A Wisconsin woman convicted for the notorious Slender Man stabbing has been apprehended after cutting off her electronic tag and fleeing a group home, reportedly telling arresting officers to "just Google me" when they asked for her identity.
The Dramatic Escape and Capture
Morgan Geyser, now 23, sparked a multi-state manhunt on Saturday when she escaped from her supervised accommodation in Sun Prairie, Wisconsin, accompanied by a 42-year-old man described by police as her boyfriend. The pair managed to travel over 170 miles south by bus before authorities located them at a truck stop in Posen, Illinois, late on Sunday evening.
According to law enforcement officials, Geyser repeatedly refused to provide her name during the arrest. When she eventually revealed her identity, she allegedly told officers to "just Google" her because she had "done something really bad." Police confirmed she had severed her ankle monitor before absconding from the facility around 8pm on Saturday.
Notorious Past: The Slender Man Attack
Geyser first captured national headlines in 2014 when, at just twelve years old, she and her friend Anissa Weier lured their sixth-grade classmate Peyton Leutner into woodland during a sleepover. In a chilling act of violence, Geyser stabbed the young girl 19 times while Weier allegedly encouraged the attack.
The victim miraculously survived the brutal assault by crawling out of the woods, where a passing cyclist discovered her and sought help. During subsequent police interviews, both girls claimed they carried out the attack to appease Slender Man, a fictional horror character, believing he would harm their families if they didn't comply. They stated they intended to become the character's "proxies" through the ritualistic murder.
Legal Proceedings and Controversial Release
Both girls were initially charged as adults with first-degree attempted intentional homicide. The case took dramatic turns through the legal system, with Geyser ultimately pleading guilty to first-degree murder in 2018 while being found not guilty by reason of mental disease or defect.
Waukesha County Circuit Judge Michael Bohren committed Geyser to a psychiatric hospital for 40 years, though she served only about 25% of this sentence. Despite prosecution objections, Judge Bohren ruled in January that Geyser could be released to a group home after multiple experts testified about her progress in managing her mental health conditions.
Geyser, diagnosed with schizophrenia, reportedly also experiences symptoms aligning with post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety and autism. During treatment, she disclosed claims of sexual abuse by her father, who passed away in 2023 and had himself been diagnosed with schizophrenia.
The transition to community living proved challenging, with multiple group homes refusing to accept Geyser. One proposed placement sparked outrage from victim Peyton Leutner's family as it would have located Geyser just eight miles from their home.
Warning Signs Before the Escape
Concerns about Geyser's readiness for release emerged in March when state health officials revealed disturbing correspondence with an "older man" named Jeffrey, who allegedly sold murder memorabilia. In their exchanges, Geyser had sent sketches of decapitated bodies and postcards expressing desires for intimacy.
Authorities have confirmed that Jeffrey is not the same individual Geyser escaped with over the weekend. The Madison Police Department revealed they weren't notified about Geyser's disappearance until nearly twelve hours after she left the group home.
Geyser now faces return to Wisconsin to appear before a judge, with her future placement and supervision likely to undergo rigorous review following this latest incident.
