Judge Condemns Slender Man Attacker’s Crime as “Brutal, Bloody, Gory,” Denies Probation
DEBARYLIFE – The request for an early release of a lady who spent ten years in a mental health facility for trying to kill her companion in Wisconsin to appease the mythical figure “Slender Man” has been turned down.
Despite assertions that the 21-year-old has improved while at the Winnebago Mental Health Institute, Judge Michael O. Bohren concluded after a two-day hearing on Thursday that she still poses a “significant risk” to herself and others.
“This is not merely an instance of an individual colliding with another vehicle and taking off.” This is an egregious, vicious attack on another individual. You may say that this is hands-on. The judge concluded the hearing by remarking, “It is gory and bloody.”
“The risk is that kind of reckless behavior. Do we have any idea if it will be repeated? We are unsure. However, this court must make sure that the risk is reduced.
Geyser, who stabbed Payton Leutner, a sixth grader, 19 times on May 21, 2014, when she was 12 years old, requested restricted release, which would have meant constant supervision and adherence to a treatment plan.
To defend themselves and their families from the imaginary persona, Geyser and her friend Anissa Weier thought they had to kill Ms. Leutner at the time of the attack.
In September 2023, Weier’s GPS tracker was taken off after she was released from custody on a probationary basis in 2021.
In the last 48 hours, medical professionals who have worked and treated Geyser have discussed their experiences interacting with her for almost ten years.
According to two of those witnesses, Drs. Deborah Collins and Brooke Laudbohm, Geyser claimed in recent years that she had staged her psychotic episodes, which the physician and others believed could not be real.
“She’s under constant observation, so it’s doubtful that she could have misrepresented herself and covered up the truth from numerous mental health specialists,” Dr. Collins stated in court on Wednesday.
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Dr. Laudbohm showed her recordings, which featured numerous instances of Geyser talking or laughing aloud to herself—possibly in response to the voices in her head that she had been describing for years.
They both maintained that Geyser was better off at the facility and that she still needed to work on her mental health.
Disagreeing, Dr. Kenneth Robbins—who has also known Geyser for ten years—argued that it was time for her to get out into the community.
“Winnebago has been very helpful, and their practitioners are very skilled, but right now, I think the downside of being there is much more concerning than the benefits,” Dr. Robbins stated.
The judge invited Dr. Kayla Pope, the administrator of the facility that houses Geyser, as a surprise witness to support his position.
The doctor stated, “I do believe that at this point, she must make the transition into the community to help with her ongoing development.”
Anthony Cotton, Geyser’s lawyer, stated that she would not just walk out the door even if the judge accepted her appeal today.
Mr. Cotton continued, “She doesn’t go anywhere today other than Winnebago, where she will stay at the mental health hospital for 60, 90, or 120 days, depending on how many days or extensions they need for the hospital to draft a release plan and present it to the court.”
Geyser would probably still be under decades of watch if he moved back into the community, the lawyer added.
Judge Bohren finally disagreed with those opinions, though.
During the closing remarks, Dr. Robbins was criticized by state attorney Ted Szczupakiewicz since his report stated that there were other victims in this case.
There’s only one victim here, judge; there aren’t many. The victim in this case was the one who came dangerously close to death in 2014, according to the lawyer.
“Morgan in this instance is not a victim.”
The lawyer claimed that Ms. Leutner was the victim and that she would have the scars from the attack for the rest of her life.
In addition to being uneasy with Geyser’s accusations that she staged her symptoms, the judge, who initially took up the case almost ten years ago, seemed to concur with that.
As things stand right now, the court stated, “Ms. Geyser is doing well in her program, but she needs socialization and some additional work in that regard.”
“Her credibility is under question, which is the other side. “She has shifted her stance, and the reporter’s credibility is crucial to the decisions made by mental health professionals, lawyers, and other professionals in assessment-making,” he went on.
“We return to risk when you combine all of these problems. Currently, the court is convinced that Ms. Geyser’s stay in the institution is in jeopardy due to the credibility issue and that there is a considerable risk until it is resolved.
Doctors Collins and Laudbohm did appear to believe that Geyser could have enough time to address the concerns brought up if he were given another chance to request conditional release, which could be granted in six months.