Slender Man stabbing
| Slender Man stabbing | |
|---|---|
Waukesha Waukesha (Wisconsin) Waukesha Waukesha (the United States) Location of Waukesha in Waukesha County, Wisconsin | |
| Location | 42°58′53″N 88°13′26″W / 42.9814°N 88.2239°W Waukesha, Wisconsin, U.S. |
| Date | May 31, 2014 |
| Target | Payton Isabella Leutner |
Attack type | Attempted murder by stabbing |
| Weapon | Knife |
| Injured | 1 (Payton Leutner; 19 stab wounds to the chest, diaphragm, liver, and stomach) |
| Perpetrators | Morgan Geyser and Anissa Weier |
| Motive |
|
| Charges | Geyser: Attempted first-degree intentional homicide Weier: Attempted second-degree intentional homicide |
| Criminal information | |
| Criminal status | Geyser: Released in 2025 to mental health group home but revoked after an escape attempt Weier: Released in 2021 after 7 years |
| Criminal penalty | Geyser: Maximum of 40 years involuntary commitment in a mental health institution Weier: Maximum of 25 years involuntary commitment |
| Verdict | Not guilty by reason of insanity |
On May 31, 2014, two twelve-year-olds lured their friend, who was also twelve, into a wooded area of Davids Park in Waukesha, Wisconsin, where they attempted to murder and sacrifice her to the Slender Man, a fictional supernatural being originating in creepypasta. Their target, Payton Isabella Leutner, suffered 19 stab wounds, but survived after being rescued by a cyclist.
The perpetrators, Anissa E. Weier (born November 10, 2001) and Morgan E. Geyser (born May 16, 2002), stated they were motivated by their belief in the Slender Man, and believed that killing Leutner would appease him and prove his existence. Weier and Geyser were tried as adults in 2017. Both were found not guilty by reason of insanity, and committed to secure psychiatric facilities. Weier was sentenced to 25 years, and released in 2021 to live with her father. Geyser was sentenced to 40 years and released in 2025 to live in a group home, to be kept under supervision until 2058.
The stabbing generated public debate about the role of the Internet in society and its effect on children, and a moral panic occurred regarding the Slender Man meme. The stabbing inspired the documentary Beware the Slenderman, the movie Mercy Black and several books. In a 2019 interview, Leutner said she was recovering and that the attack inspired her to pursue a career in medicine. In November 2025, Geyser cut off a monitoring bracelet and escaped the group home, only to be arrested in Posen, Illinois the next day and returned to custody.