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Recent Events: Morgan Geyser’s Escape And Capture

In a recent event, Morgan Geyser, linked to the 2014 Slender Man stabbing, was taken back into custody on November 23, 2025. She had left her group home in Madison, Wisconsin, the day before. Police said she cut off her GPS monitoring device around 8 p.m. on November 22. She was last seen with another adult in a neighbourhood on the west side of Madison.

The Madison Police Department sent out an alert on November 23. They asked for help to find her. Later that night, at about 10:34 p.m., she was caught in Posen, Illinois. This town is about 150 miles from Madison and 20 miles south of Chicago. She was at a truck stop with another person. Police took her without any trouble.

This short escape has brought new attention to the case. It raises questions about how well people with mental health issues are watched after release. Geyser’s lawyer, Tony Cotton, asked her to turn herself in. He said they had worked hard for her freedom and did not want her to lose it. The family of the victim, Payton Leutner, said she is safe. This helped calm worries during the search.

Geyser, now 23 years old, was living in the group home as part of her release plan. This plan started in January 2025 when a judge let her leave the Winnebago Mental Health Institute. She had been there for many years. However, in August 2025, one place in Sun Prairie, Wisconsin, said no to taking her because of too much public notice.

Authorities are now looking into what happened. They want to know how she left and who helped her. This could change her release terms. The case shows the need for strong rules when letting people out after serious crimes tied to mental health.

The Start Of Slender Man: A Made Up Story From The Internet

Slender Man is a made-up character that began online in 2009. A man named Eric Knudsen, using the name Victor Surge, made him for a contest on a website called Something Awful. He changed photos of children by adding a tall, thin man in a suit with no face. Sometimes, the figure had long arms like tentacles.

The pictures spread fast on the internet. People started writing short, scary stories about him, called creepypasta. These are tales shared on sites like Reddit and the Creepypasta Wiki. Slender Man was shown as a being who follows people, mostly children, in woods or empty places. He has no face and does not talk. He makes people feel scared or do bad things.

Fans made videos, games, and art about him. One game, “Slender: The Eight Pages,” lets players try to find notes while running from him. It was all for fun at first. However, in 2014, two young girls took it too far. They thought Slender Man was real and hurt their friend to please him.

Experts say figures like Slender Man play on our deep fears. For kids, the line between make-believe and real life can be unclear. This is more true online, where stories feel true because many people share them. The American Psychological Association has studied how scary online content can affect young minds. It can make hidden mental problems worse.

In this case, the girls spent much time reading about Slender Man. They came to believe he could talk to them in their minds. This shows why parents should watch what children see online. Talk to kids about what is real and what is not. Schools now teach about safe internet use because of cases like this.

What Happened On The Day Of The Stabbing In 2014

On May 31, 2014, in Waukesha, Wisconsin, a terrible act took place. Morgan Geyser and Anissa Weier, both 12, asked their friend Payton Leutner to play after a sleepover. It was Geyser’s birthday party. They went to David’s Park to play hide-and-seek in the woods.

Once alone, Weier told Geyser to do it. Geyser used a kitchen knife to stab Leutner 19 times. The wounds were on her arms, legs, and body. One was very close to her heart, just a small bit away. Doctors said it was lucky she lived.

Leutner lost much blood but crawled to a bike path. A man riding by found her and called for help. She went to the hospital for many operations. She stayed there for weeks to get better.

Geyser and Weier ran away. They walked along a big road, trying to go to a forest where they thought Slender Man lived. It was over 200 miles away. Police found them that same day.

When asked why, the girls said they did it for Slender Man. They thought he was real and wanted a sacrifice. They planned it for months after learning about him online. Geyser talked a lot about Slender Man, which scared Leutner.

This event shocked the country. It made people think about how online stories can lead to real harm. The girls showed no surprise at first. They believed it was needed to keep their families safe from Slender Man.

Leutner later said she slept with scissors to feel safe. The attack left marks on her body and mind. However, she has shown great strength in healing.

Who Are The Main People In This Case

To see the full picture, let us look at the key people.

Morgan Geyser was born in 2002. As a child, she liked art and animals but was quiet. Doctors found she had schizophrenia that started young. This means she saw things that were not there, like Slender Man. After the stabbing, she went to a mental health facility for 40 years. However, she asked to leave many times. In 2025, she got permission for supervised living.

Anissa Weier, also born in 2002, brought Slender Man to Geyser’s attention. She had a hard home life and was picked on at school. She had a shared mental issue where she believed Geyser’s ideas. She pleaded guilty but was found not at fault because of mental illness. She got 25 years in care but left in 2021. Now, she lives with her father and follows rules like wearing a monitor.

Payton Leutner is the one who survived. Now 23, she wants to work in medicine. The doctors who helped her inspired her. In talks, she said she forgave the girls but wants them held responsible. She has post-traumatic stress, but focuses on her future. Her family keeps her life private.

Here is a table with their current details as of November 2025:

Person	Age	Role	Status
Morgan Geyser	23	Main Attacker	Caught after escape; case under review
Anissa Weier	23	Helper	Released in 2021, following rules
Payton Leutner	23	Victim	Safe, studying medicine

The Court Process And Results

The case tested the law on young people and mental health. Wisconsin rules let the girls be tried as adults because the crime was bad. This caused arguments about whether kids should face adult courts.

Weier went to trial first in 2017. She said she was guilty of trying to kill, but not because she was mentally sick. A group agreed she was not responsible. She went to a mental institution for 25 years but got out early in 2021 with conditions.

Geyser did the same in 2018. At 15, she said sorry in court. She hoped Leutner was okay. She got 40 years in care. Doctors said her illness made her think Slender Man was real.

Both girls used mental health as a defence. This means they were not sent to prison but to get help. Over time, they asked to leave. Weier succeeded first. Geyser’s release in 2025 included living in a group home, therapy, and a bracelet to track her.

The recent escape may lead to new court hearings. It could take away her freedom. The case has changed how laws handle young people with mental problems. Some states now look more at treatment than punishment.

Mental Health Views And Effects

This case shows how mental illness and online stories can mix badly. Geyser and Weier had a shared false belief. One’s ideas spread to the other. Geyser’s schizophrenia caused her to see Slender Man. Weier’s problems made her go along.

Studies show teens can be affected by online content because their brains are growing. A thing called “internet psychosis” can happen when people spend too much time in fake worlds. Groups like the Journal of Child Psychology say early help is key.

For victims like Leutner, the harm lasts. She has PTSD, which means she feels on guard and has bad memories. But therapy helps. She uses ways like talking to change her thoughts.

The case calls for better mental health care in schools. Parents should check online time. Tech firms now add warnings on scary sites.

Final Thoughts: Lessons From Many Years

The Slender Man case, with Geyser’s recent escape and capture, reminds us of tech, health, and law ties. It calls for care in the online world to protect young people. At THOUSIF INCORPORATED, we give clear reports on such matters. Please look at our other stories on crime, health, and culture.