A chilling search is underway for Morgan Geyser, the woman convicted in the infamous 2014 “Slender Man” stabbing, after she vanished from a Madison group home Saturday night. Authorities discovered she had deliberately severed her Department of Corrections monitoring bracelet, triggering an immediate manhunt.
Police announced Geyser’s escape Sunday, revealing she was last seen around 8 p.m. near Kroncke Drive, accompanied by an unidentified adult. Her current location remains unknown, intensifying concerns as the hours pass.
The case dates back to a horrifying act of violence in 2014, when 12-year-old Morgan Geyser and her friend, Anissa Weier, lured Payton Leutner into a wooded park during a sleepover. The motive, chillingly, was rooted in a desperate attempt to appease the fictional horror character, Slender Man.
Geyser, under the influence of Weier’s encouragement, brutally stabbed Leutner nineteen times. Against all odds, Leutner survived the savage attack, a testament to her resilience and the swift response of emergency services.
During her 2017 trial, Geyser pleaded guilty to attempted first-degree intentional homicide, but argued her mental illness absolved her of responsibility. She ultimately was found not guilty by reason of mental defect, a verdict that sparked intense debate and scrutiny.
For the past seven years, Geyser has been confined to the Winnebago Mental Health Institute. While initially sentenced to 40 years within the psychiatric facility, she was granted the opportunity to petition the court for conditional release every six months.
Prior to her escape, Geyser had been transferred to a group home in Madison. The circumstances surrounding her decision to flee, and the identity of the adult she was with, are now central to the ongoing investigation.
Authorities have released a recent security video image of Geyser, urging anyone with information regarding her whereabouts to immediately contact 911. The search continues, fueled by a desire to ensure public safety and bring Geyser back into custody.
