Latest news with #Geyser
Yahoo
29-04-2025
- Yahoo
'Slender Man' stabber release hits roadblock after learning victim would live 8 miles away
One of the two teens convicted in the "Slender Man" stabbing case has had her release delayed once again after a judge found an issue with the proximity of her living quarters to the victim. 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!" 'Slender Man' Stabber To Be Released As State Warns Of 'Red Flags' "The authors of the plan never consulted with the victim in this case," Szczupakiewicz continued. Read On The Fox News App 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." SIGN UP TO GET True Crime Newsletter "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. Wisconsin Woman Charged In 'Slender Man' Stabbing Drops Request For Early Release From Mental Health Facility "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. Follow The Fox True Crime Team On X 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. 'Slender Man' Case: Wisconsin Judge Orders Conditional Release For Woman Involved In Stabbing 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. GET REAL-TIME UPDATES DIRECTLY ON THE True Crime Hub 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. Fox News Digital's Julia Bonavita and The Associated Press contributed to this article source: 'Slender Man' stabber release hits roadblock after learning victim would live 8 miles away
Fox News
29-04-2025
- Fox News
'Slender Man' stabber release hits roadblock after learning victim would live 8 miles away
One of the two teens convicted in the "Slender Man" stabbing case has had her release delayed once again after a judge found an issue with the proximity of her living quarters to the victim. 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." SIGN UP TO GET TRUE CRIME NEWSLETTER "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. GET REAL-TIME UPDATES DIRECTLY ON THE TRUE CRIME HUB 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
Yahoo
13-04-2025
- Yahoo
'Slender Man' stabber to be released as state warns of 'red flags'
The Wisconsin woman who attempted to kill her 12-year-old classmate to appease the fictional character "Slender Man" will be released despite the state's claims there are still "red flags" concerning her behavior. A judge has ruled Morgan Geyser, 22, can continue with her planned conditional release from a Wisconsin mental health institute, rejecting a last-minute petition from the State Department of Health Services asking for her to remain in custody. The decision comes after failed attempts by Geyser's defense team to have her released. Officials asked Waukesha County Circuit Judge Michael Bohren to reverse his initial decision after he ordered Geyser's release in January, citing Geyser's relationship with a murder memorabilia collector and her interest in violent books. Wisconsin Girl, 15, Sentenced In Slender Man Stabbing Case In 2017, Geyser pleaded guilty to attempted first-degree intentional homicide in the violent stabbing of Payton Leutner but claimed she was not responsible due to her mental illness. She told investigators she tried to kill Leutner to please the horror character Slender Man and was ultimately found not guilty by reason of mental defect. Read On The Fox News App Geyser's defense team and the state's prosecuting attorney did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment. "Being found to be mentally ill as the cause of the crime has a pretty high standard," Dr. Gail Saltz, clinical associate professor of psychiatry at Weill Cornell Medical College, told Fox News Digital. "The standard is an identifiable illness that impacts your ability to understand that what you're doing is wrong and that you have the capacity to understand that. That's true regardless of age. So, it is quite a high standard." Wisconsin Woman Charged In 'Slender Man' Stabbing Drops Request For Early Release From Mental Health Facility Geyser and her friend, Anissa Weier, were 12 when they lured Leutner into a wooded park during a sleepover in May 2014. Geyser, encouraged by Weier, stabbed Leutner 19 times. Leutner miraculously survived the attack. SIGN UP TO GET True Crime Newsletter Geyser has been in custody at the Winnebago Mental Health Institute for the last seven years. She was initially sentenced to 40 years in the psychiatric hospital and was permitted to ask the court to consider her conditional release every six months. The Wisconsin State Department of Health Services did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment. 'Slender Man' Stabber Granted Early Release By Judge After Multiple Failed Attempts Health officials asked Bohren to reconsider, citing Geyser's relationship with a man who collects murder memorabilia. Prosecutors also said Geyser failed to inform her therapy team about a violent book she was reading. Geyser's defense attorney, Tony Cotton, refuted the claims, telling the court the center's staff members were aware the collector had visited Geyser three times in June 2023 and that she only read books that were permitted by her care team. Cotton added that after Geyser discovered the man was selling items she sent him, she broke things off. "Morgan is not more dangerous today," Cotton said. Judge Denied Release Of Woman Who Stabbed Childhood Friend Because Of 'Slender Man' Bohren also listened to testimony from three psychologists who initially recommended Geyser be released during her hearing in January. While Geyser's apparent interest in violent topics concerns prosecutors, experts say some individuals may gravitate toward materials that offer a controlled way to indulge in their morbid curiosity. "This is a gray zone in the sense that many people read violent material as a way of partaking and thinking about that sort of fantasy material," Saltz said. "Horror movies exist because many humans have sadistic and masochistic urges that are satisfied by reading about or watching material of this sort." Follow The Fox True Crime Team On X However, agency officials argued Geyser remains a danger to the community, citing the book "Rent Boy," which features topics such as murder and selling organs on the black market. Prosecutors told Bohren they believed it was concerning that Geyser reportedly only disclosed the information when confronted by her care team. "The state has real concerns these things are, frankly, just red flags at this point," Waukesha County Deputy District Attorney Abbey Nickolie said during a hearing last month. Wisconsin Woman Convicted In 'Slender Man' Stabbing Case Petitions For Conditional Release While morbid curiosities may be normal for some, experts believe those with violent pasts could be influenced by materials about their crimes. "Thought does not equal behavior," Saltz said. "That being said, [with] somebody who has committed the behavior, we do worry that ultimately that will increase their urge to do something that they truly [want] to do and lead to a behavior that is considered a problem." Despite the state's pleas to keep Geyser institutionalized, Bohren determined she was no longer a danger to society. Her next court appearance is scheduled for April 28, according to documents obtained by Fox News Digital. 'Slender Man' Case: Wisconsin Judge Orders Conditional Release For Woman Involved In Stabbing "There are many people who commit horrible assaults with the intent to kill and serve their time and the evaluation is that they acknowledge their crime, which [Geyser] clearly has," Saltz told Fox News Digital. "They fall under all the ingredients that have to do with rehabilitation, who don't even have a finding that mental illness was a factor and were then released into society. So, I'm saying this isn't a totally unique situation." GET REAL-TIME UPDATES DIRECTLY ON THE True Crime Hub 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. Attorneys for Weier did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment. "You have to think about the victim in this case too," Saltz said. "The attack was unbelievably traumatic. But, at the end of the day, it's highly unusual to essentially lock up a 12-year-old for life." The Associated Press contributed to this report. Original article source: 'Slender Man' stabber to be released as state warns of 'red flags'
Yahoo
07-03-2025
- Yahoo
Slender Man Stabber to Be Released From Psychiatric Facility, Judge Rules
In January, Waukesha County Circuit Judge Michael Bohren ordered Morgan Geyser's release from Winnebago Mental Health Institute. The 22-year-old was sentenced to 40 years in a mental institution in 2018 after pleading guilty to attempted murder for the 2014 attack she carried out with her friend Anissa Weier. After seven years, Bohren decided Geyser was no longer a safety risk. However, Geyser's discharge was halted after state health officials raised concerns about books she read at the facility and a recurring visitor. But Bohren has since decided her supervised release can proceed. State Department of Health Services officials flagged that Geyser read Rent Boy — a novel about sex, murder, and an organ theft ring — and failed to disclose this to her therapy team. 'The state has real concerns these things are, frankly, just red flags at this point,' Waukesha County Deputy District Attorney Abbey Nickolie said on Thursday, per Associated Press. Officials also claimed Geyser was in contact with a murder memorabilia collector, sending him sketches of decapitated bodies and expressing interest in being intimate with him. More from Rolling Stone 'Slender Man' Stabbing Attacker Granted Psychiatric Hospital Release UnitedHealthcare CEO Murder Suspect Fighting Extradition to New York Former Mr. Bungle Member Found Guilty of Murdering Girlfriend Geyser's attorney pushed back at the concerns. 'Morgan is not more dangerous today,' Tony Cotton said. He claims that staff at the facility knowingly allowed patients access to Rent Boy, as well as biographies that Geyser enjoyed reading. He also noted that Geyser stopped communicating with the memorabilia collector when she learned that he was selling the items she sent him. He previously visited her three times in June 2023. Cotton suggested that the department wanted to keep her in the hospital as a 'hit job.' In January, Bohren ruled that Wisconsin's Department of Health Services would determine the conditions of Geyser's release as it was decided that she would be placed in a group home and supervised within her release within 60 days. Geyser's release was initially denied in April 2024. She petitioned for release once again in October 2024. Her first two requests, issued in 2022, were denied on the grounds that she might harm herself or others. Geyser allegedly attempted to hang herself in October 2021 and decided to stop taking antipsychotic medications in 2022. 'She's done what she's supposed to do,' Bohren said in agreement with three experts who stated that Geyser has made progress in addressing mental illness. 'She appears to have a good attitude.' Best of Rolling Stone Every Super Bowl Halftime Show, Ranked From Worst to Best The United States of Weed Gaming Levels Up
Yahoo
07-03-2025
- Yahoo
Morgan Geyser can proceed with conditional release after judge rejects revocation petition
WAUKESHA - Morgan Geyser has retained her planned conditional release from a mental health institute to which she has been committed for the last seven years in connection with the 2014 Slender Man-inspired stabbing of a friend. Waukesha County Circuit Court Judge Michael Bohren on Thursday set aside concerns about the Geyser's release from the Winnebago Mental Health Institute and reaffirmed his January decision to allow the 22-year-old to create a plan for her transition into the community, likely beginning in a group home in the near future. In doing so, he set aside an 11th-hour petition by state officials who had asked he revoke her conditional release. 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. Leutner was stabbed 19 times by Geyser, who was aided by Anissa Weier, in a wooded area near David's Park in Waukesha. All three girls were 12 years old at the time. Geyser and Weier said they believed they were doing the bidding of Slender Man, a fictional online character. As part of the post-trial proceedings in 2018 involving Geyser, Bohren issued a four-decade commitment order for treatment, though that order allowed her to petition every six months for conditional release. Her most recent petition was approved by Bohren in January and was expected to result in the court's review of a plan to move her into a group home under electronic monitoring. But that changed just days before the corresponding March 4 review hearing. Thursday's motion hearing was set after Bohren determined Feb. 28 probable cause existed to consider revoking Geyser's conditional release. Wisconsin Department of Health Services, in charge of monitoring her treatment progress at the Oshkosh facility, had raised concerns recently, citing the violent nature about a book Geyser has been recently reading as well as a problematic relationship she has had with a man fixated on her violent past. The details of those concerns, listed in the DHS petition to revoke her release, were not made public ahead of Thursday's hearing. But they were revealed in detail during testimony from state officials. Deputy District Attorney Abbey Nickolie used the testimony of three individuals who have been involved with Geyser's conditional release plan to shine a light on concerns she felt could endanger the community if Geyser was allowed to interact more freely with people. Nicole Whiteaker, a conditional release program supervisor with Wisconsin Community Services, said her team members became concerned about one book Geyser was reading. The book, "Rent Boy," dealt with "dark" themes that were "related to the index offense," the 2014 stabbing incident, she said. "It was a dark novel that revolved around murder involving the selling of body parts along the black market," Whiteaker said, who added that Geyser push backed against officials' efforts to monitor her reading. A second concern involved an older man whom Geyser had corresponded with, and then met with at Winnebago at one point, during her treatment there. Among other correspondence, the man claimed he had received some of her artwork drawings depicting what Whiteaker also described as disturbing. "They were very dark in nature," Whiteaker said, noting the man was offering these materials for sale on Facebook. "I would describe (one of them) as a horror-type picture." Geyser's attorney, Tony Cotton, noted it was Geyser who cut off visits from the man after he had visited her at Winnebago three times in June 2023. Whiteaker concurred, acknowledging Geyser subsequently requested a no-contact order, and also agreed the man, who was named in court, seemed intent on focusing on her notorious case regardless of Geyser's feelings. "It appears he is fixated as true crime, as a whole," she said, and also had expressed getting sexual gratification from violent imagery. In cross examination, Cotton pushed the point that the Winnebago doctors, including those who supported her conditional release, were aware of her dark artwork. "So this wasn't something new," he said, adding Geyser was forthcoming with the information they sought. "Morgan should be commended for her honesty, ... don't you agree?" Cotton asked. But under additional questioning from Nickolie, Whiteaker said such details were enough to raise concerns of risk to the community if Geyser's conditional release moved forward. Kathleen Martinez, a DHS forensics mental health manager, voiced similar concerns over Geyser's choice of reading materials. Those concerns were shared with Geyser's doctors to get their perspective, she said. Those treating her were not fully aware of these details, she added. "The social worker indicated she had not told the treatment team about the (Facebook) posts, the content of the drawings and about the specific content of 'Rent Boy,'" Martinez said, adding later, "You can't write a treatment for problems of which you are unaware." The Department of Health Services found such details enough reason to ask for revocation of her conditional release. "It's based on safety to the community and Miss Geyser," Martinez said. But in response to Cotton's questions, she also acknowledged that Geyser had broken no rules, "as far as I know," that directly warranted revocation of her conditional release. Lisa Portmann, a therapist at Winnebago who is currently working with Geyser, said she was unaware of Geyser's interest in reading material depicting "sexual sadism" or some of her violent artwork, including one of a decapitated figure with blood spewing from the neck. But Portmann said she has no current concerns about Geyser's behavior or therapy, or any heightened risk after reading about the recent DHS concerns. Geyser had petitioned three previous times for conditional release, citing her progress in treatment at the Oshkosh facility. In December 2024, Geyser gained support from ongoing caregivers in a reversal of earlier mental health evaluations. Those doctors were also asked to address the recent concerns. Dr. Kenneth Robbins, who earlier testified on behalf of Geyser in two previous hearings, said he talked with a medical director at Winnebago, who in turn said the staff was previously aware of the "Rent Boy" book and her drawings. Any claims to the contrary surprised him, he said. Regardless, he reiterated his support, as he testified in April 2024 and again in January, for Geyser's move outside of Winnebago, saying the elements stated in the revocation petition carried little weight. "It doesn't change my opinion about her suitability for conditional release," Robbins said. He dismissed concerns about the contents of "Rent Boy," which he dismissed as comedic, not gruesome, and merely was part of Geyser's broader reading interests, including the Bible and books about Vincent Van Gogh and the Vietnam War. "It was very clear she doesn't take pleasure in gore and in violence," Robbins said. Responding to questions from Cotton, Robbins also acknowledged that state doctors had earlier referenced Geyser's artwork, including the one referenced in the revocation hearing. Dr. Brooke Lundbohm, one of those doctors, supported her conditional release in January despite knowledge of the drawing, he said. Lundbohm was asked by Bohren to offer her opinion, especially of whether she still supports conditional release. She did, adding that doctors were aware of Geyser's reading materials and her relationship with the man who sold her artwork all along. Dr. Deborah Collins, the other medical expert, also concurred. Nickolie and Cotton, not surprisingly, voiced competing opinions about what the information the court heard, with each insisting Geyser was being misrepresented by the facts at hand. Nickolie said the testimony raised "red flags" concerning the community's safety. She said that's why she strongly supported the petition of revocation. But Cotton said DHS officials ignored their responsibility by raising issues without talking to any of the doctors who had filed reports and testified in January that she could safely be conditionally released under a negotiated plan. "All of this is really a hit job on her," Cotton said. "The time has passed for the plan to be brought to this court," he said, adding, "Morgan is not more dangerous today." Bohren sided with the doctors who supported Geyser's conditional release, stating that none of the testimony he heard Thursday changes his earlier decision. He could not find "lying or subterfuge" by Geyser to manipulate the process. "I don't see a risk to the public, I don't see a risk to her," Bohren said. "I'm satisfied the state has not met its burden." The conditional release plan can advance, but the date the court could review that plan is not certain. It could happen as early as March 21, the date Bohren set Thursday. But it could happen as late as April 28 if the plan isn't ready for review this month. Contact reporter Jim Riccioli at This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Slender Man defendant Geyser again gets court support for release
