The case that shocked the country in 2014 returned to headlines after one of the attackers briefly escaped state supervision. Police in Wisconsin say Morgan Geyser, now 23, cut off her electronic monitoring bracelet and left a supervised group home Saturday night.
Authorities reported she was last seen around 8 p.m. in Madison with an unidentified adult. The Madison Police Department posted a public alert on Facebook Sunday morning urging anyone who saw her to call 911. Geyser had been released under supervision earlier this year after spending nearly a decade in a psychiatric facility.
Background on the Case
In 2014, Geyser and classmate Anissa Weier lured their 12 year old friend, Payton Leutner, into the woods in Waukesha, Wisconsin. Investigators say the two girls stabbed Leutner 19 times in an attempt to please Slender Man, a fictional online horror character created by Eric Knudsen in 2009. Leutner survived after a six hour emergency surgery and later returned to school.
Both attackers were charged in adult court. Geyser was convicted of first degree attempted intentional homicide but was found not guilty by reason of mental illness. A judge ordered her to remain in a psychiatric institution for up to 40 years. She was granted conditional supervised release in early 2024. Records of the conviction and rulings remain available through Wisconsin Court System public records.
Family Responses and Search Efforts
Following her disappearance, Geyser’s mother pleaded publicly for her daughter to return. “Morgan, if you can see this, we love you and just want to know you are safe,” she told ABC News.
Leutner’s family also released a statement thanking authorities and confirming they were safe. They added, “We appreciate the support from law enforcement, friends, and the community during this difficult time.”
Geyser Located in Illinois
Police later confirmed that Geyser had been found at a Thornton’s truck stop in Posen, Illinois, a community located about 25 minutes south of Chicago. The Posen Police Department reported she may have traveled there by bus with another unidentified person. Officers took both individuals into custody around 10:34 p.m. Sunday night.
Officials have not yet released details on whether new charges will be filed as the case continues to develop. Local agencies confirmed the next legal steps will follow state corrections procedures. Similar supervised release violations are handled under Department of Corrections rules published at Wisconsin DOC.
Public Reaction
The brief escape revived public attention to the disturbing Slender Man case and raised questions about supervised release programs for violent offenders found not guilty by reason of mental illness. Law enforcement agencies continue reviewing the incident.
For many who remember the original attack, the case remains a reminder of how internet mythology and untreated mental illness collided in one of the most widely reported juvenile crimes of the past decade.