Morgan Geyser Wikipedia, Biography, Age, Parents, Cases, Charges, Trial, Release, Family
Morgan Geyser is an American woman who, when she was 12 years old, became one of the perpetrators in the infamous 2014 “Slender Man” stabbing case in Waukesha County, Wisconsin. On May 31, 2014, she and her friend Anissa Weier lured their classmate Payton Leutner into a wooded area during a sleepover, and Geyser stabbed Leutner 19 times. The motive they gave was that they believed the fictional Slender Man character was real and that performing the attack would enable them to become his “proxies” or servants.
Following the attack, Morgan Geyser was charged as an adult with attempted first-degree intentional homicide and underwent a mental competency evaluation. She was found not guilty by reason of mental disease or defect and committed to a state psychiatric hospital rather than a traditional prison sentence. In 2018 she was ordered to spend up to 40 years in the mental health system, subject to review.
In January 2025 a judge approved a conditional release plan for Geyser, allowing her to move from the psychiatric hospital to a group home under supervision, acknowledging expert testimony that she had made significant progress.
However, in November 2025, Geyser cut off her monitoring bracelet and fled the group home. She was found sleeping outside a truck stop in Posen, Illinois, and taken back into custody.
Age, Parents and Early Life
Date of Birth and Age
Morgan E. Geyser was born on May 16, 2002. As of November 2025 she is 23 years old.
Family Background
Her parents are identified as Matt Geyser and Angie Geyser. Public accounts indicate that her family lived in Waukesha, Wisconsin, where Morgan grew up. Some reports later during legal proceedings referenced alleged abuse and trauma within her family, though these details were contested in court.
Early Life and Childhood
Morgan grew up in Waukesha, a suburb of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where she attended local schools. According to classmates and police interviews, she was considered smart and capable up through elementary school, but around fourth grade her behaviour reportedly began shifting. Classmates noticed mood changes, talk of suicidal thoughts, and fear that the Slender Man figure was “coming for her”.
She also became documented in police interviews as having visual and auditory hallucinations from early childhood, including imaginary friends named Maggie and Sev, and a recurring figure she called “It”. Those descriptions formed part of her later mental health evaluations that diagnosed early onset childhood schizophrenia.
Education and Family Life
Schooling
Morgan attended public elementary and middle school in Waukesha. While detailed academic records are not publicly available, commentary from classmates indicated that up until about fourth grade she was relaxed and normal.
Home Life and Family Dynamics
In interviews and legal filings, Morgan’s family environment features prominently. Her mother described Morgan becoming severely psychotic after her arrest, and correctional officers reported odd behaviour such as talking to herself, pretending to be a cat, and keeping ants as pets. Morgan also alleged that her father committed multiple acts of sexual assault against her for years prior to the attack. Prosecutors noted these allegations were part of her mental health evaluation but considered them uncorroborated in the public documents.
The Case, Charges, Trial and Sentence
The Incident
On May 31, 2014, Morgan Geyser and her friend Anissa Weier lured their classmate Payton Leutner into the woods during a sleepover. Geyser carried out the stabbing, inflicting 19 wounds. Two wounds penetrated major organs and one missed a major artery to the heart by less than a millimetre. The girls believed that killing Leutner would make them proxies for Slender Man and protect their families from him.
Investigation and Interrogation
Police found Geyser and Weier hours later walking near I 94. In interviews, Geyser was described as calm and detached. She asked if Payton was dead and said “I was just wondering”. Investigators noted that she showed little empathy, stated the murder was part of a plan, and admitted she did not think about what would happen after the stabbing. Their interrogation revealed three separate murder plans: killing Payton in her sleep, luring her to a park bathroom to use the drain, and ultimately stabbing her in the woods.
Charges and Plea
Morgan was charged as an adult with attempted first degree intentional homicide, a Class A felony. Anissa Weier faced attempted second degree intentional homicide. The court waived juvenile jurisdiction.
In 2017 the girls entered plea deals. Weier pleaded guilty to being party to attempted second degree homicide and was found not guilty by reason of mental disease or defect. Geyser accepted a similar plea and was also found not guilty by reason of mental disease or defect after being evaluated for schizophrenia.
Sentence and Commitment
Rather than jail, Geyser was committed to the Winnebago Mental Health Institute under an indeterminate sentence of 40 years to life in a mental institution, or until age 53. Weier received 25 years to life under similar conditions.
The court found that due to her diagnosed schizophrenia and psychotic symptoms, Geyser lacked full responsibility for her actions. Her treatment program focused on rehabilitation and supervised release rather than conventional imprisonment.
Release and Post Commitment Developments
Conditional Release Approval
In January 2025 a judge approved a conditional release plan for Morgan Geyser, citing expert testimony that she had made progress in her mental health and was no longer an undue risk to the public. The plan required her to live in a supervised group home, wear an electronic monitoring bracelet, and remain under community supervision until at least 2058.
On March 6 2025 the plan moved forward despite concerns from the state health agency, which cited red flags including her reading of violent books and contact with a murder memorabilia collector. The judge nevertheless allowed the release to proceed.
Escape from Supervision
On November 22 or 23 2025, Geyser cut off her monitoring bracelet and fled the group home in Madison, Wisconsin. She and a 42 year old male companion took a bus to Posen, Illinois, and were found sleeping on a sidewalk near a truck stop the next day. When questioned by police, she initially gave a false name and told officers to “just Google” her.
She was taken back into custody pending extradition. Authorities notified the victim’s family and worked with them for safety.
Current Status
As of late November 2025 Geyser remains in custody following her escape. Her supervised release plan is now subject to review. Her long term conditions for release remain in effect, including continued psychiatric treatment, monitoring, housing restrictions, and court oversight.
Personal Life and Mental Health
Mental Health Diagnosis
Morgan was diagnosed with early onset childhood schizophrenia and a psychotic spectrum disorder, involving hallucinations, delusions, and imaginary figures. These symptoms were central to the court’s finding of not guilty by reason of mental disease or defect. Her treatment has included antipsychotic medication, therapy, and long term psychiatric hospitalization.
Identity and Personal Developments
Media reports in 2025 indicated that Geyser had begun identifying as transgender and had started transitioning, although courts and most media outlets continued using female pronouns. Her family and lawyers have not released further details publicly.
Her personal relationships and interests remain largely private due to her custodial status, though the escape incident showed she had contact with individuals outside approved supervision.
Conclusion
The biography of Morgan Geyser is a complex story of a young girl struggling with severe mental illness who committed a violent act inspired by online mythology. Her path from attacker to psychiatric patient, to supervised release, and then escape highlights the complexities of juvenile crime, mental health, and rehabilitation.
FAQs
Who is Morgan Geyser?
Morgan Geyser is the individual who, at age 12 in 2014, stabbed her classmate 19 times to appease the fictional character Slender Man.
What crime did she commit?
She attempted to kill her friend, Payton Leutner, during a sleepover by stabbing her 19 times in the woods of Waukesha, Wisconsin.
What were her charges and sentence?
Geyser was charged as an adult with attempted first-degree intentional homicide and was committed to a psychiatric hospital under a 40 years to life sentence (until discharge or age 53) after being found not guilty by reason of mental disease or defect.
What is her mental health diagnosis?
She was diagnosed with early onset childhood schizophrenia and a psychotic spectrum disorder that contributed to the court’s finding of mental disease or defect.
Has she been released?
Yes, in early 2025 a court approved her conditional release to a group home under supervision, after nearly seven years at Winnebago Mental Health Institute.
Did she escape after release?
Yes, on November 22/23, 2025, she cut off her monitoring bracelet and fled the group home; she was found the next day in Posen, Illinois and taken back into custody.
