A Wisconsin woman who, at age 12, brutally stabbed her sixth-grade classmate to appease the online horror figure Slender Man, is set to be released from a psychiatric hospital.
Morgan Geyser was granted release by a judge Thursday after showing significant progress in her treatment.
Geyser and her friend, Anissa Weier, were both 12-years-old in May 2014 when they lured their classmate, 12-year-old Payton Leutner, into the woods during a sleepover. Prosecutors say Geyser stabbed Leutner 19 times while Weier encouraged her.
After the attack, Leutner managed to crawl out of the woods despite her severe injuries. A passerby spotted her and immediately called for help. She was rushed to the hospital on the brink of death, but against all odds, she survived.
The girls later told police that they carried out the stabbing to prove their loyalty to Slender Man, a fictional internet character that had gained popularity in online horror forums. They also said they believed they would become Slender Man's servants, and they feared he would harm their families if they didn't follow through.
Geyser pleaded guilty to attempted first-degree intentional homicide but was found not guilty by reason of mental illness and was sentenced to up to 40 years in a psychiatric institution. She was later diagnosed with schizophrenia, and it was determined that she had been experiencing delusions and hallucinations at the time of the attack.
Now 22 years old, Geyser has spent nearly seven years at the Winnebago -Mental Health Institute and has petitioned for release four times since June 2022. She filed her latest petition in October, according to The Associated Press.
Three psychologists testified at Thursday's hearing that Geyser has made impressive progress and should be released, despite concerns from the prosecution.
One doctor told the judge that Geyser "has a lot of potential" to reintegrate back into society, and that she's been successfully weaned off of antipsychotic medication and hasn't exhibited symptoms over the last two years, ABC News reported.
The judge described the crime as a "brutal, terrible offense," but ultimately ruled that Geyser has been rehabilitated and should be given a chance to reintegrate into society. Authorities now have 60 days to come up with a plan for her supervised release.
Weier, who was sentenced to 25 years in a mental health facility, was granted supervised release in 2021.