Key Takeaways:
- Morgan Geyser, a Wisconsin woman who stabbed a classmate to please the fictional horror character Slender Man, has been charged with escaping from a group home.
- Geyser’s friend, a 42-year-old woman, has been charged with obstruction for giving police a false identity and helping Geyser evade capture.
- Geyser was arrested in Illinois after fleeing from a group home in Wisconsin, where she was living after being released from a psychiatric hospital.
- Geyser and her friend had planned to walk to Slender Man’s mansion in northern Wisconsin after the attack, but were arrested before they could carry out their plan.
- Geyser’s case has raised questions about the treatment of mentally ill individuals in the justice system and the effectiveness of rehabilitation programs.
Introduction to the Case
The case of Morgan Geyser, a Wisconsin woman who stabbed a classmate to please the fictional horror character Slender Man, has taken a new turn with her recent escape from a group home. Geyser, who was 12 years old at the time of the attack, had been living in the group home after being released from a psychiatric hospital where she had spent seven years. Her friend, a 42-year-old woman, was arrested alongside her and charged with obstruction for giving police a false identity and helping Geyser evade capture.
The Arrest and Charges
Geyser and her friend were arrested on Sunday night at a truck stop in Posen, Illinois, after police responded to a report of two people loitering behind the building. Geyser initially gave police a false name, but eventually revealed her true identity and told officers that she had "done something really bad" and suggested they could "just Google" her. Her friend, who was released from custody after being charged with obstruction, told CBS News Chicago that she and Geyser are best friends and that she didn’t want Geyser to be alone after she left the group home. The friend said that Geyser was just trying to get as far away from the group home as possible and that they had planned to walk to Chicago together.
Background on the Case
Geyser’s case has been highly publicized due to the shocking nature of the crime and the fact that she and her friend, Anissa Weier, claimed to have been motivated by a desire to please the fictional horror character Slender Man. The two girls had lured their classmate, Payton Leutner, to a park after a sleepover in 2014 and stabbed her 19 times. Leutner barely survived the attack, and Geyser and Weier were arrested as they were walking on Interstate 94. They told investigators that they had planned to walk to Slender Man’s mansion in northern Wisconsin after the attack, but were caught before they could carry out their plan.
Mental Health and Rehabilitation
Geyser’s case has raised questions about the treatment of mentally ill individuals in the justice system and the effectiveness of rehabilitation programs. Geyser was diagnosed with schizophrenia and had been receiving treatment at the Winnebago Mental Health Institute, a psychiatric hospital where she had spent seven years. She was released from the hospital earlier this year after three experts testified that she had made progress battling her mental illness. However, her recent escape from the group home has raised concerns about whether she is ready to be released back into the community. Weier, who was also diagnosed with mental health issues, was granted release from a mental hospital in 2021 after agreeing to live with her father and wear a GPS monitor.
The Future of the Case
Geyser is expected to appear for an extradition hearing in Cook County, where she will face charges related to her escape from the group home. Her friend, who was released from custody after being charged with obstruction, has said that police told her that Geyser would be sent back to the Winnebago Mental Health Institute after her extradition hearing. Geyser’s attorney has not commented on the case, and it is unclear what the future holds for her. One thing is certain, however: Geyser’s case will continue to raise important questions about the treatment of mentally ill individuals in the justice system and the effectiveness of rehabilitation programs.