One of two girls charged in the “Slenderman” case has reached deal that will keep her out of prison. It calls for doctors to evaluate 15-year-old Morgan Geyser and report to a judge to determine how long she should remain in a state mental hospital.
Geyser’s co-defendant, Anissa Weier, faces at least three years in a mental hospital after a jury this month determined she was mentally ill at the time of the attack on a classmate. All three girls were 12 at the time. Weier and Geyser claimed to be acting at the behest of the fictional character when they lured Payton Leutner into some woods in Waukesha.
Investigators said Geyser stabbed Leutner 19 times while Weier urged her on. Leutner survived after she crawled out of the woods and was found by passing bicyclist.
“It’s been a tragic experience for everyone. Our hearts go out to the the victim and her family, and we’re very grateful that the district attorney’s office gave the case the consideration it deserves,” Geyser’s attorney, Donna Kuchler, said during a news conference, after a court hearing Friday at the Waukesha County Courthouse.
Geyser was scheduled to go before a jury next month, but will instead plead guilty as charged but not be held criminally liable and remain at the state mental hospital where she has been getting treatment for about 18 months.