Concerns Raised Before Geyser’s Release
Morgan Geyser, infamous for her role in the Slender Man stabbing, was released from a psychiatric hospital this year despite various “red flags” highlighted by prosecutors. These included her interest in books about torture and unsettling sketches she had sent to collectors of murder memorabilia.
At her release, state officials indicated that she had been fixated on a novel titled “Rent Boy,” which delves into themes of murder and organ trafficking. It was reported by Associated Press that Geyser had not actively participated in therapy sessions.
Additionally, officials revealed that she had been in contact with a murder memorabilia collector. She even sent him a graphic drawing of her own decapitated body, accompanied by phrases like “creeping and falling apart” and a postcard expressing a desire for intimacy.
“Frankly, the state is seriously concerned that these are just red flags at this point,” remarked Abby Nicolee, the Waukesha County Prosecutor, during the hearing.
The collector had reportedly visited Geyser at her psychiatric facility three times in June of 2023, as confirmed by her lawyer, Tony Cotton.
After realizing he intended to profit from her artwork, Geyser cut ties with him. Nicolee stated that Geyser only disclosed her interest in the graphic book and the collector when pressed for information.
In January, a judge determined Geyser could leave the Winnebago Mental Health Institute, where she had been for seven years, despite significant worries from prosecutors about her readiness to return to society. In March, state health officials urgently requested Judge Michael Bolen to reevaluate her situation due to concerning behaviors.
Peyton Leutner, the mother of Geyser’s victim, noted with alarm that Geyser’s new group home is located just eight miles from her own residence, prompting health officials to devise a new safety plan.
Tony Cotton defended Geyser, asserting that her reading material received approval from hospital staff and included a variety of genres, including biographies. During the hearing, he criticized the state’s bid to keep her hospitalized, describing it as “inhumane” and insisted she poses no danger.
Judge Bolen, also skeptical of any public risk, set a hearing for a release plan on March 21.
Just recently, Geyser escaped from her group home after cutting off her ankle monitor and fled to Illinois with her friend, Chad Mecca. They were arrested the following day.
Back when they were just 12 years old in 2014, Geyser and her friend Anissa Weier had invited Leutner, a classmate, to a park in Waukesha, Wisconsin, after a sleepover. There, Geyser stabbed Leutner 19 times, incited by Weier.
They claimed that their actions were directed by Slender Man, a fictional character from the internet, believing they would become his servants and protect themselves from harm.
Leutner managed to crawl to a nearby bike lane, narrowly escaping further injury when a passerby spotted her. In 2018, Geyser received a 40-year sentence in a psychiatric facility after pleading guilty to attempted second-degree intentional homicide. Judge Bolen acknowledged her mental illness as a factor in her responsibility.
Weier, who also pleaded guilty under similar charges, received a 25-year sentence but was released in 2021 after agreeing to live with her father and wear an ankle monitor.
