Midwest
‘Slender Man’ stabber granted early release by judge after multiple failed attempts
A Wisconsin judge granted an early conditional release Thursday to Morgan Geyser, who was convicted of stabbing her childhood friend more than a decade ago.
Geyser, then 12 years old, along with Anissa Weier, stabbed another girl, Payton Leutner, 19 times to appease the fictional horror character Slender Man back in 2014.
The now-22-year-old was originally committed to the Winnebago Mental Health Institute to a maximum 40 years of state mental health supervision after she was found not guilty by reason of mental disease in 2018.
Geyser was back in court on Thursday, seeking to be released from a state psychiatric hospital after her previous request was denied in April. Geyser’s latest petition for release is the fourth time in the past two years she has asked to be let out of the facility, though she withdrew her first two petitions.
JUDGE DENIED RELEASE OF WOMAN WHO STABBED CHILDHOOD FRIEND BECAUSE OF ‘SLENDER MAN’
Morgan Geyser appears in a Waukesha County courtroom Thursday, Jan. 9, 2025, in Waukesha, Wis. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)
Morgan Geyser appears in a Waukesha County courtroom Thursday, Jan. 9, 2025, in Waukesha, Wis. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)
Waukesha County Circuit Judge Michael Bohren determined that Geyser had maximized her treatment options at the facility and ordered the state Department of Health Services to set up a plan for supervising and housing her in a group home, subject to his approval at a hearing within 60 days.
Several doctors have examined Geyser to see if she has made enough progress for a conditional release.
Dr. Brooke Lundbohm, who has a long history of working with Geyser and has previously said that Geyser was not yet ready for conditional release, changed course during Thursday’s hearing and testified in support of Geyser’s release.
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“In March of 2024…there were still some ongoing concerns about emotional regulation and anxiety provoked reactions to unknown triggers that were reminiscent of her trauma. Since that time, there is nothing in the record to suggest continued symptoms that once plagued her, like crying spells, anxiety attacks, periods of dissociation,” Lundbohm testified.
“In 2021, there were some ongoing issues related to her report of auditory disturbances that she specifically described as being demons, but there has been nothing of that sort for the last…three years.”
WISCONSIN WOMAN CONVICTED IN ‘SLENDER MAN’ STABBING CASE PETITIONS FOR CONDITIONAL RELEASE
Morgan Geyser appears in a Waukesha County courtroom Thursday, Jan. 9, 2025, in Waukesha, Wis. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)
Payton Leutner’s mother wrote in a letter to the judge in Weier’s trial that her daughter “will struggle with the events of that day and physical and emotional scars it left for the rest of her life.” (Facebook)
Prosecutors said Geyser and Weier lured Leutner to a wooded area in Waukesha after a sleepover in May 2014, and then Geyser stabbed Leutner repeatedly, as Weier urged her on.
Leutner was left for dead but survived the attack after she crawled out of the woods and was found by a bicyclist.
“Her current understanding is that she experienced fantasy related to these different fictional characters and within the context of her mental illness, fantasy essentially became blurred with reality, where she had a difficult time determining the difference between essentially what’s fiction versus what’s real,” Lundbohm testified on Geyser’s current understanding of her crime.
‘SLENDER MAN’ CASE: WISCONSIN JUDGE ORDERS CONDITIONAL RELEASE FOR WOMAN INVOLVED IN STABBING
Morgan Geyser appears in a Waukesha County courtroom Thursday, Jan. 9, 2025, in Waukesha, Wis. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)
Anissa Weier (left) and Morgan Geyser (right) lured Payton Leutner into the woods at a park in the Milwaukee suburb of Waukesha in 2014 and attacked her, prosecutors said. (AP)
Lundbohm said she supported a conditional release of Geyser to a residence treatment program, adding, “I would not be in support of her petition for conditional release if it was essentially just going into the community without a variety of different support services as well as the ability to effectively monitor her behavior, her relationships.”
During the hearing, it was revealed that in recent months, Geyser has been permitted to go to Starbucks, museums and other excursions from the facility, and Lundbohm testified that she does not believe Geyser has been a risk to herself or others during these outings.
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Lunbohm attributed Geyser’s progress to a “combination of factors,” including maturity and Geyser’s suicide attempt in October 2021. She also confirmed that Geyser is taking anti-depressant and anti-anxiety medications.
“She has continued to take treatment more seriously and become consistently engaged and invested in it,” Lundbohm testified. “Throughout the last…eight, nine, ten months, there has been a noticeable improvement in her understanding of her mental health.”
WISCONSIN WOMAN CHARGED IN ‘SLENDER MAN’ STABBING DROPS REQUEST FOR EARLY RELEASE FROM MENTAL HEALTH FACILITY
Morgan Geyser was taken into custody with blood splatter on her jacket. (Waukesha Police Department)
Geyser was sent to the psychiatric institute because of mental illness after pleading guilty to attempted first-degree intentional homicide. Weier was also sent to the psychiatric facility after pleading guilty to attempted second-degree intentional homicide.
Weier was granted conditional release in September 2021 and was required to receive outpatient psychiatric treatment and subjected to GPS monitoring.
Fox News’ Stepheny Price contributed to this report.
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On the roster: Aidan Hutchinson, DJ Wonnum, Derrick Moore, Payton Turner, Tyler Lacy, Tyre West, Ahmed Hassanein
Twentyman: Hutchinson, 25, was named Second-Team All-Pro after setting a new career single-season high in sacks (14.5) while leading the NFL with 100 total pressures. Hutchinson is the first player in franchise history to log multiple 10.0-sack seasons through the first four years of a player’s career. With Al-Quadin Muhammad and his 11.0 sacks last year signing with Tampa Bay in free agency, the Lions needed to find Hutchinson a new running mate on the opposite edge.
Detroit added Wonnum in free agency and Moore in the NFL Draft and like what both bring to the table. It will be interesting to see how their unique skillsets fit in Kelvin Sheppard’s defense. Onwuzurike is a defensive tackle by trade but could also get some run as the big end.
While Detroit’s 49 sacks were the fourth most in the NFL last year, Detroit’s average time to pressure of 2.92 seconds was the slowest in the NFL, per Next Gen Stats. It wasn’t always the kind of pressure that affected the timing of opponent passing attacks as opposing quarterbacks finished with a 92.5 rating against Detroit’s defense, which ranked 19th.
On roster: Jack Campbell, Derrick Barnes, Malcolm Rodriguez, Jimmy Rolder, Damone Clark, Trevor Nowaske, Joe Bachie
Twentyman: The departure of Alex Anzalone means the Lions will have a new starter at the WILL in 2026. The leading candidate to fill the role is the veteran Rodriguez. Rolder has an interesting skillset, but is he ready to step in right away after playing limited defensive snaps at Michigan? Could the versatile Clark potentially be a fit there too? The competition for the starting WILL spot will be one of the better ones to watch in camp.
It will also be interesting to see how Sheppard might evolve his scheme after an extensive sit-down with head coach Dan Campbell this offseason going through all the cut-ups on defense from last year. Detroit wants to be more adaptable and versatile. Will Barnes’ SAM role change at all within the defense? Will a team that played the most base defense of any team in the NFL last year play more nickel?
MILWAUKEE – The Milwaukee Fire and Police Commission will meet on Thursday night, May 7, to discuss a number of items – including the use of Flock cameras, along with a resolution to tweak the Milwaukee Police Department’s current use of force policy.
Flock cameras
What we know:
Concerns over the use of flock cameras to fight crime – that’s one of the big topics set for discussion at tonight’s FPC meeting.
The cameras have faced push back from the community after prosecutors charged an MPD officer for misusing the technology in March.
Prosecutors allege Josue Ayala used Flock cameras to track a romantic partner and that partner’s ex. They say in the span of a month, the officer searched the pair 179 times. In February, prosecutors charged Ayala with attempted misconduct in public office.
A number of Common Council members wrote a letter expressing “serious concern” to the Milwaukee Police Department over the use of Flock cameras.
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In the letter, the Milwaukee aldermen said they had serious concerns about what they call “a lack of adequate guardrails, auditing, supervision and transparency.”
During Thursday’s meeting, the Milwaukee Police Department will be fielding questions from members of the FPC – including what guardrails are actually in place to avoid potential misuse.
“We also understand, especially from a recent situation, that we can do better. We understand that we have to put in more robust checks and balances,” said Milwaukee Police Chief Jeffrey Norman.
Use of Force
What we know:
There are more possible changes coming to how Milwaukee police officers report the use of deadly force.
The modification to the use of force policy is specifically targeted at how and when officers must report the use of deadly force.
Under the current version of MPD’s standard operating procedure, a use of force report must be completed when a department member discharges a firearm. It excludes training situations, or if and when a member points a firearm at a person.
The potential change would include when a member “draws or displays a firearm (including a shotgun or rifle) to effect an arrest or seizure of a person.”
The resolution is sponsored by Alderman Peter Burgelis, who said in a meeting last month this essentially restores a recently deleted requirement previously in place.
Additionally, during Thursday’s meeting, they are also expected to dicuss the ongoing debate over MPD’s chase policy.
The Source: FOX6 News obtained Milwaukee Police Department data and utilized prior coverage.
Frey, Klobuchar condemn ICE presence in Minnesota after shooting
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey and Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar called for ICE to leave Minneapolis after another fatal shooting.
After eight years as the mayor of Minneapolis, Jacob Frey has a well-tested recipe for his State of the City speech.
Start with a healthy base of events that tested the city in the past year, but also drew out its strengths. Next, mix in updates about pet projects – Stable Homes Stable Schools, efforts to end exclusionary zoning, an uptick in police recruitment numbers – before sprinkling with some shout-outs to local businesses. Finally, add in the secret ingredient: the applause line about the Timberwolves.
Tuesday morning’s State of the City speech – the first of Frey’s third term – had all of that. But there was a little more bite than usual to the optimism that often shines through the annual address.
The mayor, who has taken some heat locally for his national notoriety, said that local government leaders needed to refocus on their core responsibilities before the city’s strong standing takes a downward trajectory, referencing discord between his administration and the Minneapolis City Council, though never saying exactly where he’d assign the blame.
“We tried to do everything – things that aren’t always a local government’s job – and in the process we didn’t always do the most important things well enough,” Frey said. “We’ve spent time debating things that are not the most critical parts of our job.”
Those critical parts, Frey said, start with public safety. He cited the police response to the Annunciation shooting and 911 operators’ work during Operation Metro Surge as core reasons to invest in public safety before proudly sharing that in 2025, 2,328 people had applied to become officers with the Minneapolis Police Department.
He also focused on some ground-level efforts, including the now-completed backlog of streetlight replacements and the upcoming implementation of the Community Safety Ambassador program in Uptown.
Not directly mentioned was his controversial veto of a Council ordinance that would have decriminalized the possession of drug paraphernalia. Supporters say the ordinance would’ve aligned the city with Minnesota state law and the principles of harm reduction – the idea that reducing the negative consequences of illegal drug use is an effective way to get users on a path to recovery.
“Continued open (drug) use on our streets is devastating: for residents, for families, and for businesses, large and small,” Frey said in his speech. “Compassion matters but it doesn’t mean anything goes.”
Switching to affordable housing, the mayor praised the transformation of commercial spaces into housing, citing examples like Opportunity Crossing and Groove Lofts. He also pushed for the city to cut the red tape keeping more properties from being built, including controversial accessory dwelling units.
The speech also marked a change in his rhetoric on one specific topic: Minneapolis’ return to office work, especially downtown.
In his 2023 speech, he said he didn’t really “get” remote or hybrid work, though he understood the appeal of “sweatpants on Mondays” and encouraged a commitment to in-person work in downtown Tuesday through Thursday.
“Wouldn’t that be nice,” he said, “to have everyone back downtown for three whole days each week?”
He was a little more blunt in 2024, expressing growing concern from “residents having to pick up the tab because less taxes are generated from downtown buildings.”
Last year, he noted that “nearly 70% of downtown workers are back at least once a week – by the way, please keep it coming.”
In Tuesday’s speech, though? A note that COVID-19 had “expedited a necessary transition away from full-time, in-person work” and a push for businesses to consider changes to how they use their buildings.
“If you’re willing to invest in a big vision for a building where the basis has been lowered, come talk to us,” said Frey, calling out the use of tax increment financing to support redevelopment. “If you’ve got one gigantic retail space on Nicollet Mall, and you want to change it to a bunch of smaller ones, come talk to us.”
As he closed, he made another call for city leaders to get serious about results, foreshadowing a challenging budget process ahead and “hard conversations” about programs and investments that weren’t delivering for residents.
Minneapolis Council members respond to Frey
Council president Elliott Payne (Ward 1), vice-president Jamal Osman (Ward 6) and member Robin Wonsley (Ward 2) spoke briefly with press after the speech, expressing a general appreciation for Frey’s remarks and a hope that they could collaborate.
“Governance is not an individual sport,” Payne said. “We govern collectively and we move our city forward together. And so we’re looking forward to a four year term where we have deeper collaboration with the mayor and can actually advance a working class agenda that really puts the people first.”
Wonsley called for additional revenue options to reduce the burden of property taxes on residents, saying that things like income taxes or taxes on empty homes could raise millions “so that we can make sure we’re preserving the programs that actually help our residents have a good quality of life.”
And asked about the recent vetoes, Payne said he was open to discussions about solutions that could make it past the mayor’s desk.
“We would like the mayor to set his veto pen down and meet me at the whiteboard so that we can actually come up with the solutions to a lot of those intractable problems,” he said.
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