'Slender Man' stabber release hits roadblock after learning victim would live 8 miles away
It's been over a decade since Morgan Geyser, now 22, along with Anissa Waeier, nearly stabbed their sixth-grade friend, Payton Leutner, to death after telling police that a fictional character known as "Slender Man" instructed them to kill Leutner.
Geyser appeared in court on Monday to finalize her conditional release, but the plan was diverted after prosecutors noted that her planned group home would only be 8 miles away from where Leutner now lives.
"We have a large problem," Waukesha County Assistant District Attorney Ted Szczupakiewicz said, according to testimony shown on Court TV. "The entire state of Wisconsin, judge, and we have a plan that has her 8 miles away!"
"The authors of the plan never consulted with the victim in this case," Szczupakiewicz continued.
Leutner's mother, Stacie, expressed that her family was "very concerned" about Geyser living in such close proximity, speaking via Zoom to the court.
"What consideration has been given to Payton's rights and her needs for safety?" Stacie Leutner asked the court. "They made no effort to ascertain details of Payton's daily life that would be pertinent to this planning."
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"Payton has worked incredibly hard to heal from the profound trauma she endured," Stacie Leutner continued. "She deserves the right to engage in everyday activities, such as grocery shopping or visiting the library, without the agonizing fear of encountering the individual who held her down and stabbed her 19 times when she was just 12 years old."
Waukesha County Circuit Court Judge Michael Bohren shared his frustration that this was not discussed prior to the hearing and ordered officials to find a new group home for Geyser, giving them a 30-day deadline.
"This is what some people may refer to as a high-profile case where t's are to be crossed and i's are dotted to be sure all rights are protected," Bohren said.
Geyser is scheduled to return to court for another release hearing in early June, marking the third time her release has been delayed.
Geyser's defense team and the state's prosecuting attorney did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment.
Prosecutors said Geyser and Weier lured Leutner to a wooded area in Waukesha after a sleepover in May 2014. Geyser stabbed Leutner repeatedly as Weier urged her on, prosecutors said.
Both Weier and Geyser told authorities they felt they had to kill Leutner to become Slender Man's "proxies," or servants, and protect their families from him.
Leutner was left for dead but miraculously survived the attack after she crawled out of the woods and was found by a bicyclist.
"Slender Man" started with an online post in 2009, as a mysterious specter whose image people edit into everyday scenes of children at play. He is typically depicted as a spidery figure in a black suit with a featureless white face. He was regarded by his devotees as alternately a sinister force and an avenging angel.
In 2017, Geyser pleaded guilty to attempted first-degree intentional homicide in Leutner's attack but claimed she was not responsible due to her mental illness. She was sentenced in 2018 to a maximum of 40 years of state mental health supervision.
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Geyser has been at the Winnebago Mental Health Institute for nearly a decade, but was permitted to ask the court to consider her conditional release every six months.
Despite the state's pleas to keep Geyser institutionalized, Bohren determined she was no longer a danger to society.
Weier also pleaded guilty to being a party to attempted second-degree intentional homicide with a dangerous weapon and was sentenced to 25 years in a mental hospital. In 2021, she was released on the condition she must live with her father and wear a GPS monitor.
Stepheny Price is a writer for Fox News Digital and Fox Business. She covers topics including missing persons, homicides, national crime cases, illegal immigration, and more. Story tips and ideas can be sent to stepheny.price@fox.com
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