WAUKESHA, Wisconsin – A Wisconsin judge has denied the release of a woman from a mental institute after she brutally stabbed a peer as a child in an attempt to please the fictional horror character Slender Man a decade ago. Morgan Geyser, now 21, had sought release from the Winnebago Mental Health Institute in January, with proceedings taking place this week before Waukesha County Circuit Judge Michael Bohren made his decision on Thursday.
Geyser had been sentenced to 40 years in a mental hospital in 2018 after pleading guilty to attempted first-degree intentional homicide for the vicious stabbing of her sixth-grade classmate Payton Leutner. The attack took place on May 31, 2014, when Geyser and a peer lured Leutner to a park in Waukesha after a sleepover, where Geyser repeatedly stabbed her as her peer encouraged the act.
The motive behind the attack was revealed to be an attempt to earn the favor of the fictional character Slender Man, as the girls believed becoming his servants would protect their families. Leutner was stabbed 19 times and narrowly survived the ordeal. Geyser, now being considered for release, had previously requested to be released in 2022, marking her second attempt to seek freedom.
During the recent proceedings, two psychologists provided testimony with conflicting assessments of Geyser’s mental state. One psychologist suggested Geyser had been faking psychotic symptoms, despite years of observation and treatment proving otherwise. On the other hand, Dr. Robbins, who prepared a conditional release report for Geyser, believed it was an appropriate time for her to be conditionally released to a group home.
While Geyser’s release was denied, her peer Anissa Weier, who also pleaded guilty to attempted homicide and was sentenced to 25 years in a mental institution, was released under strict conditions in September 2021. The differing outcomes for the two girls highlight the complex and ongoing legal and psychological considerations in cases of this nature. The decision not to release Geyser underscores the ongoing challenges in assessing and determining when individuals in such cases may be ready for reintegration into society.