In a troubling development related to the infamous Slender Man stabbing case, Morgan Geyser, a Wisconsin woman convicted of stabbing a classmate in an attempt to please the fictional horror character Slender Man, has been captured in Illinois after escaping from a group home in Wisconsin. Alongside Geyser, her friend—who has not been named—was also apprehended and charged with obstruction for providing a false identity to authorities during the arrest.
The two were found late Sunday night at a Thorntons truck stop in Posen, Illinois, about 20 miles south of Chicago and roughly 170 miles from Madison, Wisconsin, where Geyser’s group home is located. Police responded to a call about two individuals loitering behind the building and discovered Geyser and her friend sleeping on the sidewalk. Initial interactions with Geyser were evasive; she gave a false name and, after repeated questioning, admitted to police that she had “done something really bad” and suggested they “just Google” her. Once her true identity was confirmed, officers realized they had apprehended Geyser, who had fled the group home.
Geyser was expected to appear in Cook County court for an extradition hearing on Monday following her arrest. Her friend, 42 years old, was charged with obstructing justice for providing false identification but was released from custody the following morning. In an interview with CBS News Chicago, the friend stated that they are best friends and that she did not want Geyser to be alone after leaving the group home in Madison on Saturday. The two embarked on a journey together, first traveling by bus to Chicago and then walking to Posen, stopping only when Geyser injured her foot.
The timeline leading to their capture highlights some concerning delays. Madison Police Department admitted they were unaware of Geyser’s disappearance for nearly twelve hours after she left the group home. The Wisconsin Department of Corrections was alerted Saturday night when Geyser’s ankle monitor malfunctioned. Approximately two hours later, they contacted the group home and learned Geyser was missing and had removed the monitoring device.
Morgan Geyser had been living in the group home after her release earlier this year from the Winnebago Mental Health Institute, a psychiatric hospital where she had spent seven years. Her release came after three mental health experts testified that she had made significant progress in managing her mental illness. According to Geyser’s friend, police indicated that after the extradition hearing, Geyser would be returned to the Winnebago Mental Health Institute. Her attorney has not yet commented on the matter.
The origins of this case date back to 2014, when Geyser, along with another friend, Anissa Weier, lured their classmate Payton Leutner to a park in Waukesha, Wisconsin, following a sleepover. Both girls were just 12 years old at the time. During the attack, Geyser stabbed Leutner 19 times while Weier encouraged her. The girls later told investigators they committed the assault to earn the favor of Slender Man, a fictional internet horror character, believing that if they did not comply, Slender Man would harm their families. They had even planned to walk to Slender Man’s supposed mansion in northern Wisconsin after the attack.
Leutner miraculously survived the brutal stabbing. Geyser pleaded guilty in 2017 to being a party to attempted first-degree intentional homicide but maintained that she was not responsible for her actions due to mental illness. The following year, a judge in Waukesha County committed her to a psychiatric hospital for 40 years. Similarly, Weier pleaded guilty to attempted second-degree intentional homicide with a dangerous weapon, also asserting mental illness. She was committed to a mental hospital for 25 years but was granted release in 2021 under strict conditions, including living with her father and wearing a GPS monitor.
This recent escape and subsequent capture reignite concerns about how individuals with serious mental health issues are managed after release from psychiatric care, especially those with histories involving violent crimes. Geyser’s disappearance and the delay in reporting her absence raised questions about monitoring procedures and communication between law enforcement and care facilities.
The case itself remains one of the most chilling examples of how internet folklore and digital culture can influence young minds with tragic consequences. The Slender Man stabbing shocked the nation when it first occurred, highlighting the intersection of mental illness, youth vulnerability