In a case that continues to haunt Wisconsin and the wider American public, Morgan Geyser—the now 23-year-old woman convicted in the infamous 2014 "Slender Man stabbing"—was recaptured in Illinois last weekend after escaping from her court-ordered group home in Madison. The episode has reignited fierce debate over the monitoring and release protocols for high-risk individuals with severe mental illness, especially those involved in notorious crimes.
Geyser’s escape unfolded on the evening of November 22, 2025. According to the Madison Police Department, she was last seen around 8 p.m. leaving her group home with a 42-year-old man. Sometime that night, she cut off her GPS monitoring bracelet—a device meant to ensure her compliance with strict release conditions—and vanished into the chilly Wisconsin darkness. But it wasn’t until nearly twelve hours later, on Sunday morning, that Madison authorities were informed of her disappearance. The state Department of Corrections had received an alert about the malfunctioning bracelet on Saturday night and, after a two-hour delay, contacted the group home, only then discovering Geyser was missing.
The search for Geyser quickly escalated. Law enforcement scrambled to locate her, releasing a recent security image to the public. Meanwhile, her attorney, Tony Cotton, posted a video plea on social media, urging her to turn herself in. "Do not continue to remain on the run like this," Cotton implored, adding, "It is not in your best interest to handle this matter that way." Cotton later told NPR that it remained unclear whether Geyser had left the group home voluntarily or if "something more nefarious took place such as abduction." He voiced concerns about her vulnerability, particularly to older men, stating, "The biggest fear I had for Morgan upon her release from the mental hospital was her ability to navigate new relationships, particularly with older men who might not have her best interests in mind."
By Sunday evening, the search ended at a truck stop in Posen, Illinois—about 170 miles south of Madison and just 20 miles from Chicago. Posen police responded to a report of a man and woman loitering behind the truck stop, finding the pair sleeping on the sidewalk. Geyser repeatedly refused to give her real name, at one point telling officers they could "just Google" her, according to the Posen Police Department. Eventually, she confirmed her identity. Both Geyser and the man were taken into custody without incident. The man, who was not named by police, was charged with obstructing identification and criminal trespassing but was later released.
Geyser’s escape and recapture have thrust the details of her case—and the broader issues it raises—back into the national spotlight. In May 2014, Geyser and her friend Anissa Weier, both just 12 years old, lured classmate Payton Leutner into the woods of Waukesha, Wisconsin, and stabbed her 19 times in a chilling attempt to appease the fictional internet character Slender Man. Miraculously, Leutner survived after crawling to a nearby bike path, where she was rescued by a passing bicyclist and rushed to the hospital for emergency surgery. As NPR reported, one of the stab wounds missed a major artery by less than a millimeter—a grim reminder of just how close the attack came to being fatal.
The crime shocked the nation, not only for its brutality but for its bizarre motivation. Geyser and Weier told investigators they believed carrying out the stabbing would earn them the protection of Slender Man, a faceless, spidery figure born from online horror forums. The case became a flashpoint for discussions about internet safety, mental health, and how the justice system should handle juvenile offenders with severe psychiatric conditions.
Both girls were charged as adults with attempted murder. In 2017, they were found not guilty by reason of mental disease and committed to the Winnebago Mental Health Institute—Geyser for up to 40 years, Weier for 25 years. Geyser was diagnosed with schizophrenia and psychotic spectrum disorder, factors that played a central role in her legal defense and subsequent treatment. Over the years, both sought conditional release. Weier was granted release in 2021 under strict monitoring, including GPS tracking and no internet access outside her father’s home. Geyser’s path was more complicated: after multiple appeals and expert testimony attesting to her progress, a judge approved her release to a Madison group home in early 2025.
That decision was far from universally accepted. According to The Guardian, state health officials tried to block Geyser’s release, citing her undisclosed reading of a murder-themed novel and communications with a murder memorabilia collector—raising fears about her readiness for community reintegration. Her attorney countered that all reading material was staff-approved and that she had cut off contact with the collector. Ultimately, the judge ruled that Geyser was not concealing anything, but the controversy fueled public anxiety. The group home placement itself faced logistical hurdles and public backlash, with several facilities refusing to accept her before the Department of Corrections secured a spot in Madison.
Geyser’s escape has now reignited concerns about the adequacy of safeguards for high-risk mental health releases. Critics point to the nearly twelve-hour delay between her disappearance and police notification as a glaring failure of inter-agency communication. While not all individuals under monitoring require public alerts, the notoriety of Geyser’s case has led many to question whether the public should have been informed sooner. Officials have acknowledged the breakdown and suggested that protocols may need to be reviewed and strengthened.
For Payton Leutner, the attack left lasting scars—both physical and psychological. After spending ten days in the hospital and enduring numerous surgeries, Leutner returned to school, joined music programs, and volunteered at an animal shelter. In 2019, she spoke publicly about her trauma, revealing that she slept with broken scissors under her pillow for years. Yet, she’s described herself as grateful for the life she rebuilt, crediting her survival with inspiring her to pursue a career in the medical field.
The Slender Man case remains a sobering reminder of the dangers lurking at the intersection of internet culture and vulnerable minds. Geyser’s recent escape and recapture expose persistent gaps in the oversight of conditional mental health releases and raise uncomfortable questions about the balance between rehabilitation and public safety. As Wisconsin authorities once again weigh Geyser’s fate, the nation watches—hoping that hard lessons learned will lead to better protections for both the public and those struggling to recover from unimaginable trauma.
