Summary (tl;dr)

Morgan Geyser, one of the perpetrators of the 2014 "Slender Man" stabbing, recently fled from her Wisconsin group home after cutting off her monitoring bracelet, leading to a police search before her apprehension in Illinois.

Essential Background

In May 2014, then 12-year-old Morgan Geyser and Anissa Weier lured their classmate, Payton Leutner, into a wooded area in Waukesha, Wisconsin, and stabbed her 19 times, believing they needed to sacrifice her to appease the fictional internet character Slender Man. Leutner miraculously survived the brutal attack. Both Geyser and Weier were later found not guilty by reason of mental disease or defect and committed to psychiatric institutions. Anissa Weier was granted conditional release in 2021. Morgan Geyser, diagnosed with early-onset schizophrenia, was committed for up to 40 years to a psychiatric hospital.

The Full Story

Morgan Geyser, now 22, was granted conditional release from the Winnebago Mental Health Institute to a group home in Wisconsin earlier in 2025. On Saturday, November 22, 2025, Geyser cut off her Department of Corrections monitoring bracelet and left her group home in Madison, Wisconsin. The Madison Police Department issued a public alert as her whereabouts were unknown. She was last seen in the Kroncke Drive area of Madison with an adult acquaintance. On Sunday, November 23, 2025, or early Monday, November 24, 2025, Geyser was reportedly taken into custody in the state of Illinois.

Why It Matters

The disappearance and subsequent apprehension of Morgan Geyser have reignited public discussion and concern over the infamous "Slender Man" stabbing case. This incident draws renewed attention to the severe mental health issues that contributed to the original crime, the challenges of monitoring individuals released from psychiatric care, and the ongoing impact of online content on vulnerable youth. The case continues to highlight the complexities of the legal system when dealing with juvenile offenders with severe mental illnesses and the delicate balance between public safety and rehabilitation.

Geographic Location

• Davids Park, Waukesha, Waukesha County, Wisconsin, United States (location of the 2014 stabbing attack)
• Winnebago Mental Health Institute, Oshkosh, Winnebago County, Wisconsin, United States (psychiatric hospital where Morgan Geyser was committed)
• Madison, Dane County, Wisconsin, United States (location of Morgan Geyser's group home and initial disappearance)
• Illinois, United States (state where Morgan Geyser was apprehended)