1. The Origins of Slender Man
The Slender Man is a fictional supernatural character created as an internet meme in 2009. Originally designed for a creepypasta contest, Slender Man is depicted as an unnaturally tall, faceless figure wearing a black suit, often lurking in forests with tentacle-like appendages.
Over time, this eerie digital folklore grew massively popular, becoming a symbol in online horror communities. It was shared widely on forums and image boards, where people created stories, videos, and fan art imagining encounters with the Slender Man.
Despite its fictional roots, the myth blurred reality for some impressionable young people, leading to terrifying consequences.
2. The Stabbing Incident: What Happened?
On May 31, 2014, in Waukesha, Wisconsin, two twelve-year-old girls, Anissa Weier and Morgan Geyser, invited their best friend Payton Leutner to a wooded park under false pretenses. There, they stabbed Payton nineteen times with a five-inch knife.
The wounds were severe, penetrating her arms, legs, and crucial organs including the diaphragm, liver, and stomach. One stab missed a major artery by less than a millimeter—a difference that likely saved her life.
Dr. John Kelemen, the surgeon who operated on Payton, stated, “If the knife had gone the width of a human hair further, she wouldn’t have lived.”
The two girls claimed they committed the attack to appease Slender Man and prove his existence. They believed this would convince him to keep their families safe by allowing them to live at his mythical “Slender Mansion,” located hundreds of miles away.
3. The Victim’s Recovery and Aftermath
Remarkably, Payton survived and was released from the hospital after one week. She returned to school months later but struggled with severe psychological trauma.
Years after the attack, Payton revealed she lived in constant fear, even sleeping with broken scissors nearby as a protective talisman against another attack.
This trauma highlights the devastating impact such events can have beyond physical injuries, affecting mental health long-term.
4. Who Were the Attackers?
Anissa Weier and Morgan Geyser, both 12 at the time, were childhood friends who fell under the disturbing influence of the Slender Man lore. Investigators later found disturbing writings, drawings, and mutilated dolls in Morgan’s possession that referenced the character.
Police apprehended the two girls five hours after the stabbing, near a furniture store, carrying the stabbing weapon and a plan to reach the “Slender Mansion” in the Chequamegon–Nicolet National Forest, almost 200 miles away.
During interrogation, Morgan expressed feeling no remorse during the attack. She recounted the stabbing almost mechanically: “Stab, stab, stab… I felt nothing.” Anissa, who helped restrain Payton, admitted to being “too squeamish” to deliver the stab wounds herself.
5. Legal Consequences and Mental Health
The two girls were charged as adults with attempted first-degree intentional homicide. The case raised complex questions about juvenile justice, mental illness, and the influence of internet culture on young minds.
Both defendants were found to be suffering from mental health disorders, which played a significant role in their trials and sentencing. Morgan was diagnosed with schizophrenia, severely impacting her perception of reality, while Anissa was found competent but affected by similar delusions.
This tragic case sheds light on the importance of mental health support for youth and the dangers of unchecked online horror content on vulnerable individuals.
6. Cultural Impact and Lessons
The Slender Man stabbing case shook the world, revealing the dangerous power of digital myths when mixed with fragile mental states. It served as a wake-up call to parents, educators, and mental health professionals about the risks lurking in online communities.
While the Slender Man was pure fiction, its influence turned deadly, illustrating how storytelling—when dissociated from reality—may have unforeseen and chilling consequences.
Discussions continue on how to better educate children about distinguishing fiction from fact, identifying signs of psychological distress, and addressing the dark side of internet folklore to prevent tragedies like this from recurring.