A Wisconsin judge on Thursday granted conditional early release to Morgan Geyser, who was convicted of stabbing his childhood friend more than a decade ago.
In 2014, then-12-year-old Geyser and Anissa Weir stabbed another girl, Peyton Leutner, 19 times to appease the fictional horror character Slender Man.
The 22-year-old was initially sentenced to state mental health supervision for up to 40 years at the Winnebago Institute of Mental Health after she was found not guilty by reason of insanity in 2018.
Geyser appeared in court again Thursday seeking release from a state psychiatric hospital after his previous request was denied in April. Geyser's latest petition for release marks the fourth time in the past two years that she has asked to be removed from the facility, although the first two petitions have been withdrawn.
Judge refuses to release woman who stabbed childhood friend because he was 'skinny'
Morgan Geyser appears in Waukesha County court on Thursday, January 9, 2025 in Waukesha, Wisconsin. (AP Photo/Molly Gash)
Morgan Geyser appears in Waukesha County court on Thursday, January 9, 2025 in Waukesha, Wisconsin. (AP Photo/Molly Gash)
Waukesha County Circuit Judge Michael Bolen ruled that Geyser had taken full advantage of residential treatment options and sent Geyser to a supervised group home, subject to approval at a hearing within 60 days. He ordered the state health department to come up with a plan to house them. .
Several doctors examined Geyser to make sure she was making enough progress for conditional release.
Dr. Brooke Lundbohm, who has a long history of working with Geyser, previously said Geyser was not yet ready for conditional release, but reversed course at Thursday's hearing and said she supports Geyser's release. Then he testified.
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“March 2024… Concerns about emotional regulation still persist, and anxiety over unknown triggers that reminded her of her trauma triggered a reaction. Since then, records have shown that concerns about emotional regulation that once plagued her There is nothing to suggest that the symptoms continue, such as crying, “seizures, anxiety attacks, or periods of dissociation,” Lundbohm testified.
“In 2021, there have been some ongoing issues related to reports of hearing loss, which she particularly described as demonic, but in the past…three years there has been nothing like that. .”
Wisconsin woman convicted of stabbing 'Skinny Man' petitions for conditional release
Morgan Geyser appears in Waukesha County court on Thursday, January 9, 2025 in Waukesha, Wisconsin. (AP Photo/Molly Gash)
Peyton Leutner's mother wrote in a letter to the judge at Weier's trial that her daughter “will continue to grapple with the events of that day and the physical and emotional scars they have left.” said. (Facebook)
Prosecutors said Mr. Geyser and Mr. Weier seduced Mr. Leutner. waukesha woodland After a sleepover in May 2014, Geyser stabbed Leutner repeatedly at Weier's urging.
Leutner was left for dead, but survived when he was found crawling out of the woods and riding his bicycle.
“In her current understanding, she experiences fantasies associated with these various fictional characters, and within the context of her mental illness, fantasies become inherently blurred with reality, and what is inherently fictional They had a hard time determining the difference between what is real and what is real,” Lundbohm said. He testified about Mr. Geyser's current awareness of the crime.
'Slender Man' case: Wisconsin judge orders conditional release for woman involved in stabbing
Morgan Geyser appears in Waukesha County court on Thursday, January 9, 2025 in Waukesha, Wisconsin. (AP Photo/Molly Gash)
Prosecutors say Anissa Weir (left) and Morgan Geyser (right) lured Peyton Leutner into a wooded area in a park in the Milwaukee suburb of Waukesha in 2014 and attacked her. (AP)
Ms. Lundbohm said she supported Geyser's conditional release into a residential treatment program, saying, “If Geyser is essentially just being put into the community and without a variety of support services and support services, then the conditional release would not be possible. We will not support her petition for release,” he added. Ability to effectively monitor her actions and relationships. ”
During the hearing, it was revealed that in recent months, Ms. Geyser had been allowed to go on excursions from Starbucks, museums, and other establishments, and that Ms. Lundbohm said that during these outings He testified that he did not believe Geyser posed a danger to himself or others.
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Lambohm attributed Geyser's growth to a “combination of factors,” including maturation and Geyser's suicide attempt in October 2021. He also acknowledged that Geyser takes antidepressants and anti-anxiety medications.
“She continued to take her treatment more seriously and became more consistent and invested in her treatment,” Lundbohm testified. “Throughout the last eight, nine, 10 months, there has been noticeable progress in her understanding of her mental health.”
Wisconsin woman charged with stabbing of 'Skinny Man' requests early release from mental health facility
Morgan Geyser was taken into custody with blood spattered on his jacket. (Waukesha Police Department)
Geyser was sent to a psychiatric hospital for mental illness after pleading guilty to attempted first-degree intentional homicide. Weier was also sent to a psychiatric hospital after pleading guilty to attempted second-degree intentional homicide.
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Weier was granted conditional release in September 2021 and was required to undergo outpatient psychiatric treatment and GPS monitoring.
FOX News' Stephanie Price contributed to this report.
