Judge Frees Woman Who Stabbed Classmate to Satisfy Slender Man from Psychiatric Hospital

MADISON, Wis.—A woman from Wisconsin, who at the age of 12 brutally stabbed her sixth-grade classmate in an attempt to appease the fictional horror character Slender Man, has been ordered by a judge to be released from a psychiatric hospital.

Morgan Geyser has been at the Winnebago Mental Health Institute for nearly seven years. Since June 2022, she has sought release from Waukesha County Circuit Judge Michael Bohren, who initially committed her. Geyser withdrew her first two requests and had her second petition denied by Bohren in April of this year, when he concluded she still posed a danger to society.

Now 22, Geyser filed her most recent petition in October. Following a day-long hearing on Thursday, Bohren decided to approve her release, noting that she has fully engaged in her treatment and is no longer a risk to public safety. He instructed the state Department of Health Services to devise a housing plan for her in a group home and to oversee her, with further approval to be discussed in a hearing scheduled within 60 days.

The judge remarked that while Geyser’s actions were a “brutal, terrible offense,” she has matured during her time in treatment and needs the opportunity to reintegrate into society in order to complete her rehabilitation.

“She’s done what she’s supposed to do,” Bohren stated. “She appears to have a good attitude.”

In 2014, Geyser and Anissa Weier, both 12 at the time, lured their classmate, Payton Leutner, to a park following a sleepover where Geyser stabbed Leutner 19 times as Weier encouraged her. Miraculously, Leutner survived the attack.

Following the attack, the two girls told authorities that they targeted Leutner to become servants of Slender Man and claimed they were fearful for their families’ safety if they didn’t carry out the act.

Geyser was convicted of attempted first-degree intentional homicide, subsequently placed in a psychiatric facility due to her mental health issues in 2018. Weier took a plea deal for attempted second-degree intentional homicide, also entering a psychiatric center, but was released in 2021 to live with her father, who is required to monitor her with a GPS device.

During Thursday’s hearing, three psychologists who have been treating Geyser since her placement testified to her significant progress over the last six months, recommending her for release.

Dr. Brooke Lundbohm shared that Geyser was successfully taken off her anti-psychotic medications by early 2023 without showing any adverse symptoms since that transition.

Dr. Deborah Collins noted that while Geyser remains at some risk of reoffending, she has developed better coping strategies, improved her emotional regulation, and engages in fantasy less often. Collins recounted that Geyser expressed deep remorse for her actions toward Leutner and struggles with self-forgiveness.

Dr. Ken Robbins warned that keeping Geyser in confinement too long might result in loss of hope, potentially making her more dangerous.

“The longer she’s there, at this point, the harder it’s going to be to reintegrate,” Robbins stated.

Waukesha County Assistant Deputy Attorney Ted Szczupakiewicz argued against Geyser’s release, citing previous claims she made during evaluations that she had fabricated her delusions about Slender Man and attacked Leutner to escape an abusive home life. He suggested this could be a tactic to facilitate her release.

The judge dismissed these concerns, noting that it is common for mental health diagnoses to evolve.

By Todd Richmond