A Wisconsin woman who was 12 in 2014 when she nearly stabbed a classmate to death asked a court on Friday to release her from a mental health facility.
Morgan Geyser, 22, has sought her release on three instances in the past two years, the last time being in April. The New York Post reported that Waukesha County Circuit Judge Michael Bohren denied her request in April, finding she still posed a risk to the public.
After a sleepover celebrating Geyser’s 12th birthday, she and Anissa Weier lured a classmate to the woods where they stabbed her 19 times and left her for dead. The 12-year-olds later told police they committed the attack to satisfy Slender Man, a fictional horror character popularized in an eponymous indie video game.
Weier and Geyser claimed they believed their families would be harmed if they did not attack their classmate, the news outlet reported.
While Geyser and Weier made insanity pleas, Weier took her case to trial and eventually pleaded guilty to attempted second-degree intentional homicide as part of a plea deal. The arrangement also allowed her to legally attribute her actions to mental illness.
Conversely, Geyser pleaded guilty to attempted first-degree intentional homicide as part of an agreement with prosecutors that spared her from prison. Her deal also allowed her to be found not guilty by reason of mental disease or defect but, unlike Weier, she received the maximum sentence of 40 years in a mental health facility.
The New York Post reported that Geyser first petitioned for her release in 2022, but she eventually withdrew her petition.
According to the news outlet, Geyser’s latest motion did not include any arguments. However, it cited state law which requires Bohren to appoint at least one expert to assess Geyser in 20 days and to produce a report within 30 days thereafter.
A hearing regarding the matter is scheduled for November 1.
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[Feature Photo: Michael Sear/Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel via AP, Pool, File]
