THE SLENDER MAN STABBINGS

 

                            THE SLENDER MAN STABBINGS

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The Slender Man stabbing case refers to a highly publicized event 

that occurred on May 31, 2014, in Waukesha, Wisconsin, involving 

two 12-year-old girls, Morgan Geyser and Anissa Weier, who 

attempted to kill their friend, Payton Leutner, also 12 years old, in

 the name of Slender Man, a fictional character from internet 

horror stories.

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Key Events:

Planning and Motive: 

Morgan Geyser and Anissa Weier became fixated on Slender Man, a

 character from the Creepypasta website, believing him to be real.

 They planned to kill Payton Leutner to prove their loyalty to 

Slender Man, thinking this act would either make them his 

"proxies" or prevent him from harming their families.

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The Attack:

On May 31, 2014, after a sleepover at Geyser's home, the three 

girls went to Davids Park in Waukesha. While playing hide and 

seek, Geyser and Weier lured Leutner into the woods. Geyser 

stabbed Leutner 19 times with a kitchen knife. One of the stab 

wounds was particularly close to major arteries and organs, but 

Leutner survived the attack.

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Aftermath:

After the stabbing, Geyser and Weier left Leutner for dead but she

 managed to crawl to a nearby road where she was discovered by a

 passerby who called 911. Leutner was hospitalized and underwent

 emergency surgery. She survived, though she had several severe 

injuries.

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Apprehension:

Five hours after the attack, Weier and Geyser were found by police

 walking near Interstate 94, about 5 miles from the scene of the 

crime. They were carrying the knife used in the attack. They told 

police they were heading to Nicolet National Forest to meet 

Slender Man at his supposed mansion.

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Legal Proceedings:

Both girls were charged as adults with attempted first-degree 

intentional homicide. Their legal defenses hinged on their mental 

health. Geyser was diagnosed with early-onset schizophrenia, and 

Weier with a shared delusional disorder influenced by Geyser's 

delusions.

Morgan Geyser:

 Pleaded guilty to attempted first-degree intentional homicide in a

 plea deal that recognized her mental illness. She was committed

 to a mental health facility for up to 40 years. Over the years, she 

has filed multiple petitions for release, with varying outcomes,

 including a recent one in January 2025 where she was ordered to

 be released to a group home under supervision.

Anissa Weier:

 Pleaded guilty to being a party to attempted second-degree 

intentional homicide. She was committed to a mental health 

facility for up to 25 years. She was conditionally released in 2021

 to live with her father under strict supervision, with her GPS 

monitoring removed in 2023.

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Public and Media Reaction:

The case drew significant media attention, raising discussions 

about internet influence on youth, mental health in children, and 

the legal treatment of minors accused of serious crimes. It also led

 to cultural reflections on the impact of horror memes and fictional

 narratives on impressionable minds.

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Cultural Impact:

Several documentaries and true-crime shows have covered the

 case, including HBO's "Beware the Slenderman." The incident

 inspired episodes in television series like "Law & Order: SVU" and

 movies like "Terror in the Woods" and "Mercy Black."

This series of events not only highlighted the tragic convergence of

 mental health issues and internet culture but also initiated

 widespread conversations on how society deals with juvenile

 offenders in extreme circumstances.