Slender Man stabbing: Geyser seeks release, psychologist takes stand
WAUKESHA, Wis. - Morgan Geyser, 21, appeared in Waukesha County Court on Wednesday, April 10, petitioning for conditional release.
Geyser and her friend, Anissa Weier, were convicted for the 2014 attempted homicide of their classmate, Payton Leutner. Geyser and Weier were 12 years old at the time and charged as adults.
The girls lured Leutner to a wooded area in Waukesha. Prosecutors said Geyser stabbed Leutner 19 times while Weier encouraged it. Investigators said they did it to please the fictional character Slender Man.
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Geyser was sentenced to 40 years in the Winnebago Mental Health institute. In March, she filed for conditional release. It’s her third attempt; the previous two petitions were ultimately withdrawn.
Morgan Geyser (January 2024)
Waukesha County Judge Michael Bohren ordered three psychologists to perform evaluations of Geyser. The hearing is expected to take two days.
On the stand providing testimony Wednesday was Psychologist Deborah Collins. She testified that Geyser acknowledged she was sexually abused when she was 11 years old and started "as early as she started forming memories." Collins said Geyser attempted suicide while in custody.
Collins told prosecutors she does not recommend conditional release for Geyser. She said Geyser suffers from unspecified schizophrenia, post-traumatic stress and social anxiety disorder.
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Two other doctors are expected to testify as the hearing continues into Thursday.
All three doctors who prepared reports on Geyser previously conducted examinations for Geyser’s previous petitions. This is the first time the request has gone before a judge.
Weier, who was also committed in 2017 for the attack, was granted conditional release in September 2021. She was required to receive outpatient psychiatric treatment and subjected to GPS monitoring – the latter condition waived in September 2023.