Morgan Geyser, one of two 12-year-olds charged with stabbing a classmate to appease the fictional internet entity The Slender Man, has been deemed unfit to stand trial.
On May 31, Geyser, along with friend Anissa Weier, lured their 12-year-old classmate into a wooded area in Waukesha, Wisconsin, where they allegedly held her down and stabbed her 19 times. The victim crawled away and was discovered by a cyclist.
While being interviewed by the police, the two attackers admitted that the stabbing was the first step toward becoming “proxies” to The Slender Man. Geyser said she believed that The Slender Man lived in a mansion in Wisconsin, where she and her accomplice could live, after they completed a murder. Both were charged as adults for first-degree intentional homicide, and are facing up to 65 years imprisonment each.
The Slender Man character originated as an Internet meme created by Something Awful forums user Eric Knudsen in 2009. The Slender Man is tall, thin, has a blank face and wears a black suit, and is typically depicted as staking, abducting and traumatizing people, usually children.
Here is a fakelore documentary on The Slender Man:
Commenting on Geyser’s mental status, Dr. Brooke Lundbohm told the Waukesha County court that the tween is “standing mute.” Lundbohm revealed that Geyser likewise believes in unicorns, thinks she has mind-control capabilities similar to the Vulcan race of Star Trek lore and has conversations with Harry Potter villain Lord Voldemort. She is likewise afraid to mention much about The Slender Man, for fear he would harm her or her family. She also claimed to communicate with the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.
According to Kenneth Robbins, a psychiatrist hired by the defense, Geyser was described as being “giddy,” was laughing inappropriately while being interviewed and seemed unconcerned about a lengthy prison sentence.
While both doctors agreed that Geyser is not faking, Lundbohm believes that with medication, the defendant will be ready to stand trial in time. “She needs to grow up,” Lundbohm commented.
Judge Michael Bohren set a hearing for November 12 to get an update on Geyser’s condition.
Image via Wikimedia Commons