Wisconsin Judge Orders Slender Man Attacker Back to Mental Hospital

A Wisconsin woman, Morgan Geyser, was ordered back to a state psychiatric hospital after escaping from a group home last month. This decision was made by Waukesha County Circuit Judge K. Scott Wagner on November 21, 2023, following a request from the state Department of Health Services to revoke her release privileges.

Geyser, now 23 years old, had previously been granted conditional release in September. During a brief hearing, Geyser informed the judge through her attorney, Tony Cotton, that she would not contest the revocation. Judge Wagner approved the request without further discussion.

Geyser’s case dates back to 2014, when she and her friend Anissa Weier lured their classmate, Payton Leutner, to a park in Waukesha. In a brutal attack, Geyser stabbed Leutner 19 times while Weier encouraged her. Leutner barely survived the ordeal, ultimately being discovered by a passing bicyclist. At the time, all three girls were just 12 years old.

The motivation behind the attack stemmed from Geyser and Weier’s belief in the fictional horror character known as Slender Man. They claimed that they hoped to impress this character enough to become his servants and protect their families from harm. Following the attack, both girls were committed to the Winnebago Mental Health Institute—Geyser for a period of 40 years and Weier for 25 years. Weier was granted conditional release in 2021.

Despite warnings from health officials regarding Geyser’s trustworthiness, Judge Wagner allowed her release into a group home in Madison. However, on November 22, 2023, Geyser removed her GPS monitor and fled the state with a 43-year-old acquaintance. The pair was apprehended the following day at a truck stop outside Chicago, approximately 170 miles (274 kilometers) from Madison.

Geyser’s companion stated in an interview that they had met at church and had developed a friendship over the past month. She expressed that Geyser felt compelled to escape due to concerns that the group home would restrict their meetings.

The character of Slender Man was created online by Eric Knudsen in 2009. Initially intended as a creepypasta—an internet horror story—Slender Man has since evolved into a widely recognized figure, featuring in video games, online narratives, and even a film released in 2018.