Slender Man defendant Morgan Geyser's conditional release put on hold pending new hearing
WAUKESHA - Morgan Geyser's efforts to be conditionally released from a mental health institution now faces a last-minute pushback following a sealed petition that asserts new concerns.
A motion hearing will be held Thursday to determine whether Geyser, now 22, can move out of the Winnebago Mental Health Institute as was decided at a January hearing, when Waukesha County Circuit Court Judge Michael Bohren concurred with three medical experts that a conditional release was warranted.
That changed Friday, Feb. 28, when Bohren determined that there was probable cause to now deny Geyser's release into a transitional facility.
In 2017, Geyser was found not guilty by reason of mental defect in the stabbing of her 12-year-old friend Payton Leutner in 2014. Bohren later issued a four-decade commitment order for treatment. Geyser had petitioned three previous times for conditional release, citing her progress in treatment at the Oshkosh facility. Geyser gained support from ongoing caregivers this year in a reversal of earlier mental health evaluations.
The full details prompting the hearing on Feb. 28 aren't known. That's because the court sealed a petition by the Wisconsin Department of Health Services.
Geyser's attorney Tony Cotton and Waukesha County Deputy District Attorney Abbey Nickolie both revealed some elements of the petition filed by Wisconsin Department of Health Services officials.
The new concerns centered around Geyser's contact with an older man and books she has read. It's not clear what books have drawn concern or why.
Geyser's failure to disclose certain information tied to both concerns were a factor in the petition to reconsider her conditional release. Thursday's hearing is expected to include testimony and reports from the same medical evaluators to discuss the new information.
"Their theory that was discussed in court is that Morgan has read certain books which they believe are concerning," Cotton said in an emailed response to the Journal Sentinel Monday. "It's worth noting that Morgan's reading has never been restricted by the treatment team at Winnebago and any information the release planning committee has received has come from Morgan directly."
As for her contact with the unnamed man, "Morgan herself asked for a no contact with this person," Cotton added.
Before the petition, Geyser was scheduled for a March 4 hearing to approve the conditional release plan. That hearing was nixed as a result of the DHS petition, and a new review hearing has been scheduled for March 6.
Contact reporter Jim Riccioli at james.riccioli@jrn.com.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Morgan Geyser conditional release on hold in Slender Man case update
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