By Ireti Asemota.
Morgan Geyser, now 23, one of two women convicted in the infamous 2014 “Slender Man” stabbing, was taken into custody late Sunday, November 23, 2025, in Illinois, just a day after cutting off her Department of Corrections monitoring bracelet and leaving her Madison, Wisconsin, group home.
Quick Recap of the Case
On May 31, 2014, in Waukesha, Wisconsin, Geyser and Anissa Weier (both 12) lured their classmate Payton Leutner (also 12) into a wooded park, stabbing her 19 times in the arms, legs, and torso to “appease” Slender Man—a fictional horror character from online creepypasta lore. They believed the attack would prove his existence and protect their families, planning to walk 300 miles to his “mansion.” Leutner survived after crawling to a path where a biker found her; she spent months recovering.
Geyser and Weier were arrested nearby. In 2017, both pleaded guilty but were found not guilty by reason of mental disease/defect (early-onset schizophrenia), sentenced to indefinite commitment at Winnebago Mental Health Institute (up to 40 years for Geyser, 25 for Weier). Weier was conditionally released in 2021.
Geyser’s Release and Escape
Geyser petitioned multiple times for release, granted conditional status in January 2025 by Waukesha County Circuit Court Judge Michael O. Bohren, who ruled she no longer posed a threat. Placed in a Madison group home (location sealed), she underwent therapy for her psychotic disorder. On Saturday, November 22, around 8 p.m., she was last seen on Kroncke Drive with an adult acquaintance, after removing her GPS bracelet.
Madison Police issued an alert Sunday morning. Her attorney, Anthony Cotton, urged surrender in a video: “Turn yourself in… Do not continue to remain on the run.” The Leutner family, aware of the disappearance, thanked supporters amid renewed trauma.
Capture and Next Steps
Police confirmed Geyser’s safe custody in Illinois Sunday night; details on location or charges pending. She’s scheduled under supervision until 2058. Victim Payton Leutner (now 23) has spoken publicly about her survival and advocacy for mental health awareness.
The case, inspiring the 2016 documentary Beware the Slenderman and films like Mercy Black, sparked global debates on internet influence on youth and moral panics over online horror. Creepypasta communities blocked Slender Man lore in Waukesha schools post-incident.
Geyser’s attorney emphasized treatment focus; no further threats reported. As the story develops, it reopens wounds from a tragedy that gripped the world.
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