 times a decade ago in an attempt to impress a fictional character named Slender Man, took a new turn on Thursday as a judge denied her request for conditional release.
Geyser, now 21, has been held at the Winnebago Mental Health Institute since 2018, serving a 40-year commitment for the brutal attack on her friend when they were both just 12 years old. Despite her plea for early release, Judge Michael O. Bohren of Waukesha County Circuit Court ruled that there was still a significant risk that Geyser could harm herself or others, and therefore she should remain institutionalized.
The incident, which occurred after a slumber party in May 2014, shocked the quiet suburb of Waukesha and raised questions about how children can be influenced by dark corners of the internet. Geyser and her classmate, Anissa Weier, lured another girl into the woods and stabbed her, believing it would please the fictional character Slender Man.
While Weier has since been granted conditional release and is serving out the remainder of her commitment term at her father’s home, Geyser’s mother, Angie Geyser, expressed disbelief at her daughter’s actions, stating, “I never would have imagined that my daughter was capable of hurting another person.”
Meanwhile, the victim of the attack, Payton Leutner, who has since returned to middle school after a lengthy recovery, declined to comment on Geyser’s potential release, simply stating, “I want to be a normal person, and I want to heal in peace.”
As the case continues to unfold, the community remains divided on the fate of Geyser, with some, like Weier’s grandmother, hoping she remains hospitalized due to her illness, while others believe in the possibility of rehabilitation. The haunting legacy of this tragic event serves as a stark reminder of the dangers of online influence and the devastating consequences it can have on young minds.
