Morgan Geyser, now 22, one of the women convicted in the 2014 "Slender Man" stabbing, is making headlines as she once again petitions for her early release. The case, which stirred national attention due to its unusual and chilling details, sees Geyser returning to court after a judge denied her a similar appeal back in April of last year. According to details from a Court TV report, Geyser had withdrawn her request twice before, continuing a prolonged legal battle.
In 2014, Geyser and accomplice Anissa Weier, both aged 12 at the time, admitted to luring their friend Payton Leutner to a park in Waukesha and stabbing her 19 times, an act they claimed was to appease the fictional entity Slender Man. Weier was sentenced to 25 years but was released to home supervision in 2021, as noted by a KAALTV article. Geyser, sentenced to 40 years in a mental health facility, now seeks to join her outside the walls of the Winnebago Mental Health Institute where she has been held.
The case against Geyser has always been compounded by layers of mental illness considerations and the complexities of juvenile justice. "Morgan Geyser has withdrawn her request to be released twice. More recently, her request was denied. We are confident that the judicial system will make a decision that will ensure the community and my daughter remain safe," Stacie Leutner, the victim's mother, told ABC News, a sentiment that underscores the continuing public safety concerns present in this case. These concerns were evidently shared by Waukesha County Circuit Judge Michael Bohren, who in his last ruling stated that Geyser remains a risk to the public, as reported by WISN.
The court is reconsidering the balance between the potential for rehabilitation and the need to protect public safety. Her petition raises important questions about punishment, redemption, and the lasting impact of an unprecedented crime.
