Morgan Geyser and Anissa Weier were only 12 years old when they committed a shocking act of violence against their close friend, Payton Leutner. This attack, which took place in 2014, involved them stabbing Leutner 19 times in a misguided attempt to prove themselves to a fictional character known as Slender Man.
Slender Man is a figure that emerged on the internet in 2009, depicted as a tall, thin man with tentacles, capable of mind control and teleportation. The character quickly gained popularity on websites that share horror stories. Geyser and Weier became captivated by this myth, leading them to believe that they could become "proxies" for Slender Man by committing this horrific act.
On May 31, 2014, the girls lured Payton into the woods, where they attacked her. Despite being left for dead, Payton somehow managed to crawl to safety and got help from a passerby who called 911. This chilling incident sparked widespread media coverage and inspired documentaries and films, including an HBO documentary and a 2018 movie titled Slender Man.
In the fallout from the attack, both Geyser and Weier faced serious legal consequences. They were charged with first-degree intentional homicide and tried as adults. Anissa Weier pleaded guilty to attempted homicide with a deadly weapon and was found to be mentally ill at the time, resulting in her being sentenced to a maximum of 25 years in a mental health facility. Morgan Geyser, on the other hand, also pleaded guilty but was sentenced to 40 years in psychiatric care due to her severe mental health issues.
As for Payton Leutner, she spent 10 days in the hospital after the stabbing and underwent extensive recovery. In interviews, she expressed a surprising sense of gratitude for her experience, saying that it pushed her to achieve her goals and shape her life in a positive direction.
In recent developments, Anissa Weier was released from a psychiatric hospital in 2021 after more than four years of treatment. She is currently under supervision, required to live with her father and continue psychiatric treatment. Meanwhile, Morgan Geyser has faced challenges in seeking her release, with a recent court denying her early exit from a mental health facility, though there are indications of progress in her treatment.
This tragic case shows the seriousness of mental health issues and the consequences of losing touch with reality. The lives of those involved have been forever changed, a reminder of the need for compassion and understanding in discussions about mental health.
