5 Shocking New Updates On The Slender Man Stabbing Case: Morgan Geyser's 2025 Escape And Recapture

The Slender Man stabbing case, a horrific 2014 crime that shocked the world and put a spotlight on the dangers of internet fiction, has seen major, shocking developments in late 2025. The most significant event involves Morgan Geyser, one of the two perpetrators, whose conditional release—a milestone in her 40-year sentence—was immediately followed by a dramatic flight from a mental health group home, triggering a nationwide manhunt and renewing public scrutiny of the juvenile justice system. The current date is December 18, 2025, and the legal and psychological ramifications of this latest incident are still unfolding, forcing authorities to re-evaluate the terms of her supervised release. The case, which centered on two 12-year-old girls who stabbed their friend 19 times to appease the fictional online horror character 'Slender Man,' continues to generate intense interest. This article provides a comprehensive, up-to-the-minute look at the status of all three individuals involved—the perpetrators and the remarkable survivor—along with the broader legal and cultural legacy of the infamous Waukesha, Wisconsin, tragedy.

Key Individuals and Case Timeline

The 2014 attempted homicide in Davids Park, Waukesha, Wisconsin, involved three 12-year-old girls. The case not only highlighted the serious issue of childhood mental illness but also the unprecedented influence of online horror culture, known as creepypasta.

Morgan Geyser (Perpetrator)

• Original Crime: Attempted first-degree intentional homicide (Pled guilty to a lesser charge of attempted second-degree intentional homicide due to mental illness).
• Diagnosis: Diagnosed with early-onset schizophrenia.
• Sentence: 40 years to life in a psychiatric hospital (Winnebago Mental Health Institute).
• Conditional Release: Approved for conditional release to a mental health group home in 2025.
• Latest 2025 Update: Fled the group home in November 2025, leading to a nationwide manhunt and subsequent recapture by the Madison Police Department (MPD). The state of Wisconsin is now seeking to block her conditional release due to this violation.

Anissa Weier (Perpetrator)

• Original Crime: Attempted second-degree intentional homicide (Pled guilty).
• Diagnosis: Diagnosed with a delusional disorder.
• Sentence: 25 years in a psychiatric hospital.
• Current Status: Released from the Winnebago Mental Health Institute in 2021. She is currently living with her father under strict conditions, including around-the-clock GPS monitoring and supervision until she is 37 years old.

Payton Leutner (Victim/Survivor)

• Original Attack: Stabbed 19 times on May 31, 2014, and miraculously survived after crawling out of the woods to a nearby road.
• Current Status: Now a young adult, Payton Leutner has shown remarkable resilience and is pursuing a career in the medical field, planning to attend college. Her recovery journey has been a testament to her strength, though her mother has noted the long-term impact in victim impact letters to the court.

The November 2025 Manhunt: Geyser’s Flight and Recapture

The most explosive and recent development in the Slender Man case is the flight and recapture of Morgan Geyser in late November 2025. This incident has cast a shadow over the entire concept of conditional release for high-profile offenders with severe mental illness. Geyser’s conditional release from the Winnebago Mental Health Institute to a residential mental health group home was the culmination of years of legal proceedings. The move, approved by Waukesha County Judge Michael Bohren, was intended to transition her back into society under heavy supervision until 2058. However, the community where she was scheduled to reside had already voiced strong protests, causing multiple delays in her placement. The flight occurred on a Saturday night in November 2025. Geyser was last seen at the Wisconsin group home before disappearing, prompting the Madison Police Department (MPD) to issue an immediate public alert. The incident triggered a brief but intense nationwide manhunt, which was a chilling reminder of the original 2014 crime. She was captured approximately 24 hours later, with the circumstances surrounding her brief escape—and her location during that time—remaining a critical focus of the subsequent legal review. Following the event, at least three corrections staff members were placed on leave, indicating a severe lapse in the security and supervision protocols of the facility.

Legal Ramifications and the Battle Over Conditional Release

Morgan Geyser's flight instantly jeopardized her conditional release status. The legal situation involves a clear violation of supervised release, which is a serious matter, especially for a person convicted of attempted homicide with a history of schizophrenia and delusional thinking. The state of Wisconsin, through its Department of Health Services (DHS), has moved swiftly to block Geyser’s continued conditional release. The argument centers on the fact that her escape demonstrates an inability to adhere to the terms of her supervision and poses a potential risk to public safety. The legal process now requires the court to determine if Geyser should be returned indefinitely to the Winnebago Mental Health Institute, the secure psychiatric hospital where she was initially sentenced. This incident reignites the intense debate over the proper balance between rehabilitation for juvenile offenders with mental illness and the protection of the community. For Anissa Weier, who was released in 2021, the current scrutiny on Geyser's case may have a chilling effect on her own conditional freedom. Her release conditions are already highly restrictive, requiring constant GPS monitoring and a strict curfew, reflecting the court's cautious approach to her reintegration.

The Enduring Legacy of Creepypasta and Juvenile Justice

The Slender Man stabbing remains a landmark case for two major reasons: its connection to internet culture and its impact on the juvenile justice system. The perpetrators were driven by a profound, shared delusion that they had to kill their friend to become "proxies" of the fictional supernatural entity, Slender Man. This entity originated in 2009 as a piece of online horror fiction on the Something Awful forum and spread rapidly through the Creepypasta website and subculture. The case served as a stark warning about the potential for online fiction to blur the lines of reality for vulnerable, mentally ill adolescents. The decision to try both 12-year-old girls as adults was highly controversial, sparking a national conversation about the appropriate legal treatment for children who commit heinous crimes while suffering from severe mental health issues. Critics argued that the adult court system was ill-equipped to handle the complexities of childhood schizophrenia and delusional disorder, issues that require intensive psychological and psychiatric intervention rather than punitive measures. The case has been widely studied by legal scholars, criminologists, and mental health professionals, establishing new precedents for how the courts handle juvenile defendants whose crimes are rooted in fantasy and severe mental illness. The terms of Geyser and Weier’s sentences—long-term confinement in a mental health institution rather than a traditional prison—were a direct result of this intense scrutiny and their mental health diagnoses. The resilience of the survivor, Payton Leutner, is a key part of the case's legacy. Her survival of 19 stab wounds and her determination to move forward with her life provides a powerful counter-narrative to the darkness of the crime. As 2025 closes, the Slender Man stabbing case continues to be a tragic and complex story, one that is far from over, as evidenced by the shocking new developments regarding Morgan Geyser's supervised release.