A teenager, who was convicted of stabbing her friend in the shocking Slender Man case from 2014, has been ordered for release from the mental hospital after she petitioned the Wisconsin court to let her return to society since she has been making progress with her treatment.
Anissa Weier, now 19, has been granted a conditional release by Waukesha County Judge Michael Bohren on July 1, after she told the court in March that she was ready to "become a productive member of society." The teenager also said that she has "exhausted all the resources" she could benefit from the Winnebago Mental Health Institute to make her better.
However, the judge said that Weier will still remain at the mental institution for the next 60 days as he ordered state officials to devise her release plan. Weier was asked to return to court in September to hear the conditions of her release.
What is the Slender Man Case?
In 2014, Weier and her friend, Morgan Geyser, tricked another friend, Payton Leutner, into joining them at a slumber party in the forest. They were all 12 years old at that time.
In the woods, Weier and Geyser stabbed Leutner 19 times and left her to bleed out in the open field. Leutner tried to crawl by the roadside and was discovered by a cyclist. She recovered from her wounds after a week of treatments in the hospital.
According to reports, Weier and Geyser were obsessed with a creepy internet sensation called the Slender Man and they stabbed their friend to appease this fictional character, which first appeared as an internet meme in 2009. During their trial in 2017, Weier said that they believed the Slender Man would attack them or their loved ones if they didn't kill Leutner.
Weier was sentenced to 25 years at an institution after she entered a plea of guilty to second-degree intentional homicide. Medical experts also testified that the teenager suffered from auditory and visual hallucinations. On the other hand, Geyser received a minimum of a 40-year sentence in a mental health facility.
An Immature Mind
Despite her impending release, state prosecutors believe that Weier is still a danger to society and should serve the remainder of the sentence in an institution as her "mind is still immature." The prosecutors also said that Weier could still be easily influenced.
In 2019, Leutner spoke with ABC after five years of keeping quiet and said that she treated Geyser as her best friend but didn't like Weier because she was cruel. However, Leutner tried to stick the friendship out with Weier since she became close to Geyser.
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Leutner believes it was Weier who convinced Geyser about "appeasing" the Slender Man. The victim reflected that Weier and Geyser together are a "toxic combination." However, she also said that has made her peace with what happened to her and that her scars will "fade eventually."
In her appeal to the judge, Weier said she deeply regrets causing Leutner agony, fear and pain. She also said that she will make sure not to get ill again and will be responsible for her actions when she re-enters society.
