The then 12-year-old girl convicted in the infamous "Slender Man" stabbing case has been released from prison after declaring herself transgender. In 2014, she and an accomplice brutally attacked a classmate, claiming it was to appease the fictional "Slender Man." Now, after serving time for the crime, she was granted early release following a legal battle in which her gender identity played a key role. Critics argue that this decision raises serious questions about the role of mental health and gender identity in the justice system.
Now 22 years old, Morgan Geyser is set to be released from a psychiatric hospital after petitioning multiple times and adopting a transgender identity. She has been held inside the Winnebago Mental Health Institute after pleading guilty to attempted first-degree intentional homicide in 2018 for stabbing her classmate, Payton Leutner. Waukesha County Circuit Judge Michael Bohren recently ruled that she is ready to be moved to a group home where her mental health will continue to be monitored.
Dr. Kenneth Robbins, a psychiatrist treating Geyser, said that the woman now “identifies as a transgender male.” During her court hearing, she had a short, cropped haircut. He argued that Geyser no longer poses a threat to others outside of hospital walls.
While Bohren described the 2014 stabbing as “brutal,” the judge also stated that Geyser has demonstrated she is prepared to reintegrate into society.
“She’s done what she’s supposed to do,” Bohren said. “She appears to have a good attitude.”
However, Waukesha County Assistant District Attorney Ted Szczupakiewicz disagreed with the judge’s ruling, arguing that Bohren was releasing a violent criminal. Szczupakiewicz noted that Geyser had previously claimed she faked her Slender Man fantasies and stabbed her classmate to escape abuse from her father. He distrusted her, suggesting that her 2024 story change aimed to gain sympathy for her release. According to CNN, Bohren reportedly dismissed the comment.