Wisconsin Judge Grants Conditional Release to Morgan Geyser, Convicted in Slender Man Stabbing Case

On Thursday, a judge in Wisconsin authorized the early conditional release of Morgan Geyser, who, alongside Anissa Weier, was convicted for the notorious 2014 stabbing of her friend Payton Leutner. The incident occurred when both girls, then just 12 years old, attempted to appease the fictional horror character Slender Man by inflicting severe harm on Leutner, who survived after crawling to safety.

Geyser, now 22, was committed to a mental health facility for a maximum of 40 years after being found not guilty by reason of mental illness in 2018. She sought release from the facility on multiple occasions, with this recent petition being the fourth in two years, although she had withdrawn her initial requests. During Thursday's court proceedings, Judge Michael Bohren decided that Geyser had exhausted her treatment options and mandated the state health services to devise a supervision plan for her transition to a group home.

Experts who evaluated Geyser, including Dr. Brooke Lundbohm, noted her substantial progress, which led to Lundbohm's change of opinion regarding her readiness for release. During the hearing, she explained that Geyser exhibited no concerning symptoms over the past three years, which had previously included emotional disturbances and disorientation related to fantasy and reality.

The prosecution provided details of the stabbing, recalling how Geyser, motivated by a delusional commitment to fiction, inflicted multiple stab wounds on Leutner while Weier encouraged her. However, Lundbohm emphasized the progress Geyser has made and suggested that any move to release her should be accompanied by adequate support services to manage her reintegration into society. Recently, Geyser was allowed supervised outings, which indicated a lack of risk either to herself or to others.

Lundbohm attributed Geyser's improvement to a variety of factors, including her maturity and ongoing treatment involving anti-depressant and anti-anxiety medications. Throughout the past several months, Geyser has shown greater engagement in her mental health management, underscoring a notable transformation in her understanding of her illness and her actions. Notably, Weier, who was also involved in the stabbing, received conditional release in September 2021 with specific oversight requirements.