Anissa Weier Now: Where The Slender Man Stabber Is After Release
What happens when a fictional horror character becomes a real-life obsession, driving two children to attempt murder? The name Anissa Weier is forever tied to one of the most chilling and perplexing crimes of the 2010s—the 2014 Slender Man stabbing in Waukesha, Wisconsin. For over a decade, the public has asked: where is Anissa Weier now? After a decade-long legal saga involving a brutal attack, a controversial insanity defense, and a conditional release, the story of Anissa Weier remains a haunting study of mental illness, internet mythology, and the justice system’s handling of juvenile offenders. This comprehensive article details everything known about the case, the individuals involved, and the current status of all three girls.
The Crime That Shocked a Nation: May 31, 2014
On the night of May 31, 2014, in the quiet suburb of Waukesha, Wisconsin, a brutal and premeditated attack occurred that would make national headlines. Two 12-year-old girls, Anissa Weier and Morgan Geyser, lured their best friend, 12-year-old Payton Leutner, into the woods near a local park. Once there, they tackled her to the ground. Weier held Payton down while Geyser, armed with a 5-inch knife, began stabbing her. The attack was frenzied and relentless; Payton Leutner was stabbed 19 times. Miraculously, she survived after crawling to a roadside where a bicyclist found her and called for help. The motive, as later revealed, was terrifying in its simplicity: the girls believed they had to commit the murder to appease the fictional internet character Slender Man, who they thought would harm their families if they did not.
The Victims and Perpetrators: A Friendship Destroyed
The victim, Payton Leutner, suffered catastrophic injuries, including wounds to her major organs. She underwent multiple emergency surgeries and a long, painful recovery. The perpetrators were her closest friends from school. Anissa Weier was described as the more dominant of the two in the planning, while Morgan Geyser carried out the physical stabbing. Both girls were charged as adults with attempted first-degree intentional homicide, a decision that sparked immediate debate about the treatment of juvenile offenders in the justice system.
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The Slender Man Myth: From Internet Legend to Murderous Obsession
To understand the motive, one must understand the Slender Man mythos. Originating in 2009 on the Something Awful forums as a "creepypasta" (a horror story copied and pasted across the internet), Slender Man is depicted as a tall, faceless, tentacled figure in a black suit who stalks and abducts children. The myth proliferated across websites, forums, and early social media, creating a shared, scary narrative for a generation of digital natives. For Anissa Weier and Morgan Geyser, this fictional entity became terrifyingly real. They believed Slender Man lived in the nearby woods and that becoming his proxies by killing a friend would grant them his protection and a place in his mansion. This case became a stark warning about the real-world dangers of online horror myths and the vulnerability of children who cannot fully distinguish between fiction and reality.
Key Facts About the Slender Man Influence:
- Origin: Created in June 2009 by Eric Knudsen ("Victor Surge") on the Something Awful forums.
- Appeal: Its ambiguity and community-driven storytelling made it a viral phenomenon.
- Psychological Impact: The girls exhibited symptoms of psychosis and delusional thinking, firmly believing in Slender Man's existence and demands.
- Cultural Fallout: The case led to widespread parental concern and discussions about internet literacy and monitoring for children.
The Investigation, Arrest, and "Not Guilty" Plea
The investigation following Payton Leutner's discovery was swift. Police quickly identified Weier and Geyser as suspects based on evidence and their own initial confessions. During interrogations, both girls spoke calmly about the plot, detailing how they had been planning the murder for months to become proxies of Slender Man. Their chilling lack of remorse, combined with the sheer brutality of the act, shocked detectives and the public.
Both girls were charged as adults. Their defense attorneys immediately argued for a transfer to juvenile court, citing their age and mental health, but these motions were largely denied. In 2015, both Anissa Weier and Morgan Geyser entered not guilty by reason of mental disease or defect pleas—the legal equivalent of an insanity defense. This set the stage for a long legal battle focused not on if they committed the crime, but on why and what their mental state was at the time.
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The Trial, Insanity Verdict, and Sentencing
The legal proceedings for both girls were complex and separate, though their fates were intertwined. The core argument for the defense was that both girls suffered from serious mental illnesses that prevented them from understanding the wrongfulness of their actions.
- Anissa Weier's Diagnosis: She was diagnosed with schizophrenia and a psychotic disorder. Experts testified that she genuinely believed in Slender Man and his commands.
- Morgan Geyser's Diagnosis: She was diagnosed with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. Her mental state was considered even more fragile.
In 2017, after years of evaluations and hearings:
- Anissa Weier was found not guilty by reason of mental disease or defect. She was not sentenced to prison. Instead, she was committed to the Winnebago Mental Health Institute for an indefinite period, with a minimum of 25 years before a review could be requested.
- Morgan Geyser received the same verdict and was also committed to the same mental health institution for a 25-year minimum commitment.
The verdicts were controversial. While mental health experts and the defense saw it as a just outcome for two severely ill children, many in the public, including the Leutner family, felt it was a miscarriage of justice. They argued the girls knew exactly what they were doing and that the insanity defense was a loophole allowing them to escape full accountability for a premeditated, vicious attack.
Conditions of Commitment and Review
The commitments were not "get out of jail free" cards. The girls were under the strict supervision of the state's Department of Health Services. Their cases were subject to periodic review by the court to determine if they remained a danger to society. The burden was on the state to prove they were still mentally ill and dangerous; if the state could not, they could be released to a less restrictive setting.
Where Is Anissa Weier Now? The 2021 Release
The pivotal moment for Anissa Weier came in 2021. After serving approximately 10 years in the Winnebago Mental Health Institute, her case came up for review. Her treatment team and doctors testified that she had made significant progress. She was diagnosed with schizophrenia in remission. They argued she no longer posed a substantial risk to public safety.
On September 1, 2021, Waukesha County Judge Michael Bohren ruled in her favor. He determined that Anissa Weier posed little risk to public safety and ordered her release from the institutional setting. However, this was not a full, unconditional freedom. Her release came under heavy supervision and strict conditions, which include:
- Lifetime GPS Monitoring: She must wear a GPS tracking device at all times.
- Mandatory Medication: She must continue taking all prescribed psychiatric medications.
- No Contact Orders: She is permanently prohibited from having any contact with Payton Leutner, Morgan Geyser, or any member of either girl's family.
- Curfew and Location Restrictions: She must adhere to a strict curfew and cannot be in certain areas, including Waukesha County without permission.
- Regular Reporting: She must regularly report to a court officer and her treatment team.
- Therapy and Treatment: She must continue intensive outpatient mental health treatment.
- No Social Media: She is banned from using social media platforms.
- No Weapons: She is permanently barred from possessing firearms or other weapons.
This conditional release is designed to be a bridge between institutionalization and full community integration, with the court retaining jurisdiction for the rest of her life. Violating any condition could result in her being returned to a locked mental health facility.
The Disagreement: Prosecutors and the Leutner Family
The release was met with immediate and strong opposition. Prosecutors argued that the underlying crime was too heinous and that Weier's progress, while noted, did not erase the calculated nature of the attack. Payton Leutner's family has been consistently vocal in their belief that justice was not served. They maintain that both girls should have been held fully responsible in the adult criminal system and that the mental health system is an inadequate response to such a violent act. Their pain and disagreement with the legal outcome underscore the deep societal rift this case created between concepts of criminal responsibility and mental health treatment.
Morgan Geyser: The Other Girl's Fate
While the focus is often on Anissa Weier, the other perpetrator, Morgan Geyser, has followed a similar but distinct path.
- She was also committed to Winnebago Mental Health Institute for a minimum of 25 years.
- Her case has been reviewed separately. As of late 2023, Morgan Geyser remains committed to the mental health institute. Her legal team has also sought conditional release, but her reviews have reportedly been more contentious. Some reports suggest her mental health status is viewed as more volatile than Weier's. As of now, Morgan Geyser is not living in the community and is still under institutional care. Her future release is a separate legal process that will depend on her own treatment progress and risk assessments.
Where Are They All Now? A Summary Table
| Name | Role in Case | Legal Outcome | Current Status (Late 2023/Early 2024) | Key Conditions/Restrictions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anissa Weier | Perpetrator (stabber) | Not Guilty by Reason of Insanity; Committed to Mental Health Institute | Released (2021). Living in the community under court supervision. | Lifetime GPS monitoring, no contact orders, mandatory medication & treatment, curfew, no social media, no weapons. |
| Morgan Geyser | Perpetrator (planner/instigator) | Not Guilty by Reason of Insanity; Committed to Mental Health Institute | Still Committed. Residing at Winnebago Mental Health Institute. | Institutional confinement. Future release will be a separate court hearing with similar potential conditions. |
| Payton Leutner | Victim | N/A | Survived. Has largely stayed out of the public eye. Graduated high school. | N/A (Victim) |
The Aftermath: Memoirs, Media, and Ongoing Public Fascination
The case has never fully left the public consciousness. It has been the subject of numerous documentaries, news specials, and true crime podcasts. Sentences 13 and 14 hint at a development: Anissa Weier has written a memoir. Details about its publication and content are scarce and tightly controlled, likely as a condition of her release. Any public statement or media appearance from her would be highly controversial and carefully managed by her legal and treatment team.
The case also raises profound questions:
- Can a child be held fully responsible for crimes influenced by psychosis?
- What is the appropriate balance between public safety and treatment for juvenile offenders with severe mental illness?
- How do we protect children from dangerous online content without stifling creativity?
The Broader Context: Internet Myths and Real-World Violence
The Slender Man stabbing is often cited as the most extreme example of "creepypasta" influencing real violence. It forced platforms and parents to confront the power of shared online folklore. While such cases are exceptionally rare, they highlight a critical need for:
- Digital Literacy Education: Teaching children to critically evaluate online content and distinguish between storytelling and reality.
- Mental Health Awareness: Recognizing early signs of delusional thinking or obsessive fixation on violent myths.
- Parental Engagement: Open conversations about what children are reading and viewing online.
Conclusion: A Case Without Easy Answers
The story of Anissa Weier is not a simple tale of crime and punishment. It is a multifaceted tragedy involving a vulnerable child with schizophrenia, a friend who became a victim, a fictional monster that felt real, and a legal system struggling to reconcile concepts of guilt, innocence, illness, and danger. Anissa Weier now lives under a microscope, her freedom a carefully managed experiment in community reintegration for someone who committed a horrific act while profoundly mentally ill.
The wounds for Payton Leutner and her family are permanent, and their quest for a different kind of justice continues. Morgan Geyser remains in treatment, her future uncertain. The Slender Man stabbing case remains a pivotal, dark chapter in the intersection of internet culture, child psychology, and criminal law—a stark reminder that the lines between fiction and reality can have devastating consequences. The questions it raises about how we treat mentally ill youth who commit violent acts remain unanswered, echoing in every conditional release and every court review. The shadow of that night in the Waukesha woods is long, and for all involved, it is a shadow that will likely never fully lift.
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Anissa Weier | Law & Crime
Anissa Weier | Law & Crime
Anissa Weier | Law & Crime
