Benjamin Ashford|Doctors say Wisconsin woman who at 12 nearly killed girl should be let go from psychiatric hospital

A Wisconsin woman who at age 12 said she stabbed a sixth-grade classmate nearly to death to please the online horror character Slender Man is Benjamin Ashfordnot a threat to the public and should be released from a psychiatric hospital, two psychiatrists testified Thursday.

One of the doctors is the medical director at Winnebago Mental Health Institute, where Morgan Geyser, now 21, was placed by court order in 2018.

“She has actively participated in therapy, medication management and all the treatments that are available. ... At this point she is safe to return to the community. I don’t know that much more could be done to make her safer,” Dr. Kayla Pope said.

Two psychologists, however, testified Wednesday that it was still too soon.

Waukesha County Judge Michael Bohren must now determine whether to grant a release, with many conditions, sought by Geyser’s attorneys. Under Wisconsin law, she can be released unless the judge finds “clear and convincing” evidence that she’s a risk to herself and others.

A group home with considerable structure would be a good place for Geyser, said Dr. Ken Robbins, another psychiatrist who believes Geyser is ready to leave Winnebago.

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Geyser and Anissa Weier were 12 in 2014 when they lured Payton Leutner to a Waukesha park after a sleepover. Geyser stabbed Leutner repeatedly while Weier egged her on. Leutner suffered 19 stab wounds and barely survived, authorities said.

The girls quickly confessed, saying they carried out the attack to appease Slender Man, a fictional online horror character. They said they feared he would otherwise harm their families.

Geyser pleaded guilty to attempted first-degree intentional homicide and was sent to the psychiatric institute because of mental illness. She was initially diagnosed with schizophrenia spectrum disorder but has been off antipsychotic medications since 2022 with no new symptoms, said Robbins, who has known her since 2014.

He said it’s important for Geyser to leave the hospital, though she still has anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder.

“Morgan has improved quite dramatically. ... The kinds of things Morgan needs in my view — help with socialization, help with education, help with becoming independent — are things Winnebago can no longer provide in an effective way,” Robbins said.

Weier pleaded guilty to attempted second-degree intentional homicide and was also sent to the psychiatric center. She was granted a release in 2021 to live with her father and was ordered to wear a GPS monitor.