Judge Refuses To Lower Bond For ‘Slender Man’ Defendants

Morgan Geyser and Anissa Weier, the two girls involved in the “Slender Man” sacrifice found out today that they will be spending more time in custody as they await their trial. Waukesha County Circuit Judge Michael Bohren said that the $500,000 bond was appropriate considering the heinous aspects of the alleged attack on their 12-year-old classmate. They are being charged with attempted first-degree intentional homicide.

The suspects, who were also 12 at the time of the incident, are now 13 and 14-years-old. The 14-year-old wrote a letter to Judge Michael Bohren asking to be released to her family. She said her little brother hardly knows her. Her family is financially incapable of posting such a high bond.

The 13-year-old is also asking to be released to her grandparents. Her grandfather is a retired police officer and said in court he was willing to take custody of his granddaughter. He said she would have no access to the Internet or knives. Her attorney, Anthony Cotton, also claimed that the 13-year-old was sexually assaulted last year while in custody. Cotton claims she has early-onset schizophrenia but that her mental health has improved since being incarcerated.

Prosecutor Ted Szczupakiewicz said he had never heard of a sexual assault, and Judge Bohren was also concerned that it hadn’t been reported immediately.

The girls have been in custody for nearly 2 years and their lawyers asked for release with electronic monitoring and counseling, but the judge didn’t agree with their compromise.

The incident happened in 2014, when the two suspects had a birthday sleepover with a classmate. They lured their friend, Payton Leutner, to the woods where they both stabbed the sixth-grader 19 times and left her for dead. The victim crawled out of the woods and onto a roadway where she was found by a bicyclist barely clinging to life. When asked how she managed to get to the road, her statement was simple.

“I wanted to live.”

The victim was taken to surgery because one of the stab wounds penetrated her heart. Surgeons said it was very close to being a fatal wound. The victim said she had been friends with one of the girls for years and, just recently, the new friend had come along. The victim was able to return to school in the fall. Friends and family rallied around the little girl, setting up a fundraiser of $250,000 to cover her medical expenses.

Motions to reduce bail denied for both "Slender Man" stabbing teens: https://t.co/kKZvmrEmp6 pic.twitter.com/ktunWyjgXK

— World News Tonight (@ABCWorldNews) April 15, 2016

The suspects were arrested as they walked along a highway. They told authorities they were walking to Slender Man’s mansion in Wisconsin’s Nicolet National Forest.

The two suspects each blamed the other for concocting the plan to kill their friend, though the 13-year-old appears to be much more disturbed. In her room they found mutilated barbie dolls and dozens of drawings of Slender Man, according to NBC News. Phrases such as “I love killing people,” and “I want to die!” were written on the drawings.

“Slender Man” is a fictional character created by Eric Knudsen as part of a Photoshop contest, according to Inside Edition. Slender Man is very tall and thin with long arms, no face, and wears a black suit. Knudsen said that Stephen King was his inspiration for the creepy character who has since become an Internet meme often inserted into the background of photos, luring children to come live with him in his mansion in the forest.

The Slender Man creator said in a statement, “I am deeply saddened by the tragedy in Wisconsin and my heart goes out to the families of those affected by this terrible act.”

The decision as to whether to try the suspects as adults is still being considered. The defendants could face up to 65 years in prison if convicted as adults.

[Images by Waukesha Police Department]