Slender Man Attacker's Freedom in Jeopardy After Escape
Wisconsin authorities have moved to revoke the conditional release of Morgan Geyser, the woman who gained notoriety for nearly killing her classmate in 2014 while inspired by the fictional Slender Man character. The dramatic development comes after Geyser escaped from a group home where she had been placed following her release from a state mental institution earlier this year.
The Escape and Subsequent Capture
Geyser removed her GPS monitoring bracelet on Saturday night and fled the group home in Madison, Wisconsin, accompanied by a 43-year-old companion. The pair managed to travel approximately 170 miles before law enforcement located them on Sunday night outside Chicago.
In a Chicago court appearance on Tuesday, Geyser did not contest her extradition back to Wisconsin. Authorities now have a 30-day window to transport her back to face the consequences of her escape.
The Waukesha County Circuit Court has agreed to seal the petition filed by the Department of Corrections, which formally seeks to revoke Geyser's conditional release. This legal action could see the 23-year-old returned to the mental institution where she has spent most of the past eight years.
Background of the Notorious Case
The original crime that captured international attention occurred in 2014 when Geyser and her friend, Anissa Weier, both aged 12 at the time, lured their classmate Payton Leutner to a Waukesha park. In a brutal attack that shocked the nation, Geyser stabbed Leutner 19 times, narrowly missing her heart, while Weier encouraged the violence.
Both girls later told investigators they carried out the assault to impress Slender Man, an internet-born fictional character, and become his servants. They expressed fear that Slender Man would harm their families if they didn't proceed with the attack.
Leutner miraculously survived the stabbing, though the physical and psychological scars remain. Both attackers were ultimately committed to state mental institutions - Geyser for 40 years and Weier for 25 years.
Under Wisconsin law, individuals committed to state institutions can petition for release. Weier earned conditional release in 2021, while Geyser secured her conditional release in September this year after four separate requests.
Complications and Concerns
Geyser's path to release wasn't without controversy. State health officials had attempted to block her release in March, raising concerns about her behaviour during therapy. They revealed that Geyser had read "Rent Boy," a novel dealing with murder and organ trafficking on the black market, without voluntarily disclosing this to her therapy team.
Additional concerns emerged regarding her communication with a man who collects murder memorabilia. Authorities alleged she had sent him her own sketch of a decapitated body along with a postcard expressing desires for intimacy.
Despite these concerns, the presiding judge concluded that Geyser wasn't attempting to conceal information and proceeded with her release, which was finalised in September.
Geyser's companion in the escape has been charged with trespassing and obstruction, though The Associated Press has chosen not to name the individual as they haven't been charged with directly aiding the escape. Attempts to contact this person have been unsuccessful.
In a surprising development, the companion contacted WKOW-TV on Monday, revealing that the two had become friends through church meetings and had seen each other daily for the past month. According to this friend, Geyser decided to flee because she feared the group home would prevent them from continuing their relationship.
"She ran because of me," the friend told the television station, explaining that they had travelled by bus overnight into Illinois.
Geyser's attorney, Tony Cotton, has not responded to requests for comment regarding the state's petition to revoke her conditional release. If successful, Geyser could face new charges directly related to her escape in addition to being returned to the mental institution.
