‘Slender Man’ Stabber Morgan Geyser Escapes Wisconsin Group Home, Recaptured in Illinois

MADISON, Wis. — November 26, 2025 — Morgan Geyser, convicted in the 2014 stabbing case linked to the ‘Slender Man’ internet mythology, escaped from a group home in Madison, Wisconsin, and was later apprehended in Illinois, officials said.

Geyser, who was ordered to live in a group home following a judge’s decision earlier this year, cut off her monitoring bracelet and fled the facility on the night of November 22, 2025. Police launched a manhunt that ended with her capture in Illinois.

The stabbing case dates back to May 31, 2014, when Geyser and Anissa Weier, both 12 at the time, attacked their sixth-grade classmate Payton Leutner in a suburban park. Prosecutors charged the pair with attempted first-degree intentional homicide after Geyser stabbed Leutner 19 times while Weier encouraged the attack. Leutner survived the assault.

Both Geyser and Weier admitted they carried out the attack to become servants of the fictional character Slender Man and out of fear that he would harm their families if they did not comply.

Geyser pleaded guilty to attempted first-degree intentional homicide and was diagnosed with schizophrenia. In 2018, she was ordered to spend 40 years in a psychiatric institute. Weier pleaded guilty to attempted second-degree intentional homicide and was released from a psychiatric center in 2021, living with her father under GPS monitoring.

Earlier this year, a Wisconsin judge ruled that Geyser was mentally fit for release after testimony from three doctors involved in her treatment. They reported significant progress and no symptoms after she was weaned off antipsychotic medication. Following the ruling, Geyser was placed in a Madison group home.

Dr. Carole Lieberman, a forensic psychiatrist, commented that internet mythology like Slender Man can distort perceptions of reality, particularly among children and early adolescents, as seen in this case.

The escape has raised concerns about the decision to release Geyser, with experts stating she “should never have been released,” according to authorities familiar with the case.

Body camera footage obtained by Fox News Digital shows authorities confronting Geyser after her escape. She initially refused to identify herself and acknowledged having “done something really bad.”

Officials continue to review the circumstances surrounding the escape and Geyser’s current status in the psychiatric and legal systems.