The fictional character Slender Man was created in 2009 in an online forum. Tragically, the made-up paranormal being inspired a real-life horrific crime committed by 12-year-olds. And Slender Man attacker Morgan Geyser was recently ordered to be released from a psychiatric hospital 11 years after stabbing her friend.
But first, a little more background on Slender Man itself. The supernatural being was portrayed as a tall shadowy figure wearing a suit, sometimes with long tentacles. The character allegedly psychologically torments its victims before murdering them. A Creepypasta description notes, “Despite the fact that it is rumored he kills children almost exclusively, it is difficult to say whether or not his only objective is slaughter.”
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In 2014, two 12-year-old girls stabbed a classmate during a sleepover.
Geyser and her friend, Anissa Weier, allegedly attempted to murder their classmate, Payton Leutner in 2014. Allegedly, they lured Leutner into the woods during a sleepover to play hide-and-seek, CBS News reported. That’s when Geyser allegedly stabbed her 19 times while Weier encouraged her. Miraculously, Leutner survived the attack after crawling to a bike path, where a passerby rescued her.
The tweens allegedly said they did it to appease Slender Man.
After the stabbing, Geyser and Weiser told police that Slender Man would hurt them or their families if they didn’t kill on his behalf, CNN reported. Geyser pleaded guilty to attempted first-degree intentional homicide and was sent to the psychiatric institute due to mental illness in 2018. Meanwhile, Weier pleaded guilty to attempted second-degree intentional homicide.
Slender Man attacker Geyser has since been ordered to be released.
On January 9, 2025, a Wisconsin judge ordered the release of Geyser, now 22, from the Winnebago Mental Health Institute, the Associated Press reported. Waukesha County Circuit Judge Michael Bohren also ordered the state Department of Health Services to create a plan to house her in a group home and supervise her within 60 days. He will then review the plan at a hearing.
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While testifying, psychologists explained Geyser's progress.
Three psychologists who have worked with Geyser since she was committed to Winnebago testified that she has made “impressive progress,” People reported. Dr. Brooke Lundbohm said that Geyser had weaned off her anti-psychotic medications in early 2023 and has experienced no symptoms since. Dr. Deborah Collins noted that she has developed coping skills, improved emotional control, and “retreats into fantasy less frequently.”
The judge called the attack a 'brutal, terrible offense.'
Meanwhile, Dr. Ken Robbins told the judge that Geyser “could become dangerous if she remained confined at Winnebago and lost hope.”
“The longer she’s there, at this point, the harder it’s going to be to re-integrate,” he said.
Bohren called her crime a “brutal, terrible offense,” per CNN. But he conceded, “She’s done what she’s supposed to do. She appears to have a good attitude.”
