Who Is Convicted 'Slender Man Girl' Morgan Geyser: Missing Update and Mental Condition

Morgan Geyser, now 23, is the Wisconsin woman who, at age 12, stabbed her classmate to impress the online horror figure Slender Man — briefly vanished from state supervision after removing her monitoring device from a Madison group home. She was later found in Illinois and taken into custody, according to police confirmations released late Sunday night.

How Morgan Escaped

Authorities say Geyser cut off her Wisconsin Department of Corrections monitoring bracelet and left the facility with an adult acquaintance shortly before 8:00pm. Surveillance alerts triggered at the facility indicated a malfunction, but staff later discovered the bracelet had been intentionally removed. A request for apprehension was issued overnight, and she was located the following day in Illinois. Before her return to custody, Geyser's Attorney, Tony Cotton, released a statement, appealing to his client to surrender publicly:

Her brief disappearance comes only months after she was granted conditional release from the Winnebago Mental Health Institute, where she had been committed following the 2014 stabbing. Madison police say the group home only notified law enforcement the next morning — the first time officers learned she was gone.

Geyser's 'Slender Man' Stabbing Case

In 2014, Geyser and her friend Anissa Weier lured their classmate Payton Leutner into the woods after a sleepover. Geyser stabbed her 19 times while Weier encouraged her, later telling investigators they believed Slender Man would kill their families if they did not obey him. Leutner survived after crawling to safety.

Slender Man originated in 2009 on the internet forum Something Awful, where users edited eerie figures into photos of children. The creation by Eric Knudson evolved from a joke into a horror folklore phenomenon, spreading through creepypasta forums, fan fiction, YouTube videos, games, and eventually mainstream media — including a 2018 feature film.

Unlike traditional urban legends, Slender Man grew rapidly because online communities added to his story in real time, producing endless variations. He is often portrayed as a tall, faceless entity in a suit who targets children and manipulates their thoughts. This participatory horror format helped Slender Man feel real to susceptible young audiences, blurring fiction and delusion — especially for those already struggling with psychosis, social isolation or anxiety.

Mental Health: What Doctors Found

Geyser expressed fear, reverence and a desire for protection from the Slender Man, which led Psychologists to later conclude that these beliefs were not merely imaginative, but rooted in symptoms of severe mental illness.

The case immediately raised concerns about Geyser's psychological state. Early evaluations described hallucinations, delusions and conversations with fictional characters such as Voldemort and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Experts concluded she showed symptoms of schizophrenia and a psychotic spectrum disorder influenced by possible genetic and trauma-related factors.

Doctors later supported conditional release, explaining the psychiatric facility could not provide real-world socialisation needed for her treatment. However, even under release, experts emphasise the need for intense monitoring, supervision, structured routines and ongoing medication.

Why Monitoring Still Matters

Conditional release is not freedom. Geyser must remain under mental healthcare supervision, wear tracking devices, and comply with treatment. Her brief disappearance underscores how fragile reintegration can be for patients whose disorders once manifested violently. As society grapples with digital myths and their impact on impressionable young minds, the Slender Man case remains a stark reminder: online horror may be fictional, but the consequences can be devastatingly real.