WAUKESHA, Wis. — A Wisconsin woman, Morgan Geyser, who nearly fatally wounded her classmate as a teenager to please the fictional horror character Slender Man, is slated for release from a psychiatric hospital after a judge’s ruling on Thursday. This decision comes in spite of last-minute efforts by state health officials to keep her hospitalized.
Geyser has been residing at the Winnebago Mental Health Institute for the past seven years. Earlier this year, Waukesha County Circuit Judge Michael Bohren ordered her release following the satisfactory completion of a community supervision and housing plan by state and county health officials. Just as officials were nearing a 60-day deadline to present this plan, they made an unexpected move last week to request her continued commitment.
The Department of Health Services raised concerns over Geyser’s engagement with potentially troubling material and individuals. They cited her reading of “Rent Boy,” a novel involving murder and body part sales on the black market, which she allegedly did not disclose voluntarily to her therapy team. Additionally, they pointed to her contact with a man who collects murder memorabilia and alleged she sent him a sketch of a decapitated body and a postcard expressing a desire for intimacy.
During a hearing, Deputy District Attorney Abbey Nickolie highlighted that Geyser only mentioned the book and the memorabilia collector in response to direct inquiries from her treatment team. Nickolie expressed significant apprehension, considering these as potential “red flags.”
Geyser’s defense attorney, Tony Cotton, contested the state’s efforts, labeling them as unwarranted. Cotton argued that Geyser complied with reading restrictions managed by Winnebago staff, indicating her varied literary interests, which include biographies. Concerning her interactions with the collector, Cotton noted that Winnebago staff were aware he had visited three times in June 2023, but Geyser ceased communication last year upon discovering he was commercializing items she provided.
Judge Bohren, after listening to testimonies from three psychologists who initially endorsed Geyser’s release, concluded that the state’s concerns lacked sufficient basis. The psychologists reported no increased risk associated with her release. Bohren concluded Geyser likely did not attempt to conceal information and was instead forthcoming when questioned.
“I don’t see the risk to the public,” Bohren stated, scheduling another hearing on March 21 to finalize the release plan.
The court case traces back to a 2014 incident when then 12-year-old Geyser and her friend, Anissa Weier, lured their classmate, Payton Leutner, into a Waukesha park after a sleepover. During this meeting, Geyser inflicted 19 stab wounds on Leutner, spurred by Weier’s encouragement. The group of friends was only 12 years old at the time.
Although Leutner survived the brutal attack, Geyser and Weier confessed that their motives were to become servants of Slender Man, a fictional horror figure, fearing he would otherwise harm them or their families. Geyser entered a guilty plea in 2017 for attempted first-degree intentional homicide, contending that her mental illness absolved her responsibility. Consequently, in 2018, Judge Bohren sentenced her to 40 years in the psychiatric institution.
Meanwhile, Weier pleaded guilty in 2017 to attempted second-degree intentional homicide with a dangerous weapon, also citing mental illness as a defense. She received a 25-year commitment to a mental hospital but was allowed release in 2021 under conditions including residing with her father and wearing a GPS monitor.
