Morgan Geyser, one of two people convicted in the 2014 stabbing of a classmate that was inspired by the fictional character Slender Man, has been granted conditional release from a psychiatric hospital. Geyser spent seven years in treatment.
Now 22, following evaluations, multiple medical experts no longer view Geyser as a safety risk to the community. A Wisconsin judge ruled Thursday, Jan. 9, supporting her release, marking a significant shift in her legal case.
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“The bottom line, common feature is that there’s a unanimous support for Ms. Geyser’s petition for conditional release,” one expert testified in court.
Geyser and her friend Anissa Weier lured their classmate Payton Leutner into a park in Waukesha, Wisconsin, in May 2014. All three girls were 12 years old at the time.
Authorities said Geyser stabbed Leutner 19 times in an attempt to prove her loyalty to Slender Man, a fictional horror character. Leutner survived the attack, though she did suffer life-threatening injuries.
Geyser and Weier later claimed that they believed Slender Man would hurt their families if they didn’t carry out the attack.
Geyser pled guilty to attempted first-degree intentional homicide and was convicted as an adult, but she was found not guilty by reason of mental illness. She received a sentence of up to 40 years in a psychiatric facility.
In 2018, Geyser began treatment for a schizophrenic diagnosis. Over the years, mental health experts said her condition has improved. Her psychologist said she is no longer on her medication and showed no signs of psychotic behavior over the past two years.
“I’ve watched the progress; I think that it was a long time coming,” her defense attorney said. “She got a lot of talents. I think she’s going to be a good person in the community. I think she’s going to thrive.”
The same judge who committed Geyser to the psychiatric hospital also granted her release. Under the court’s ruling, Wisconsin must find Geyser a group home within 60 days.
Weier, also convicted alongside Geyser, was released under supervised conditions in 2021.
Leutner’s mother expressed hope ahead of the hearing that the judicial system would keep Geyser in the facility. She said she believed releasing Geyser would risk the safety of the community as well as her daughter.
