Wisconsin Authorities Move to Block Conditional Release After Escape
Wisconsin authorities have taken legal action to prevent Morgan Geyser from remaining free after the woman, known for the notorious 2014 Slender Man stabbing, escaped from her group home this week. The Department of Corrections has petitioned a state court to revoke Geyser's conditional release following her dramatic flight from supervision.
Escape and Recapture Details
Geyser cut off her GPS monitoring bracelet on Saturday night and fled the Madison group home alongside a 43-year-old companion according to official reports. The pair managed to travel approximately 170 miles before police located them outside Chicago on Sunday evening.
In a Chicago court appearance on Tuesday, Geyser did not contest her extradition to Wisconsin. Authorities now have thirty days to return her to the state where she faces potential return to mental health custody.
The escape companion has been charged with trespassing and obstruction offences, though not specifically with aiding Geyser's escape. The Associated Press has chosen not to identify this individual publicly.
Background: The Chilling Slender Man Attack
The current legal developments stem from one of America's most disturbing juvenile crime cases. In 2014, when all three girls were just twelve years old, Geyser and her friend Anissa Weier lured classmate Payton Leutner to a Waukesha park.
Geyser proceeded to stab Leutner nineteen times, narrowly missing her heart, while Weier encouraged the attack. Leutner survived the brutal assault but only just.
Both attackers later told investigators they carried out the stabbing to impress the fictional horror character Slender Man, hoping to become his servants. They expressed fear that Slender Man would harm their families if they didn't proceed with their violent plan.
Legal Proceedings and Conditional Release
Both Geyser and Weier were committed to state mental institutions following the attack - Geyser for forty years and Weier for twenty-five. Wisconsin law permits individuals in state institutions to petition for release.
Weier earned conditional release in 2021, while Geyser, now twenty-three, secured her conditional release in September after four separate requests. This allowed her transfer from the mental institution to a group home setting.
State health officials had previously attempted to block Geyser's release in March, raising concerns about her reading material and communications with a man who collects murder memorabilia. Despite these objections, a judge concluded Geyser wasn't attempting to conceal information and approved her release.
What Happens Next?
If the court revokes Geyser's conditional release, she faces return to the mental institution where she has spent most of the past eight years. She could also confront new charges directly related to her escape attempt.
Geyser's attorney, Tony Cotton, did not respond to requests for comment regarding the state's latest legal move. Meanwhile, a Waukesha County Circuit Court judge has agreed to seal the Department of Corrections' petition seeking revocation of her release.
The case continues to raise difficult questions about mental health treatment, public safety, and the rehabilitation of individuals convicted of serious violent crimes.
