A December hearing in Waukesha County will consider sending her back to a secure psychiatric facility.
WAUKESHA, Wis. — Wisconsin officials asked a judge this week to cancel Morgan Geyser’s conditional release after police say she removed a GPS monitor and left a Madison-area group home, a decade after she stabbed a classmate in a case tied to the Slender Man myth.
The petition to revoke comes as Geyser, 23, returns to Wisconsin custody following an arrest in suburban Chicago and a decision not to fight extradition. The state’s filing argues the escape violated core conditions of her community placement and raises concerns about public safety. A Waukesha County judge granted Geyser a stepdown from inpatient care earlier this year after years in a state hospital, but release required strict monitoring, curfews, and treatment compliance. The court will now decide whether to send her back to a secure institution or modify her conditions.
Authorities said Geyser left the group home over the weekend, cut off her tracking device, and traveled to Illinois, where officers located her in Posen. Police detained a 43-year-old companion on misdemeanors unrelated to facilitating the departure. In a brief court appearance in Chicago on Tuesday, Geyser agreed to return to Wisconsin. A prosecutor in that hearing said she should be placed back in a mental health facility while the court reviews her status. Illinois did not add new felony charges stemming from the flight.
The 2014 Waukesha case drew national scrutiny because of the girls’ ages and the internet folklore attached to the attack. Investigators said Geyser and a friend, both 12 at the time, lured Payton Leutner to a wooded park and stabbed her 19 times; Leutner survived after reaching a trail where a bicyclist called for help. Judges later found Geyser not guilty by reason of mental disease or defect and committed her to state care. She spent eight years at Winnebago Mental Health Institute before a court allowed community placement with intensive supervision this fall.
State treatment officials and prosecutors have not publicly detailed every alleged violation during the escape, citing sealed filings and medical privacy rules. The petition to revoke focuses on the GPS removal and leaving the residence without authorization, according to people familiar with the process. Defense lawyers have not commented at length on Geyser’s current mental health status. The companion detained in Illinois told reporters Geyser was distressed about personal matters before leaving the home, but those claims have not been addressed in court.
Records from earlier release hearings show the court weighed public safety with treatment progress, hearing from clinicians, probation staff, and the victim’s family. Judges emphasized strict boundaries: regular check-ins, bans on unsupervised contact, and ongoing therapy. The renewed court review will consider whether those safeguards can be restored or whether inpatient care is necessary. The District Attorney’s Office in Waukesha County has sought a prompt revocation; treatment authorities say the placement decision ultimately rests with the court.
A hearing on the state’s request is set for late December, with Dec. 22 listed on scheduling notices. Until then, Geyser remains under Wisconsin custody as transport and placement are arranged. Officials said further updates will follow once the court sets the next steps and determines where she will be held pending the decision.
Author note: Last updated November 27, 2025.