'Laughing clown' tells girl to set family's home on fire and murder stepmum
A 12-year-old girl was accused of starting a fire in her family's flat before stabbing and killing her stepmother Maria Torres, claiming that a 'laughing clown' had told her to do it
A 12-year-old girl allegedly killed her stepmother because a 'laughing clown' told her to do it.
The girl, who has not been named for legal reasons, is accused of setting fire to her family's flat before fatally stabbing Maria Torres, 50, in July 2015. The child claimed she was acting under the influence of 'Laughing Jack,' a fictional character from horror story website Creepypasta.
'Laughing Jack' has been described as a clown who befriends young people and becomes their imaginary friend before killing them.
Court documents revealed that the girl had been hearing voices and had developed an alter ego months before the incident. She had reportedly pleaded with her father for help, but her mental health deteriorated further in the absence of treatment.
She was then diagnosed with multiple personality disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder. Despite this, 16 psychiatric facilities refused to admit her, and the state did not agree to place her in medical care - despite a court order stating that hospitalisation was the only viable option.
Instead, she was held at the Juvenile Detention Centre in Goshen, Indiana, where the girl was deemed a significant risk to herself and others. Because of strict safety precautions, other detainees were then forced to use paper spoons during meals to prevent any possible incidents involving sharp objects.
Her public defender, Holly Curtis, expressed deep frustration with the situation, saying, "This little girl has been failed by everyone.
"The risk level for her is beyond anything I think anybody can imagine… not being able to get the help she's crying out for is one of the biggest travesties I've seen.'
The case echoes the notorious 2014 Slender Man stabbing in Wisconsin, where two 12-year-old girls attacked a classmate after claiming they were compelled by another Creepypasta character.
Morgan Geyser and Anissa Weier lured their pal Payton Leutner to a sleep over and then an outdoor play session before stabbing Payton 19 times and leaving her for dead when they fled the scene on May 30, 2014.
They claimed they wanted to join the terrifying Slender Man cult and become his 'proxies' or puppets. Geyser and Weier believed the creepy internet meme was real and said he had visited them in their dreams.
When they were interviewed by police, both said they thought Slender Man would kill their families if they didn't murder Payton.
Despite her horrendous injuries, Payton managed to crawl for help in the woods. As soon as police began questioning the girls it became apparent Geyser was suffering from serious mental health problems.
Before her trial, she was diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia, and had heard voices and had hallucinations for years.
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Daily Mirror
01-05-2025
- Daily Mirror
'Laughing clown' tells girl to set family's home on fire and murder stepmum
A 12-year-old girl was accused of starting a fire in her family's flat before stabbing and killing her stepmother Maria Torres, claiming that a 'laughing clown' had told her to do it A 12-year-old girl allegedly killed her stepmother because a 'laughing clown' told her to do it. The girl, who has not been named for legal reasons, is accused of setting fire to her family's flat before fatally stabbing Maria Torres, 50, in July 2015. The child claimed she was acting under the influence of 'Laughing Jack,' a fictional character from horror story website Creepypasta. 'Laughing Jack' has been described as a clown who befriends young people and becomes their imaginary friend before killing them. Court documents revealed that the girl had been hearing voices and had developed an alter ego months before the incident. She had reportedly pleaded with her father for help, but her mental health deteriorated further in the absence of treatment. She was then diagnosed with multiple personality disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder. Despite this, 16 psychiatric facilities refused to admit her, and the state did not agree to place her in medical care - despite a court order stating that hospitalisation was the only viable option. Instead, she was held at the Juvenile Detention Centre in Goshen, Indiana, where the girl was deemed a significant risk to herself and others. Because of strict safety precautions, other detainees were then forced to use paper spoons during meals to prevent any possible incidents involving sharp objects. Her public defender, Holly Curtis, expressed deep frustration with the situation, saying, "This little girl has been failed by everyone. "The risk level for her is beyond anything I think anybody can imagine… not being able to get the help she's crying out for is one of the biggest travesties I've seen.' The case echoes the notorious 2014 Slender Man stabbing in Wisconsin, where two 12-year-old girls attacked a classmate after claiming they were compelled by another Creepypasta character. Morgan Geyser and Anissa Weier lured their pal Payton Leutner to a sleep over and then an outdoor play session before stabbing Payton 19 times and leaving her for dead when they fled the scene on May 30, 2014. They claimed they wanted to join the terrifying Slender Man cult and become his 'proxies' or puppets. Geyser and Weier believed the creepy internet meme was real and said he had visited them in their dreams. When they were interviewed by police, both said they thought Slender Man would kill their families if they didn't murder Payton. Despite her horrendous injuries, Payton managed to crawl for help in the woods. As soon as police began questioning the girls it became apparent Geyser was suffering from serious mental health problems. Before her trial, she was diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia, and had heard voices and had hallucinations for years.
The Independent
07-03-2025
- The Independent
Wisconsin judge refuses to block Slender Man attacker's release from psychiatric hospital
A Wisconsin judge on Thursday refused to block a psychiatric hospital from releasing a woman who stabbed her sixth-grade classmate to please a horror character called Slender Man more than a decade ago after prosecutors alleged she has been quietly reading gory novels and communicating with a man who collects memorabilia from murderers. Morgan Geyser has spent the last seven years at the Winnebago Mental Health Institute. Waukesha County Circuit Judge Michael Bohren in January ordered her released after state and county health officials completed a community supervision and housing plan. Bohren was set to review the plan at a Feb. 28 hearing but prosecutors never presented it to him, instead asking him at the hearing to revoke her release. Deputy District Attorney Abbey Nickolie alleged during a follow-up hearing Thursday that Geyser, now 22, didn't tell her treatment team that she has been reading novels about murder and the sale of human organs on the black market. She also didn't inform the treatment team that she has been communicating with a man who collects murder memorabilia, allowing him to visit her and sending him artwork of a 'very violent nature,' Nickolie told the judge. Geyser's attorney, Tony Cotton, countered that Geyser only reads books the facility makes available to her and hospital officials track all her communications. She told her treatment team about the books and communications when asked, he said, adding that she can't have violated any conditions of release because conditions haven't been set. Bohren said that the revocation request lacked substance and he didn't believe Geyser was trying to intentionally hide anything. 'I don't see the risk to the public,' the judge said. Geyser and her friend, Anissa Weier, lured Payton Leutner to a Waukesha park after a sleepover in 2014. Geyser stabbed Leutner 19 times while Weier egged her on. They left Leutner for dead but she crawled out of the woods and got help from a passing bicyclist. All three girls were 12 years old. Leutner barely survived her wounds. Geyser and Weier told investigators that they attacked her to earn the right to be Slender Man's servants and to ensure Slender Man didn't hurt them or their families. Geyser pleaded guilty to attempted first-degree attempted homicide in 2017 but claimed she wasn't responsible for her actions because she was mentally ill. Bohren had committed her to the psychiatric hospital for 40 years in 2018. Geyser has asked the judge for a conditional release four times since June 2022. She withdrew her first two petitions. The judge denied her third request in April 2024, finding that she was still a threat to the public. She filed her latest request in October. He granted her fourth request in January after three psychologists testified that she's made progress improving her coping skills and emotional control and doesn't retreat into fantasy as often. One of the psychologists, Dr. Ken Robbins, warned that Geyser could become dangerous if she remains at Winnebago and loses hope. Prosecutors countered that Geyser couldn't be trusted, pointing to how she claimed during evaluations last year that she really attacked Leutner as a way of escaping her abusive father rather than to please Slender Man. They implied she was lying in hopes of increasing the odds she'd be released. Bohren ultimately found that Geyser had maximized her treatment at Winnebago and to be truly rehabilitated she has to rejoin society. Weier pleaded guilty to being a party to attempted second-degree intentional homicide with a dangerous weapon in 2017, but like Geyser claimed she wasn't responsible due to mental illness. She was committed to 25 years in a mental hospital but was granted release in 2021 on condition that she live with her father and wear a GPS monitor.
NBC News
10-01-2025
- NBC News
'Slender Man' attacker set to be released after 7 years in Wisconsin mental hospital
The Wisconsin woman, who at age 12 conspired with a friend to brutally stab a classmate to please fictional horror character "Slender Man," is well enough to be released from a psychiatric hospital, a judge ruled Thursday. Morgan Geyser, 22, has spent nearly seven years inside the Winnebago Mental Health Institute and is now ready to be moved to a group home where her mental health will be continue to be monitored, according to Waukesha County Circuit Judge Michael Bohren. Three medical experts testified on Thursday that Geyser has made considerable progress, convincing Judge Bohren that she doesn't pose a safety risk outside hospital walls. 'There's nothing to suggest that she is a danger to herself or others. And I think there's very little at this point that Winnebago (Mental Health Institute) can do for her, and that's what they would say as well. I think it's in her interest and in everybody's interest to try to help her now become the person she can become," said Dr. Kenneth Robbins, a psychiatrist treating Geyser. 'I think that there is the risk that over time, if she is limited by the things that Winnebago can offer her, I could imagine her becoming hopeless at some point and potentially becoming a danger to herself. So yes, perhaps ironically, I think she would be safer outside of Winnebago.' Forensic psychologist Deborah Collins agreed, saying keeping Geyser at Winnebago could only set her back. 'Her compliance in the institution is remarkable, both with medication and with treatment, her lack of behavioral management problems in the institution, or lack of violence toward others in the institution and toward herself. Those are all those all bode well for her readiness for conditional release at this time," she said. "Certainly for Ms. Geyser, the longer she's there at this point, I think the more challenging it's going to be to reintegrate.' And psychologist Brooke Lundbohm testified that Geyser has responded well to be removed from anti-psychotic medications. Geyser and Anissa Weier lured classmate Payton Leutner to a Waukesha park May 31, 2014 to launch the violent attack. Geyser repeatedly stabbed Leutner as Weier egged her on, prosecutors have said. All three girls were 12 at the time and Leutner barely survived. Weier spent nearly four years at the Winnebago Mental Health Institute before she was released in fall, 2021. Geyser and Weier believed they had to attack Leutner or risk Slender Man, the fictional boogeyman, coming after their families, defense lawyers have said. While Bohren on Thursday called the 2014 stabbing "brutal," the judge also said Geyser has shown she's ready to be reintegrated into society. 'She's done what she's supposed to do,' Bohren said. 'She appears to have a good attitude.'
