Current:Home > MarketsWisconsin woman in Slender Man stabbing will remain in psychiatric hospital after release petition denied -TradeBridge
Wisconsin woman in Slender Man stabbing will remain in psychiatric hospital after release petition denied
View
Date:2025-04-16 11:44:48
The Wisconsin woman who at age 12 said she stabbed a sixth-grade classmate nearly to death to please the online horror character Slender Man will stay in a psychiatric hospital after a local judge denied her request for release with conditions.
In January, Morgan Geyser, now 21, requested early release from her 40-year commitment to the Winnebago Mental Health Institute in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, where she has been held since 2018.
Waukesha County Judge Michael Bohren on Thursday denied Geyer's petition, deciding that there was a significant risk that Geyser could harm herself or others.
"The scales tip in favor of the public, and it tips that way by clear and convincing evidence," Bohren said, citing the standard under Wisconsin law.
His decision came after two days of testimony, including from two doctors who believe she is not a threat to the public and should be released from the psychiatric hospital.
"She has actively participated in therapy, medication management and all the treatments that are available," Dr. Kayla Pope, the hospital's medical director. "At this point she is safe to return to the community. I don't know that much more could be done to make her safer."
Geyser and Anissa Weier were 12 in 2014 when they lured Payton Leutner to a Waukesha park after a sleepover. Geyser stabbed Leutner repeatedly while Weier egged her on. Leutner suffered 19 stab wounds and barely survived, authorities said.
The girls quickly confessed, saying they carried out the attack to appease Slender Man, a fictional online horror character. They said they feared he would otherwise harm their families.
Geyser pleaded guilty to attempted first-degree intentional homicide and was sent to the psychiatric institute because of mental illness. She was initially diagnosed with schizophrenia spectrum disorder but has been off antipsychotic medications since 2022 with no new symptoms, according to Dr. Ken Robbins, another psychiatrist who believes Geyser is ready to leave Winnebago and has known her since 2014.
He said it's important for Geyser to leave the hospital, though she still has anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder.
"Morgan has improved quite dramatically. ... The kinds of things Morgan needs in my view — help with socialization, help with education, help with becoming independent — are things Winnebago can no longer provide in an effective way," Robbins said.
Weier pleaded guilty to attempted second-degree intentional homicide and was also sent to the psychiatric center. She was granted a release in 2021 to live with her father and was ordered to wear a GPS monitor.
After the hearing, Geyser's attorney, Tony Cotton, said she has not changed her story, though she believes she stabbed the victim because of a trauma-related mental disorder, not schizophrenia. She can file another petition for release in six months.
"Time will show she is a healthy and stable person who needs to be released to the community. Time has shown that," Cotton told The Associated Press.
- In:
- Wisconsin
- Crime
veryGood! (327)
Related
- What to know about Tuesday’s US House primaries to replace Matt Gaetz and Mike Waltz
- Families of Americans trapped by Israel-Hamas war in Gaza tell CBS News they're scared and feel betrayed
- Live updates | Israel deepens military assault in the northern Gaza Strip
- Paris Hilton, North West, Ice Spice, more stars transform for Halloween: See the costumes
- All That You Wanted to Know About She’s All That
- Horoscopes Today, October 28, 2023
- Suspect detained in an explosion that killed 3 people at a Jehovah’s Witness gathering in India
- Travis Barker Slams “Ridiculous” Speculation He’s the Reason for Kourtney and Kim Kardashian’s Feud
- Opinion: Gianni Infantino, FIFA sell souls and 2034 World Cup for Saudi Arabia's billions
- Some striking UAW members carry family legacies, Black middle-class future along with picket signs
Ranking
- Will the 'Yellowstone' finale be the last episode? What we know about Season 6, spinoffs
- Police in Texas could arrest migrants under a bill that is moving closer to approval by the governor
- Three decades later, gynecologist is accused of using own sperm to inseminate patient
- 'Huge' win against Bears could ignite Chargers in wide open AFC
- Global Warming Set the Stage for Los Angeles Fires
- Alice McDermott's 'Absolution' transports her signature characters to Vietnam
- Barack Obama on restoring the memory of American hero Bayard Rustin
- How does 'Billions' end? Axe falls on a rival. Your guide to the dramatic series finale
Recommendation
Head of the Federal Aviation Administration to resign, allowing Trump to pick his successor
Matthew Perry's Former Costar Ione Skye Shares Their Final Text Exchange Days Before His Death
Credit card interest rates are at a record high. Here's what you can do to cut debt.
The best moments from Nate Bargatze's 'SNL' hosting gig
McKinsey to pay $650 million after advising opioid maker on how to 'turbocharge' sales
The Nightmare Before Christmas Turns 30
Nevada gaming board seek policy against trespassing gamblers allowed to collect jackpot winnings
Maine gunman Robert Card found dead after 2-day manhunt, officials say