‘Slender Man’ follower seeks release seven years after near-fatal stabbing of 12-year-old to please internet horror character

Prosecutors are speaking with the victim, who barely survived the stabbing, on how the state will respond to the request for early release

Justin Vallejo
New York
Wednesday 10 March 2021 20:32
Comments
'The Wicked' tells story of Slender Man stabbing

Anissa Weier is seeking release from a mental hospital after luring a 12-year-old friend into the woods for a tribute killing to the internet meme character Slender Man.

Now 19 years old, Ms Weier appeared in a Wisconsin court as prosecutors asked for a delay to file written arguments on whether she should be released.

Ms Weier was sentenced to 25 years in the Winnebago Mental Health Institute after a jury found she was not criminally responsible for her part in the 2014 stabbing that gained international notoriety and inspired the HBO documentary Beware the Slenderman.

After luring classmate Payton Leutner into a Waukesha park after a birthday sleepover, Ms Weier cheered on as friend Morgan Geyser stabbed Ms Leutner 19 times.

All three sixth-graders were 12-years-old.

Both plead guilty, telling detectives that they would become Slender Man's servants if they killed their friend. They feared the Slender Man would harm them or their families if they didn't kill someone.

“Many people do not believe Slender Man is real,” one of the girls said, according to the criminal complaint. “[We] wanted to prove the sceptics wrong.”

Speaking in court, Me Weier told Waukesha County Circuit Judge Michael Bohren that she has spoken with her attornies and is was satisfied with their representation.

Ms Weier petitioned to be released in November, with a letter she wrote was presented to the court on Wednesday, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Multiple psychologists and psychiatrists evaluated Ms Weier in recent month and also filed their reports to the court, which have been sealed.

Deputy district attorney Ted Szczupakiewicz said he has been in contact with the victim, who barely survived the stabbing, on how the state is proceeding.

Judge Bohren gave prosecutors until 26 March to submit arguments, and the defence until 9 April to respond. The next hearing is scheduled for 11 June.

"I understand the nature of the case, obviously, but also the nature of the procedural aspects of the matter with regard to the reports and how to present," Mr Bohren said, according to the Journal Sentinel.

"Arguments oftentimes in very serious matters and complicated, sophisticated matters can oftentimes be best presented by written arguments that can be amplified through oral arguments as well."

If released, Ms Weier would be tracked until she is 37-years old by case managers from the Department of Health Services.

Ms Geyser is serving a maximum 40-year sentence at a mental health facility.

Register for free to continue reading

Registration is a free and easy way to support our truly independent journalism

By registering, you will also enjoy limited access to Premium articles, exclusive newsletters, commenting, and virtual events with our leading journalists

Please enter a valid email
Please enter a valid email
Must be at least 6 characters, include an upper and lower case character and a number
Must be at least 6 characters, include an upper and lower case character and a number
Must be at least 6 characters, include an upper and lower case character and a number
Please enter your first name
Special characters aren’t allowed
Please enter a name between 1 and 40 characters
Please enter your last name
Special characters aren’t allowed
Please enter a name between 1 and 40 characters
You must be over 18 years old to register
You must be over 18 years old to register
Opt-out-policy
You can opt-out at any time by signing in to your account to manage your preferences. Each email has a link to unsubscribe.

By clicking ‘Create my account’ you confirm that your data has been entered correctly and you have read and agree to our Terms of use, Cookie policy and Privacy notice.

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy policy and Terms of service apply.

Already have an account? sign in

By clicking ‘Register’ you confirm that your data has been entered correctly and you have read and agree to our Terms of use, Cookie policy and Privacy notice.

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy policy and Terms of service apply.

Register for free to continue reading

Registration is a free and easy way to support our truly independent journalism

By registering, you will also enjoy limited access to Premium articles, exclusive newsletters, commenting, and virtual events with our leading journalists

Already have an account? sign in

By clicking ‘Register’ you confirm that your data has been entered correctly and you have read and agree to our Terms of use, Cookie policy and Privacy notice.

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy policy and Terms of service apply.

Join our new commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in