Summary (tl;dr)

Morgan Geyser, one of the women responsible for the 2014 "Slender Man" stabbing, recently escaped from a group home in Madison, Wisconsin, after removing her electronic monitoring device, prompting a multi-state search before her recapture in Posen, Illinois.

Essential Background

In 2014, Morgan Geyser and Anissa Weier, then 12-year-old girls, lured their classmate Payton Leutner into a park in Waukesha, Wisconsin, and stabbed her 19 times, believing that the fictional online horror character Slender Man demanded the sacrifice. Leutner barely survived the attack. Both Geyser and Weier were diagnosed with mental illnesses and ultimately pleaded guilty to attempted homicide, being found not guilty by reason of mental disease or defect. Geyser was committed to a psychiatric hospital for 40 years in 2018, while Weier was released in 2021. Earlier this year, Geyser was transferred from the Winnebago Mental Health Institute to a supervised group home in Madison, Wisconsin, under a conditional release plan that included wearing a GPS monitoring device.

The Full Story

Morgan Geyser, now 23, triggered a search on Saturday, November 22, 2025, after cutting off her Department of Corrections monitoring bracelet and fleeing her group home in Madison, Wisconsin. Authorities were alerted to the malfunction of her ankle monitor that night, but Madison police were not notified until approximately 12 hours after she left. She was last seen with an adult acquaintance on Saturday evening. On Sunday, November 23, 2025, Geyser was apprehended at a Thorntons truck stop in Posen, Illinois, about 170 miles south of Madison, where she was found sleeping on a sidewalk with a 42-year-old companion. When initially questioned by Posen police, Geyser reportedly gave a false name and, after repeated attempts to identify her, suggested officers could "just Google her" because she had "done something really bad." She was taken into custody without incident, and an extradition hearing has been set for Tuesday in Cook County, Illinois, to return her to Wisconsin.

Why It Matters

The disappearance and recapture of Morgan Geyser have reignited public discussion and concern over the infamous "Slender Man" stabbing case, which shocked the nation due to its brutal nature and the influence of internet-created horror lore on young minds. The incident underscores the ongoing challenges in managing and rehabilitating individuals with serious mental health conditions who have committed violent crimes, even under supervised release. The public's continued interest reflects a broader societal anxiety about the potential impact of online content on vulnerable youth and the effectiveness of the justice system in ensuring both rehabilitation and public safety.

Geographic Location

• Waukesha, Waukesha County, Wisconsin, United States (location of the 2014 Slender Man stabbing)
• Madison, Dane County, Wisconsin, United States (location of the group home Morgan Geyser escaped from)
• Posen, Cook County, Illinois, United States (location where Morgan Geyser was apprehended)
• Winnebago Mental Health Institute, Winnebago County, Wisconsin, United States (psychiatric hospital where Morgan Geyser was previously committed)