Woman Granted Conditional Release From Mental Hospital 11 Years After Slender Man Stabbing

A woman who, at age 12, participated in the stabbing of a classmate in an infamous case linked to a fictional internet character, Slender Man, has won conditional release from a Wisconsin judge.The decision was made Thursday, nearly 11 years after the attack that shocked the nation.A Waukesha County circuit court judge, Scott Wagner, on Thursday signed off on Ms. Geyser’s release plan, which will allow the 23-year-old to make the transition out of the Winnebago Mental Health Institute at Oshkosh and into a group home at an undisclosed location by August 4. Slender Man was created in 2009 by Eric Knudson as part of an online contest to fabricate a supernatural character. The figure, depicted as a tall, featureless man in a black suit, became a viral internet phenomenon featured in stories, video games, and even a 2018 movie.A defense attorney, Tony Cotton, expressed optimism about Ms. Geyser’s progress and readiness for release. “I am very confident Morgan will do well. Of course, the ball is in her court to make sure she is addressing her issues and taking it seriously. We can only do so much, and we never have a crystal ball, of course,” Mr. Cotton said during the brief hearing, according to a Wisconsin news outlet.Ms. Geyser has been under state care since the May 2014 incident, when she and a friend, Anissa Weier, lured classmate Payton Leutner into a Waukesha park after a sleepover and stabbed her 19 times to appease the fictional Slender Man. Ms. Leutner survived the attack, which Ms. Geyser and Ms. Weier carried out in an effort to become servants of the mythical figure. The girls had planned to flee to Slender Man’s fictional mansion in northern Wisconsin following the stabbing but were arrested walking along an interstate highway.Ms. Geyser was later found not guilty of attempted homicide by reason of mental disease or defect and committed to 40 years of state care. Ms. Weier, who egged on Ms. Geyser during the 2014 attack, was found not guilty by reason of mental defect on a lesser charge of attempted second-degree homicide. She was committed for 25 years but was granted release in 2021 with conditions, including living with her father and wearing a GPS monitor.Mr. Cotton told the judge that Ms. Geyser has made significant progress over the years, saying she has developed a deep understanding of her mental health issues. “She’s had a substantial amount of education under her belt, she’s well-read, and she understands her mental health issues on a very deep level,” he said. Mr. Cotton also emphasized that Ms. Geyser has not shown any fixation on Slender Man during her treatment and has never expressed intent to harm the Leutner family.The approval of Ms. Geyser’s conditional release comes after years of deliberation and evolving assessments. Earlier this year, prosecutors raised concerns about Ms. Geyser’s group home being situated eight miles from the Leutner family, causing delays in the approval process. A revised plan was submitted and later accepted by Judge Wagner.

Woman Granted Conditional Release From Mental Hospital 11 Years After Slender Man Stabbing

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