Slender Man Stabbing: The place Payton Leutner, Morgan Geyser, and Anissa Weier Are Now

They Left Her for Lifeless—She Lived: Payton Leutner’s Story After the Slender Man Assault.

On Could 31, 2014, the quiet city of Waukesha, Wisconsin, turned the setting for one of the disturbing crimes in fashionable historical past.

A 12-year-old woman, Payton Leutner, was lured into the woods by her two closest buddies, stabbed 19 occasions, and left for lifeless.

The motive behind the assault was as chilling because the act itself—her attackers believed they had been proving their loyalty to Slender Man, a fictional web horror character.

Miraculously, Payton survived. However whereas her bodily wounds ultimately healed, the psychological scars ran far deeper.

Within the years since, she has needed to navigate the lengthy and painful journey of rebuilding her life—overcoming betrayal, trauma, and the overwhelming media consideration that adopted her ordeal.

The Fantasy That Turned Lethal

Slender Man was born out of an internet horror competitors in 2009, when a consumer named Eric Knudsen posted altered black-and-white images that includes a faceless, unnaturally tall determine lurking within the background.

The character shortly took on a lifetime of its personal, inspiring numerous fan-created horror tales referred to as creepypastas. A few of these tales painted Slender Man as a shadowy entity that kidnapped and manipulated kids, whispering to them from the darkish corners of their minds.

For most individuals, Slender Man was nothing greater than an eerie piece of web folklore. However for 2 impressionable 12-year-old women, Anissa Weier and Morgan Geyser, he turned one thing terrifyingly actual.

They satisfied themselves that Slender Man would hurt them and their households until they proved their devotion to him. The one method to do this, they believed, was to kill their good friend.

A Sleepover Turned Nightmare

On the evening earlier than the assault, Payton, Morgan, and Anissa had what appeared like an atypical sleepover. They ate junk meals, performed video games, and talked late into the evening. Payton had no concept that Morgan and Anissa had already determined that this could be her final evening alive.

The following morning, below the pretense of enjoying hide-and-seek, the three women wandered into the woods behind an area park. It was there that Morgan, urged on by Anissa, pulled out a kitchen knife and started stabbing Payton.

The assault was frenzied and brutal. One of many stab wounds got here inside millimeters of piercing Payton’s coronary heart.

As she lay bleeding on the forest ground, her attackers whispered reassurances. “Keep right here,” they informed her. “We’ll go get assist.” However they’d no intention of coming again.

They left her to die and set off on foot towards the woods, believing they had been on their solution to meet Slender Man in his supposed mansion.

However Payton refused to die. Clawing her method out of the woods, she managed to achieve a motorcycle path, the place a passing bike owner discovered her.

When paramedics arrived, they had been shocked that she was nonetheless aware regardless of her huge accidents. She was rushed to the hospital, the place medical doctors carried out emergency surgical procedure to avoid wasting her life.

Police Investigation and Pre-Trial Psychiatric Evaluations of Morgan Geyser

In the course of the police investigation, Morgan Geyser, with out counsel or a guardian current, was described as displaying no empathy for the stabbing of Payton Leutner. In distinction, her co-assailant, Anissa Weier, expressed guilt however each said the assault was to appease the fictional character, Slender Man.

Geyser disclosed experiencing lifelong visible and auditory hallucinations, together with figures she believed to be ghosts and imaginary buddies. She regularly noticed a person named “It,” described as smoky and ink-like.

After her arrest, Geyser’s habits turned extra erratic, speaking to herself, pretending to be a cat, and believing in conversations with characters like Severus Snape and Slender Man.

In 2014, Geyser was recognized with early-onset childhood schizophrenia. After an insufficient therapy interval, a constant routine of antipsychotics started in 2015, permitting her to acknowledge the severity of her crime and categorical regret.

Court docket Case and Authorized Negotiations within the Slender Man Stabbing Case

Morgan Geyser and Anissa Weier had been charged within the 2014 Slender Man stabbing incident, which left Payton Leutner critically injured. Geyser was charged with tried first-degree murder, whereas Weier confronted tried second-degree murder.

Each had been waived out of juvenile courtroom and tried as adults because of the brutal nature of the crime, below Wisconsin Statute § 938.18, which permits juveniles to be transferred to grownup courtroom for severe offenses like tried murder

In 2017, Weier pleaded responsible to being a celebration to tried second-degree murder and was discovered not responsible by purpose of psychological illness or defect.

“Anissa couldn’t conform her conduct to the necessities of the regulation,” testified forensic psychologist Melissa Westendorf, who evaluated Weier’s psychological state for the courtroom. “It was the right storm of occasions—a shared delusion with a mentally unwell good friend and a mutual fixation on the paranormal.”

She was sentenced to 25 years to life, with a minimum of three years of confinement in a psychiatric establishment and subsequent communal supervision till the age of 37.

Geyser accepted a plea deal, pleading responsible however was discovered not responsible by purpose of psychological sickness after being recognized with schizophrenia. She obtained the utmost sentence of 40 years to life, with a minimum of three years in confinement and therapy in a psychiatric establishment till her signs resolve or she reaches age 53.

In 2020, Geyser’s lawyer petitioned for her to be retried as a juvenile, arguing she was charged too harshly for the crime. The Wisconsin Supreme Court docket finally declined to listen to her attraction, and Geyser’s grownup conviction stood.

The Psychological Toll of Betrayal

Whereas Payton’s physique healed, the emotional aftermath of the assault was far harder to beat. She had not simply been brutally assaulted—she had been betrayed by the particular person she thought of her greatest good friend.

The belief that somebody she trusted so deeply had been able to such cruelty shattered her sense of security on this planet.

Within the years following the assault, Payton struggled with belief. She admitted in interviews that for a very long time, she slept with a pair of damaged scissors below her pillow, a unconscious effort to really feel some sense of safety. Concern turned a relentless companion.

Although Morgan and Anissa had been locked away, the trauma of what had occurred lingered.

Faculty turned each a refuge and a problem. Whereas Payton was decided to regain a way of normalcy, she needed to navigate whispers and stares from classmates who knew her story.

She stored a small, tight-knit group of buddies and targeted on lecturers, making an attempt to push previous the ever-present shadow of what had occurred.

Residing within the Public Eye

In contrast to most victims of violent crimes, Payton had no anonymity. The media consideration surrounding the case was relentless. Documentaries, information specials, and on-line discussions dissected each element of the assault.

For years, strangers speculated about her life, her trauma, and even her attackers’ psychological states.

But, regardless of the overwhelming public curiosity, Payton remained largely silent. It wasn’t till 2019—5 years after the stabbing—that she agreed to a single interview, sitting down with ABC’s 20/20 to share her aspect of the story.

Talking with exceptional composure, she described her therapeutic course of and her resolution to maneuver ahead somewhat than be outlined by what had occurred to her.

Her option to lastly converse out wasn’t for consideration, however for management. For years, others had informed her story for her. Now, she was able to reclaim it.

Transferring Ahead

Payton’s highway to restoration has not been straightforward, however she has cast forward with energy and resilience. She graduated highschool with honors and set her sights on a future within the medical area, impressed by the medical doctors who saved her life. She hopes to sooner or later assist others in the way in which they helped her.

When requested about her attackers, she has chosen to not dwell on them. Although each women had been discovered not responsible by purpose of madness—Morgan recognized with early-onset schizophrenia and sentenced to 40 years in a psychiatric establishment, whereas Anissa obtained 25 years—Payton has little curiosity in following their instances.

She prefers to concentrate on her personal life somewhat than the destiny of the individuals who tried to take it from her.

She has additionally come to phrases along with her scars, each bodily and emotional. In her 20/20 interview, she acknowledged that whereas the injuries will at all times be a part of her, they don’t outline her. As an alternative, she sees them as proof of her survival.

The place Are Morgan Geyser and Anissa Weier Now?

Morgan Geyser and Anissa Weier had been each sentenced to psychological well being establishments somewhat than jail. Morgan, recognized with early-onset schizophrenia, obtained the harsher sentence—as much as 40 years in a psychiatric facility—on account of her position because the one who bodily carried out the stabbing.

Anissa, who performed a extra passive position in encouraging the assault, was sentenced to 25 years however was granted conditional launch in 2021 after serving almost seven years. She stays below courtroom supervision and should adhere to strict situations, together with GPS monitoring and psychiatric therapy.

Morgan has additionally petitioned for early launch however this was initially denied. Whereas each women have expressed regret for his or her actions, their destiny stays a subject of public debate, significantly in discussions about juvenile crime, psychological sickness, and the legal justice system.

In January 2025, the Related Press reported {that a} decide had ordered Geyser’s launch following professional testimony that she had made important progress throughout her time at Winnebago Psychological Well being Institute and was now not deemed a security threat.

Upon her launch, the decide mandated that Geyser, now 22, would spend 60 days below supervision whereas residing in a bunch residence. Nevertheless, it was reported in March 2025 that, a current movement has been filed to forestall the discharge of Morgan Geyser.

The movement comes after new allegations emerged from the psychological well being facility the place Geyser is being handled, together with claims that she despatched violent paintings to a person. Geyser’s lawyer denies any inappropriate habits.

Nevertheless, because of the current allegations, a brand new listening to has been scheduled to find out whether or not Geyser’s launch must be reconsidered.

Regardless of the brand new allegations, three psychologists testified final month that Geyser has made important psychological progress and is now mentally prepared for supervised launch. This testimony had initially led to the plan for her launch inside the subsequent 60 days. Nevertheless, the current developments have prompted a overview of the choice.

A brand new listening to to debate whether or not Geyser’s launch must be revoked is about for subsequent week. Because the case continues to seize nationwide consideration, all eyes are on the authorized proceedings that can decide whether or not Geyser shall be allowed to maneuver ahead along with her launch plan.

In October 2019, Leutner spoke publicly for the primary time in regards to the Slender Man stabbing throughout a 20/20 interview with Muir. She shared that, even 5 years after the assault, she nonetheless slept with damaged scissors below her pillow. She additionally expressed a shocking sense of gratitude for what had occurred to her.

“Simply due to what she did, I’ve the life I’ve now,” Leutner stated. “I actually, actually prefer it and I’ve a plan. I did not have a plan after I was 12, and now, I do due to every part that I went by. I would not assume that somebody who went by what I did would ever say that, however that’s actually how I really feel. With out the entire state of affairs, I would not be who I’m.”

Classes from the Tragedy

The Slender Man stabbing case serves as a sobering reminder of the facility of digital folklore and the vulnerability of younger minds. It highlights the pressing want for higher psychological well being assist for youngsters, particularly those that battle with distinguishing fiction from actuality.

Greater than something, although, Payton’s story is considered one of resilience. She was left for lifeless, betrayed within the worst attainable method, but she refused to let that second outline her life. She isn’t just the woman who survived Slender Man—she is the woman who fought again, who healed, and who selected to maintain transferring ahead.

Her story isn’t considered one of tragedy, however of energy.

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🔹 Replace – July 17, 2025

Morgan Geyser Granted Conditional Launch After 7 Years in Psychiatric Care

Greater than a decade after the assault that shocked a nation and ignited international debate over web folklore and adolescent psychological well being, Morgan Geyser has been granted conditional launch from a Wisconsin psychiatric hospital as reported by The Guardian in (July 2025). The 22-year-old appeared in Waukesha County Circuit Court docket on Thursday, the place Choose Scott Wagner authorized her launch from the Winnebago Psychological Well being Institute, ending a seven-year interval of institutionalization.

Geyser was simply 12 years previous in 2014 when she and her classmate, Anissa Weier, lured their good friend Payton Leutner into the woods and stabbed her 19 occasions. Their motive, they informed investigators, was to appease a fictional web character referred to as Slender Man. The case shortly turned a logo of the risks of on-line mythologies mixing with fragile younger minds.

Though Geyser pleaded responsible in 2017 to tried first-degree intentional murder, she was discovered not criminally accountable on account of her prognosis of early-onset schizophrenia. She was sentenced to as much as 40 years in a safe psychological well being facility, with periodic evaluations to evaluate her progress and threat to the general public.

In the newest overview, three psychiatric consultants testified that Geyser had made substantial medical enchancment and now not posed a big risk. Their assessments fashioned the muse of her authorized staff’s push for conditional launch—a proposal that sparked concern from prosecutors and the sufferer’s household.

One main level of competition got here earlier this 12 months, when Leutner’s mom realized that the proposed group residence for Geyser’s launch was simply eight miles away from their residence. That plan was finally scrapped, and state well being officers had been ordered to current a safer, various placement.

Nonetheless, prosecutors urged warning. They raised pink flags about Geyser’s undisclosed studying of Hire Boy, a violent novel involving homicide and organ trafficking, and her alleged communication with a person who collects murderabilia—objects tied to violent crimes. These, they argued, signaled a attainable relapse in judgment or fascination with violence.

But, in a courtroom that has seen its share of media consideration and public scrutiny, Choose Wagner dominated in favor of launch. The main points of the supervision plan stay sealed, however Geyser shall be required to stick to strict monitoring, ongoing psychiatric therapy, and different situations designed to handle threat.

Her protection lawyer, Tony Cotton, dismissed the state’s objections as speculative and emotionally charged. “She’s no more harmful in the present day than she was six months in the past,” he stated throughout the listening to. “She has finished the work. She deserves an opportunity to rebuild her life.”

The ruling mirrors an analogous path taken by Anissa Weier, who was granted supervised launch in 2021. For Payton Leutner and her household, nevertheless, the trauma stays shut—and the prospect of Geyser’s reentry into society is, understandably, a painful one.

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Slender Man FAQ’s

Why was Slender Man banned?
Slender Man has been banned or restricted in some colleges and on-line platforms on account of considerations that the character impressed real-life violence, most notably the 2014 stabbing of a 12-year-old woman in Wisconsin by two classmates who claimed they had been making an attempt to appease the fictional entity.

How do you describe Slender Man?
Slender Man is a tall, faceless humanoid determine usually depicted in a black swimsuit with unnaturally lengthy limbs. Created as an web city legend, he lurks in forests and is alleged to stalk, abduct, or psychologically manipulate his victims—often kids.

Is Slender Man good or evil?
Slender Man is usually portrayed as a malevolent or sinister determine. Whereas interpretations fluctuate, most tales and video games forged him as an eerie, supernatural predator that evokes concern and dread.

Is Slender Man OK for teenagers?
Most consultants and fogeys agree Slender Man isn’t applicable for youngsters. The character’s darkish mythology, violent associations, and psychological horror themes will be disturbing for younger audiences and are linked to real-life violent incidents involving minors.

Is Morgan Geyser going to be launched?
As of 2025, Morgan Geyser stays in custody at a Wisconsin psychological well being facility. Though she has petitioned for conditional launch, her request was denied in 2023, and her authorized staff could attraction sooner or later relying on her psychological well being evaluations.

What was Morgan Geyser charged with?
Morgan Geyser was charged with tried first-degree intentional murder for her position within the 2014 Slender Man stabbing. Prosecutors argued that the assault was premeditated and very violent, regardless of her younger age.

Was Morgan Geyser tried as an grownup?
Sure, Morgan Geyser was tried as an grownup because of the severity of the crime. On the time of the assault, Wisconsin regulation allowed minors to be charged as adults for sure severe offenses, together with tried murder.

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Written by Joseph Finder
Senior Authorized Correspondent, Lawyer Month-to-month

Joseph Finder has lined high-profile legal instances and psychological well being regulation for over a decade. A longtime contributor to Lawyer Month-to-month, he makes a speciality of reporting on the intersection of adolescent psychology, legal protection, and digital tradition. His work goals to carry readability and depth to instances that problem public understanding of justice, trauma, and accountability.