A Winnebago County judge granted Morgan Geyser a four-year restraining order Tuesday against a South Milwaukee man she accused of sending letters filled with homicidal fantasies, posting a video of himself stabbing her photograph, and selling memorabilia tied to her criminal case. The man did not show up to the hearing to contest it.
Geyser, now an adult, was 12 years old in 2014 when she and a friend stabbed a classmate after a sleepover in Waukesha in an effort to please the fictional character Slender Man, according to WISN. She and co-defendant Anissa Weier were later found not guilty by reason of mental disease or defect and committed to psychiatric facilities, according to WTMJ. Geyser appeared at the hearing by video, while the man did not appear, that station reported.
The four-year order stems from a petition Geyser filed on Sept. 16, in which she described the man as a self-proclaimed true crime collector who began contacting her three years earlier. The two began communicating, but she said she cut off contact after learning how he talked about her and discovering he was selling items belonging to her online, per the same account.
What Geyser Alleged in Her Petition
According to WBAY, Geyser alleged the man sent her letters containing homicidal fantasies, posted a video online showing him stabbing a photograph of her, and sold memorabilia connected to her case. She also said in her petition that the man collects knives and torture devices inside his home, per WISN's reporting. The man has not been charged with a crime in connection with any of the allegations, WBAY noted.
A Winnebago County judge granted Geyser's request after the man failed to appear for the hearing, the station added.
The Man's Response Before the Ruling
Before the hearing, the man told WISN by phone that he hoped Geyser would get out and live a productive life, but said he could not be part of her life going forward. “I hope Morgan gets out and lives a productive life, but I can't be part of it 100%. I cannot be part of her life,” he said, according to the station's reporting. WISN reported it was not identifying the man at that point because he had not been charged with a crime, though later coverage from other outlets named him in connection with the case.
Wisconsin law allows a judge or circuit court commissioner to issue a restraining order after finding reasonable grounds to believe a respondent engaged in harassment with intent to harass or intimidate the petitioner, according to Wisconsin Statutes.
Geyser's Push for Release Continues
The restraining order case unfolds as Geyser separately pursues release from psychiatric confinement. She is scheduled to return to Waukesha County court on Nov. 23 for a hearing tied to that request, WTMJ reported.
