In a significant legal decision, a Wisconsin woman, Morgan Geyser, is set to be released from a mental hospital more than a decade after committing a grave crime at the age of 12. Geyser, now 22, was a key figure in a case that attracted widespread media attention due to its connection to the online horror character Slender Man. Waukesha County Circuit Judge Scott Wagner approved her conditional release from the Winnebago Mental Health Institute—where she spent the last seven years—after a prior ruling in January confirmed her progress in mental health treatment, based on the evaluations of three experts.
The gravity of Geyser’s actions is underscored by the nature of the crime. In 2014, she and her friend Anissa Weier lured their classmate, Payton Leutner, into a park under the guise of a sleepover. In a horrifying encounter, Geyser stabbed Leutner 19 times while Weier encouraged her. Following the attack, the two girls fled but were quickly apprehended on Interstate 94. They told investigators that their motive was rooted in a desire to serve Slender Man and fears for their own families, believing failure to comply would result in harm to their loved ones.
As the legal proceedings unfolded, Geyser faced severe consequences that reflected the severity of her actions. In 2017, she pleaded guilty to attempted first-degree intentional homicide but maintained that her mental illness should mitigate her responsibility. The court subsequently committed her to a psychiatric facility for up to 40 years. However, mental health professionals eventually asserted that Geyser had shown sufficient rehabilitation, leading to the recent approvals for her conditional release. This turnaround has sparked concern among some, particularly the victim’s family, due to the proximity of Geyser’s proposed group home to Leutner’s residence.
State health officials raised alarms regarding Geyser’s trustworthiness after reports emerged of her reading material involving murder themes and interactions with a collector of murder memorabilia. In a particularly troubling incident, it was alleged that Geyser sent a sketch of a decapitated body and expressed a desire for intimacy with the memorabilia collector. Geyser’s legal representative, however, argued that she had been transparent with her treatment advisers about her reading choices and ceased communication with the collector upon discovering his intent to profit from their exchanges.
Geyser’s legal journey has been shaped by the actions of another individual involved in the case, Anissa Weier. Weier, who also pleaded guilty to attempted second-degree intentional homicide, received a lesser 25-year commitment in a mental health facility and was released in 2021 under strict conditions. Both girls’ cases raise profound questions about culpability, mental illness, and the impact of influences like fictional horror characters on young minds.
The Slender Man case has become emblematic of the intersection between real-world violence and online culture. Originating from an internet meme in 2009, Slender Man has evolved into a figure of widespread popular culture, featuring in games, movies, and stories. The gruesome crime committed by Geyser and Weier has not only impacted the victims but has also ignited discussions about youth mental health, the responsibility of online communities, and the complexities surrounding crime committed by minors. Geyser’s eventual release will undoubtedly continue to generate public discourse around these themes, raising awareness about mental health care and the consequences of violent crime influenced by fictional narratives.
