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Morgan Geyser granted conditional release
Morgan Geyser, convicted of stabbing a classmate to please the fictional horror character Slender Man, was granted conditional release.
WAUKESHA, Wis. - Morgan Geyser, convicted of stabbing a classmate to please the fictional horror character Slender Man more than a decade ago, was granted conditional release from a state psychiatric hospital on Thursday, Jan. 9.
What we know
In his decision, Judge Michael Bohren said conditional release would not post a significant risk to the public or Geyser. Even the prosecution's only witness was in favor of conditional release for Geyser.
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The latest petition marked the fourth time in the past two years Geyser asked to be let out of the facility. An evaluation was ordered in November.
The same three doctors who evaluated Geyser last year returned to the Waukesha County Courthouse with a different outcome on Thursday. In 2024, two of them testified Geyser was not ready to move into a group home. Now, they call Geyser a "bright young woman" who is no longer a danger. Doctors said Geyser no longer hears voices and has been off anti-psychotic medications for years.
Geyser now identifies as a transgender man.
Therapists said he was sexually abused as a child. They believe Geyser has, essentially, outgrown treatment options at the Winnebago Mental Health Institute.
Geyser withdrew their first two petitions. Waukesha County Circuit Court Judge Michael Bohren denied his third request, saying Geyser remained a risk to the public.
Last May, a doctor diagnosed Geyser with autism spectrum disorder. Geyser was previously diagnosed with schizophrenia. Doctors said neither of those things impacted Geyser's mental health recovery.
The backstory
In 2014, Geyser and Anissa Weier were both 12 years old when they lured Payton Leutner to a Waukesha park after a sleepover. Geyser stabbed Leutner 19 times while Weier egged him on. Leutner barely survived.
Geyser and Weier later told investigators they wanted to earn the right to be servants of the fictional Slender Man and that they feared he would harm their families if they didn’t carry out the attack.
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Geyser pleaded guilty to attempted first-degree intentional homicide and was sent to the psychiatric institute because of mental illness.
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.
More to watch
Closing arguments | Thursday, Jan. 9
Judge's ruling | Thursday, Jan. 9