A woman who stabbed her classmate 19 times to appease a fictional internet character just shattered her supervised release by cutting off her monitoring bracelet and fleeing into the night.
Story Snapshot
- Morgan Geyser escaped supervised custody on November 22, 2025, after cutting off her monitoring bracelet
- She was one of two 12-year-old girls who stabbed their friend in 2014 to please the fictional “Slender Man”
- A nationwide manhunt ended within 24 hours when authorities recaptured her on November 23, 2025
- The original crime shocked America as pre-teens influenced by internet folklore attempted murder
The Escape That Sparked National Alert
Morgan Geyser severed her court-ordered monitoring bracelet and vanished from her Wisconsin group home on November 22, 2025. The 23-year-old woman, serving an indeterminate sentence for her role in the infamous 2014 Slender Man stabbing, triggered an immediate nationwide manhunt. Within hours, law enforcement agencies across multiple states mobilized to locate the woman who had spent over a decade under psychiatric supervision.
Madison Police Department coordinated the search effort, treating Geyser’s disappearance as a high-priority public safety matter. Her escape violated the strict conditions of her supervised release, which included continuous electronic monitoring and residence restrictions. The swift law enforcement response reflected both the severity of her original crime and ongoing concerns about public safety.
When Internet Fiction Became Deadly Reality
The case that made Geyser notorious began on May 31, 2014, in Waukesha, Wisconsin. She and co-conspirator Anissa Weier, both just 12 years old, lured their friend Payton Leutner into Davids Park under the pretense of playing hide-and-seek. What followed was a meticulously planned attempt to murder their classmate to gain favor with Slender Man, a fictional character from internet horror stories.
The girls stabbed Leutner 19 times, leaving her for dead in the woods. Miraculously, the victim crawled to a nearby road where a passing cyclist discovered her and called for help. Leutner survived multiple surgeries and a lengthy recovery, while her attackers were apprehended hours later walking along Interstate 94. They told police they planned to walk to Slender Man’s mansion in Wisconsin’s Nicolet National Forest.
Adult Justice for Juvenile Monsters
Despite their ages, both girls faced adult prosecution for attempted first-degree intentional homicide. The decision sparked nationwide debate about juvenile justice, but prosecutors argued the premeditated nature and extreme violence warranted adult charges. Geyser received a diagnosis of schizophrenia, while Weier was found to have shared psychotic disorder and schizotypy.
The courts sentenced both to indeterminate terms with mandatory psychiatric treatment. Weier earned conditional release in July 2021 under strict supervision. Geyser remained institutionalized longer due to her more severe mental health diagnosis and role as the attack’s primary architect. Her recent escape represents the first major violation of either perpetrator’s supervised release conditions.
Swift Recapture Raises Broader Questions
Law enforcement located and arrested Geyser on November 23, 2025, ending the manhunt after just 24 hours. Authorities have not disclosed her exact location when captured or the circumstances surrounding her brief freedom. The quick resolution likely prevented the case from reigniting the intense media scrutiny that surrounded the original crime and subsequent trials.
Geyser’s escape exposes potential weaknesses in offender monitoring systems for violent criminals with mental health histories. The incident will likely prompt reviews of supervision protocols and risk assessment procedures for individuals serving indeterminate sentences. For Payton Leutner, now an adult survivor and advocate, the escape represents another traumatic reminder of the attack that forever changed her life.
Sources:
Slender Man stabbing – Wikipedia
Wisconsin Court of Appeals Opinion
