Second Slender Man Assaulter Sentenced to Psychiatric Hospital

The second teenager accused of stabbing a schoolmate was sentenced to 40 years in a psychiatric hospital yesterday. Morgan Geyser, now 15, struck a plea deal whereby avoiding prison time. She and her friend, Anissa Weier, stood accused of stabbing another girl to appease the fictional Creepypasta character Slender Man. The girls were 12 at the time. The victim was left for dead but able to crawl out of the woods and alert an adult. She continues to recuperate from the trauma. Geyser’s sentencing closes the unimaginable criminal case.

The crime shook Wisconsin and the nation. Geyser was the instigator in the act and was charged with 1^st degree intentional homicide. Weier also struck a deal and was sentenced for the lesser charge of being a party to 2^nd degree intentional homicide. She was sentenced in December receiving 20 years in a psychiatric facility. Both girls have been diagnosed with mental disorders.

Although defense attorneys for Geyser hoped for a lighter sentence, they were not surprised. One doctor for the prosecution testified that Geyser continued to hear voices and posed a threat to society. Judge Bohren agreed stating: “[T]his is an issue of community protection. This is an issue to be sure there’s no recidivism. This is an issue to ensure that Ms. Geyser doesn’t have a revolving door situation where she ends up being in the community and then things fall apart and she comes back.” This case highlights the problem minors have differentiating fantasy from reality. It also serves as a reminder that mental illness occurs at any age.