Madison, Wisconsin authorities are searching for Morgan Geyser, 23, who absconded from a supervised residential facility Saturday evening after severing her electronic ankle monitor. The case revisits the shocking 2014 stabbing of Payton Leutner, a crime that garnered national attention and was linked to the “Slender Man” internet mythos.Geyser and Anissa Weier were both 12 years old at the time of the attack and were committed to mental health treatment following a finding that they were not guilty by reason of mental disease or defect.
- Morgan Geyser has escaped from a supervised living facility.
- She severed her electronic ankle monitor on Saturday evening.
- Geyser gained notoriety in connection with the 2014 Slender Man stabbing.
Authorities in Madison, Wisconsin are searching for a woman with a history of violent crime who escaped from a supervised residential facility Saturday evening. Morgan Geyser, 23, cut off her electronic ankle monitor and remains at large, prompting a high-alert response from local law enforcement.
The case draws renewed attention to a shocking 2014 attack that gripped the nation. Geyser and Anissa Weier, both 12 years old at the time, lured their classmate, Payton Leutner, into a wooded area near Waukesha, Wisconsin, and stabbed her 19 times. The victim sustained injuries to her arms, legs, and torso, with two wounds narrowly missing a major artery and another penetrating her liver and stomach.
Leutner was able to crawl to a road where a cyclist found her and called for emergency assistance. Police quickly apprehended Geyser and Weier approximately eight kilometers away, walking along a main road. A knife used in the attack was recovered from a bag they were carrying.
Perpetrators Sentenced to Psychiatric Treatment
During the subsequent legal proceedings, both girls claimed they committed the attack to appease the fictional character known as Slender Man. Due to diagnosed mental health issues, they were found not guilty and committed to a psychiatric institution.
Anissa Weier received a 25-year sentence but was released on extended supervision in 2021 and fully discharged from electronic monitoring in 2023. Morgan Geyser was sentenced to 40 years of psychiatric confinement. She was recently moved to a supervised living facility as part of her ongoing treatment for a psychotic spectrum disorder and remained under state supervision with GPS monitoring.
According to the Madison Police Department, Geyser was last seen Saturday evening around 8 p.m. with an adult acquaintance. Her current location is unknown.
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Karin Leuthold (kle), born 1968, has worked for 20 Minuten since 2005 and is currently working at the news desk.
