True Crime Vault: Slender Man Attackers

Summary

True Crime Vault: Slender Man Attackers
Podcast: 20/20 by ABC News
Release Date: April 26, 2025

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Introduction

In the gripping episode titled "True Crime Vault: Slender Man Attackers," ABC News' 20/20 delves into one of the most haunting true crime cases of the early 21st century. Released on April 26, 2025, this episode explores the tragic events that unfolded in Waukesha, Wisconsin, where two 12-year-old girls attempted to murder their friend under the influence of a fictional internet character, Slenderman. The story not only examines the horrifying act itself but also the profound and lasting impact on the families involved.

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The Birthday Sleepover Tragedy

The narrative begins on a seemingly ordinary Friday night in Waukesha, where three young girls—Peyton Leitner, Morgan Geyser, and Anissa Weier—gathered for a birthday sleepover at Skateland. What was intended to be a night of fun turned into a nightmare that would forever scar three families.

At 01:20, Morgan Geyser admits, "We were trying to kill her," revealing the chilling intent behind the attack on Peyton. The motive? An obsession with Slenderman, a fictional horror entity perpetuated by online lore. Anissa Weier further explains at 01:38 the characteristics of Slenderman: "He can be anywhere from 6ft to 14ft tall. He constantly wears a suit. He doesn't have a face, his skin is white. He can exploit these tendrils from his back and like strangle his victims." This delusion led the girls to believe that the murder was a necessary sacrifice to earn a place in Slenderman's mansion.

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Aftermath and Family Devastation

The immediate aftermath was swift and devastating. Peyton Leitner survived the attack, having been stabbed 19 times, while Morgan and Anissa disappeared, sparking a massive search effort. Peyton's survival became a central point of the investigation, but the psychological scars were immense.

At 02:48, Peyton’s mother shares her immediate fear: "A 12 year old girl is stabbed." The families endured months of anguish as Morgan and Anissa remained in juvenile detention facilities, far longer than typical for their age. Anissa's mother, Christy Weier, expresses the pain of separation: "I can't wipe away a tear. I can't give her a hug. I can't kiss her." This prolonged detention significantly strained the already fragile family dynamics.

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The Investigation and Rescue

The investigation took a critical turn when Peyton was found by motorist Greg Steinberg, who discovered her severely injured in the woods. At 07:33, Steinberg recounts the moment: "She says to you, what? Could you help me, please? I've been stabbed multiple times." Peyton’s mother, Stacy Leitner, vividly describes the horror of seeing her daughter covered in wounds: "Her arms and her legs and her abdomen, they were covered in stab wounds."

Meanwhile, Morgan and Anissa were eventually located at the side of Interstate 94, where authorities found evidence of their plot, including a bloody knife in their possession. Lieutenant Tom Moorman confronts the girls, leading to their arrest and further unraveling of their motives.

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Legal Proceedings and Mental Health Evaluations

Facing charges of attempted first-degree intentional homicide, Morgan Geyser and Anissa Weier were processed as adults due to Wisconsin law, leading to intense legal battles. The podcast provides a deep dive into their mental health struggles, revealing that Morgan was diagnosed with early-onset schizophrenia and Anissa with a shared psychotic disorder—a rare condition where two individuals share the same delusional beliefs.

At 36:08, Anissa Weier's mother reflects on the unexpected nature of their daughters' mental illnesses: "I think that as she got older and she realized that, hey, maybe this isn't normal, that she did make a conscious effort to hide it. A lot of her hallucinations were friends to her and I don't think that she wanted to lose them."

Despite their age, the severity of their mental health issues complicated the legal process. Dr. Melissa Westendorf, a forensic psychologist, testified that their shared delusions made them incapable of understanding the wrongdoing of their actions, advocating for their non-criminal responsibility.

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Parental Reflections and Societal Implications

The episode poignantly captures the anguish and self-reflection of the parents involved. Anissa's mother shares her sense of responsibility for not recognizing her daughter's deteriorating mental state: "I think on some level I'll always feel responsible for not knowing that my daughter wasn't well." Similarly, Morgan's mother grapples with the realization of her daughter's severe mental illness, emphasizing the challenges parents face in identifying and addressing such hidden struggles.

The podcast also raises critical questions about the criminal justice system's handling of juvenile offenders with mental health issues. Anissa's mother passionately argues, "I mean, to me it's unthinkable to try a 12 year old child as an adult, regardless of what they've done." This highlights the need for systemic changes to better support and rehabilitate young offenders rather than purely punitive measures.

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Conclusion and Long-Term Impact

As the legal battles concluded, Anissa Weier was found not guilty by reason of mental disease or defect and was committed to a state mental health facility for up to 25 years. Subsequently, Morgan Geyser pleaded guilty to a lesser charge and was also committed to a mental health facility for up to 40 years. The families continue to heal, but the scars of that tragic night remain.

At 42:37, Peyton’s mother offers a message of resilience: "If you trust in your strength and believe in your resiliency, you will get through this." Peyton herself has thrived post-trauma, celebrating milestones like her 16th birthday with newfound strength and optimism.

The episode closes by illustrating the enduring trauma for the families and the community, emphasizing that while the physical scene of the crime has been dismantled, the emotional and psychological pain cannot be erased.

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Notable Quotes with Timestamps

• Morgan Geyser [01:20]: "We were trying to kill her."

• Anissa Weier [01:38]: "He can be anywhere from 6ft to 14ft tall. He constantly wears a suit. He doesn't have a face..."

• Peyton Leitner's Mother [08:34]: "Morgan didn't do this, there's no way that's..."

• Anissa Weier [37:35]: "What they had in common was the delusion about Slenderman."

• Anissa Weier's Mother [33:24]: "I'll always feel responsible for not knowing that my daughter wasn't well."

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Final Thoughts

"True Crime Vault: Slender Man Attackers" offers a comprehensive and emotionally charged exploration of a case where internet lore tragically intersected with real-life violence. By focusing on the psychological dimensions and the profound impact on the families, the episode underscores the complex interplay between mental health, juvenile justice, and the influence of fictional narratives on vulnerable minds. For listeners seeking an in-depth understanding of how fictional obsessions can lead to real-world tragedies, this episode serves as a sobering testament to the need for greater awareness and systemic support.

Transcript

[Ryan Reynolds]

Ryan Reynolds here from Mint Mobile with a message for everyone paying big wireless way too much. Please, for the love of everything good in this world, stop with Mint. You can get premium wireless for just $15 a month. Of course, if you enjoy overpaying, no judgments. But that's weird. Okay, one judgment anyway. Give it a [e-mail] Switch upfront payment of $45 for 3 month plan equivalent to $15 per month required intro rate first 3 months only, then full price plan options available, taxes and fees extra. See full [e-mail] welcome to the True Crime Vault, home to 2020's most chilling stories. It was a Friday night in a small American town in Waukesha, Wisconsin. And it was a scene playing out like so many across the country. A small group of parents had said yes to a sleepover, a birthday party. Three 12 year old girls were dropped off here at Skateland to begin the night. But what would happen over the next 24 hours would haunt three families to this very day. One of those 12 year old girls, Peyton Lightner, was stabbed 19 times and left for dead in the woods. And the entire scene was planned out by the other two girls. What were you trying to do with her when you stabbed her?

[Morgan Geyser]

Kill her? I might as well just say it. We were trying to kill her.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Because it turns out there was someone else looming large at that birthday get together. A fictional character named Slenderman who they learned of on the Internet. And those two 12 year old girls said they were doing this for him.

[Morgan Geyser]

When Morgan said to you that if we don't do this for Slender, our families and loved ones are going to be killed, do you honestly believe that? Well, yeah, because he can be anywhere from 6ft to 14ft tall. He constantly wears a suit. He doesn't have a face, his skin is white. He can exploit these tendrils from his back and like strangle his victims.

[Ryan Reynolds]

For more than three years now, 2020 has been documenting the three families nearly destroyed by the horror that played out during that sleepover. And tonight, right here, what we never knew before, asking the questions, how does this happen? How do 12 year old girls fall for a fictional character? What would drive them to try to kill one of their own friends? And what should happen to those two girls now? Hey, Morgan. Just 24 hours ago, a judge making the final decision. Thank you. Please be seated. After what you're about to see play out right here tonight, breaking news.

[Peyton Leitner's Mother]

A 12 year old girl is stabbed.

[Ryan Reynolds]

The girl was lured to the area by two of her classmates who allegedly.

[Anissa Weier]

Stabbed her 19 times.

[Ryan Reynolds]

The girls had hoped the attack would earn them a home in Slender Man's mansion. Slender man is a fictional horror character. We have been there for the journey. Two different mothers now visiting their daughters, locked up since they were 12.

[Anissa Weier]

We try to visit at least once a week. On a good week, I can get up there two or three times.

[Anissa Weier's Mother]

Anissa was actually sent to the Washington County Juvenile Detention Facility.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Christy Weier. Her daughter is Anisa.

[Anissa Weier's Mother]

Most children are only up there for an average of four months, and she's been there almost three years.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Angie Geyser's daughter, Morgan, who came up with the plan and who held the knife.

[Anissa Weier]

The children have no access to the outdoors or even windows to look out of.

[Anissa Weier's Mother]

In the last 35 months, Anissa's maybe had 40 hours of fresh air, and.

[Anissa Weier]

There is no physical contact.

[Anissa Weier's Mother]

I can't wipe away a tear. I can't give her a hug. I can't kiss her.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Their daughters are now teenagers. Anissa is 16. Morgan is 15. They have spent countless hours driving to visit their daughters locked up, trying to wrap their heads around how their two little girls, just 12 years old at the time, could have done something so unimaginable. And all of it began that Friday night. What was the plan for that night?

[Anissa Weier]

On Friday nights, Skateland had free pizza, so the girls went a little early and ate dinner and skated.

[Ryan Reynolds]

And the third girl who was with them, Peyton Lightner, also just 12, Stacy and Joe Leitner. Remember, their daughter had been looking forward to it for weeks. You remember how excited she was that Friday?

[Peyton Leitner's Mother]

Oh, my gosh, she was so, so excited.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Do you think Peyton had any idea?

[Peyton Leitner's Mother]

No, she had absolutely no idea.

[Ryan Reynolds]

She was blindsided. Blindsided by what those two friends had in store. And they'd been planning it for months. After that night of skating, they would return to Morgan's house. Morgan's mother, Angie, downstairs, they played up.

[Anissa Weier]

In Morgan's bedroom with Morgan's dolls. I mean, it was just a normal night.

[Ryan Reynolds]

And no sign that two were plotting against.

[Anissa Weier]

No, no sign whatsoever. The next morning, Morgan asked if they could go to the park.

[Ryan Reynolds]

How often would they go to the park?

[Anissa Weier]

Well, we were actually, believe it or not, pretty strict parents and didn't let Morgan go out on her own very often.

[Ryan Reynolds]

But you thought because she had her two friends, it would be safe. The first sign anything is wrong, a police officer showing up at Angie's door.

[Anissa Weier]

My heart dropped down into my stomach. Not only were there police in my living room, but they were wearing riot gear.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Across town Officers are also arriving at Peyton's house.

[Peyton Leitner's Mother]

Around the side of the house, up over the deck, came a uniformed officer. The first thing that goes through my mind is something has happened to somebody that I love.

[Anissa Weier]

And they asked me, where's Morgan? I said, she's at the park with her friends.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Angie Geiser says the police tell her that Morgan is missing. They think she may be hiding her daughter.

[Anissa Weier]

They searched the house and I just kept asking, you know, what happened, what's going on? And they wouldn't tell me other than to say there had been an incident at the park and one of the girls was hurt.

[Ryan Reynolds]

At first, police refusing to reveal which one of those girls was hurt. They quickly also tracked down the parents of the third friend, Anissa Weyer, telling them their daughter is missing, too.

[Anissa Weier's Mother]

My thought was child abduction. Where's my daughter? That's the only thought I had in my head.

[Ryan Reynolds]

It would take hours to piece together exactly what happened at that birthday sleepover. The first moment anyone would begin to learn of the horror is this call to 911. I'm transferring over a caller on Big Ben. 12 year old Peyton Lightner had just crawled out of the woods covered in blood, stabbed 19 times. And you can hear it in their voices. The operators cannot believe what they are hearing. He came upon a 12 year old female. She appears to be stabbed. She appears to be what? Stabbed. Stabbed. Greg Steinberg was riding his bike that morning on a path that had actually been chained off. It was pure chance. He came this way. And you were biking by and she says to you, what? Could you help me, please? I've been stabbed multiple times.

[Anissa Weier]

I quick got out my cell phone. I was shaking.

[Ryan Reynolds]

He watches as the ambulance rushes her away. And when you looked at her, it was immediately apparent she'd been stabbed multiple times?

[Greg Steinberg]

Yeah, to her chest and abdomen and arm and leg.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Doctors fear she might not survive. And her mother Stacy has just been told that Peyton has been rushed to the hospital.

[Peyton Leitner's Mother]

She was terrified. She was crying. She couldn't breathe.

[Ryan Reynolds]

But she saw you there.

[Peyton Leitner's Mother]

She saw me and she put her hand out and I rushed over to her and I put my arms around her and I laid next to her and I hugged her and I said, you're going to be okay. It's going to be fine. But I could see that she was covered. Her arms and her legs and her abdomen, they were covered in stab wounds.

[Ryan Reynolds]

There were so many stab wounds. It took two nurses to count them, 19 in all. And her little girl is now being raced down the hall. Did you say anything to Peyton as they were wheeling her away.

[Peyton Leitner's Mother]

That I loved her and that she would be okay.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Peyton's mother could not believe that her daughter's friend could be capable of this.

[Peyton Leitner's Mother]

Morgan didn't do this is what's going through my head. There's no way. There's no way that's. That's what happened. Morgan is 12.

[Anissa Weier]

Morgan has never hurt a fly. It was just unthinkable that Morgan would. Would do anything to hurt someone else.

[Ryan Reynolds]

But that's exactly what investigators were telling Morgan's mother. That her daughter and Anissa Weiher had stabbed their friend multiple times. And now both girls were nowhere to be found.

[Peyton Leitner's Mother]

They had run away and the police hadn't found them yet.

[Ryan Reynolds]

They were going to find a mansion in the woods.

[Peyton Leitner's Mother]

Oh, the mansion. Yeah, the mansion in the woods. They were going to the Nicolay Forest because they believed that there was a mansion there that Slenderman lived in.

[Ryan Reynolds]

When we come back, the doctors discover it is worse than anyone thought. And we're with the surgeon who saves Peyton less than a millimeter between living and dying. Yes. And where investigators would discover those girls, they would reveal in their own words why they did this. The stunning interrogations.

[Morgan Geyser]

I didn't want to do this.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Why'd you do it then?

[Morgan Geyser]

Because I was afraid of what would happen if I didn't.

[Anissa Weier]

That's not my daughter saying those things.

[Ryan Reynolds]

It was like looking at a different child. Yes, but it was her daughter and what they would discover that had been hidden from that mother for years. When we come back.

[Greg Steinberg]

This show is supported by Chime. It seems like everything is getting more expensive these days, and the last thing anyone has room for in the budget is credit card debt. Luckily, Chime's credit builder Visa credit card is here for you. It's designed to help you build your credit. No headaches necessary. There's no interest, no credit check and no annual fees. Plus, when you set up direct deposit, you can get access to your paycheck up to two days early. Turn your everyday purchases and on time payments into steps toward your financial goals. With chimes secured. Credit builder Visa credit card get started [e-mail] 20 spelled out t w e n t y. That's chime.com 20. Chime feels like progress. The Chime credit builder Visa credit card is issued by Bancorp NA or Stride Bank NA Spot me Eligibility requirements and overdraft limits apply. Chime checking account required to apply out of network. ATM withdrawal and OTC advance fees may apply. Timing depends on submission of payment file. Late payment may negatively impact your credit score. Results may vary. Go to chime.com disclosures for details.

[Ryan Reynolds]

This episode is brought to you by Greenlight. Get this Adults with financial literacy skills have 82% more wealth than those who don't. From swimming lessons to piano classes, us parents invest in so many things to enrich our kids lives.

[Anissa Weier]

But are we investing in their future financial success?

[Ryan Reynolds]

With Greenlight you can teach your kids financial literacy skills like earning, saving and investing. And this investment costs less than that. After school treat Start prioritizing their financial education and future today with a risk free trial at greenlight.com Spotify greenlight.com Spotify it is Saturday morning in Waukesha, Wisconsin, just outside Milwaukee and a horrific scene is playing out. A birthday sleepover with three 12 year olds the night before. And now two of those girls are missing. The third, Peyton Lightner, has somehow crawled out of the woods covered in stab wounds, 19 of them. Major search by ground these are the woods where the stabbing Police are still on the scene here. Morgan Geyser and Anissa Weier were missing and Aneesa's mother was recruiting anyone she could to join the search.

[Anissa Weier's Mother]

We had people all over Waukesha looking for her.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Christy had her daughter's cell phone. She scours it searching for any clues, instead discovering something else.

[Anissa Weier's Mother]

Checked all of her text messages trying to figure out the people that she called and contacted last. And I found basically her goodbye notes.

[Ryan Reynolds]

On that cell phone. This note drafted by Anissa. She writes, this is my final wish to those who care. Do not grieve my absence, but remember me for who I was. I love and cherish you all and wouldn't do you harm.

[Anissa Weier's Mother]

I still had no idea but as soon as I found that I called the detective right away and showed him that information.

[Ryan Reynolds]

While at that hospital, surgeon John Kellerman tells us he will never forget the wounds. He tells me about one of the stab wounds to Peyton's heart. The knife cut through the tissue but not the artery itself. Exactly. And had it not, had it not, she would have had a major heart attack from the amount of bleeding and probably died within a minute or two. But they would save her life. As the hunt for the two other girls intensified. Nearly five hours after Peyton crawled out of the woods, her two friends are suddenly found on the side of Interstate 94 walking out of Waukesha. They have found those two girls, I'm told around 12 years old. A knife with a five inch blade was found in one of the girls bags. Lieutenant Tom Moorman confronting them I asked.

[Anissa Weier]

Her to show me her hands.

[Ryan Reynolds]

I noticed there was some staining on her sweatshirt. Morgan's parents raced to the police station, but they have not been told the severity of Peyton's injuries.

[Anissa Weier]

I remember talking on the way how we were going to punish Morgan for this. I mean, we just had no idea how. How serious it was.

[Morgan Geyser]

Can I. Yeah, you can fly the chair over.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Anissa Weir's parents arrive at the police station too. They are told to wait.

[Anissa Weier's Mother]

I stood right dead center of that lobby in full view of two cameras, waiting to see my daughter and listen.

[Ryan Reynolds]

To what their daughter Anissa, says to the investigator.

[Morgan Geyser]

Your parents know that you're here talking to me, okay? And they're so glad that you're safe. We were scared for you guys.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Both girls in separate rooms, beginning to explain their plot to kill, referring to Peyton by her nickname, Bella. Why do you think you're here today?

[Morgan Geyser]

Because Anissa and I ran off after hurting Bella.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Morgan tells the detective the plan to kill Peyton had been in the works for months. She hasn't finished a while.

[Morgan Geyser]

Mr. Stumper, he was my best friend since fourth grade.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Who was Peyton? So why did you pick Peyton?

[Morgan Geyser]

I didn't pick her.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Who picked her?

[Morgan Geyser]

Whoever Anissa was talking about, she made it seem necessary.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Necessary. A word Morgan Geyser would use again and again with that detective, saying her devotion to that fictional character, Slenderman, drove her to do this.

[Morgan Geyser]

There's this website called the Creepypasta Wiki. It's full of, like, horror stories, and there is one of them called Slenderman.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Slenderman is the story of a character who suddenly appears. He changes and evolves all the time, with help from fans all over the world adding to the story, giving a fictional character new life every day. You have said that Slenderman is the boogeyman of this digital generation. He is the thing that we fear that we don't actually encounter, right? So we check under our beds for the Slender man, but he's, you know, not actually there. Morgan and Anissa not only believed in Slender man, they wanted to prove to the world he was real.

[Morgan Geyser]

Morgan said, hey, Anissa, we should be proxies. I was like, okay, how would we do that?

[Anissa Weier]

She indicated that in order to become a proxy of Slenderman, you needed to kill somebody to prove yourself worthy to him.

[Morgan Geyser]

I was implied it because I wanted proof that he existed.

[Ryan Reynolds]

As Slender Man's grip on these girls begins to reveal itself, back at the hospital, Peyton Leitner is unable to talk at first, writing to communicate. One of her first questions is this did they get them? We told her they were found and the police have them. And as a dad, in that moment, how hard was that? Harder than I would have ever been able to imagine. This is my little girl who's laying.

[Anissa Weier]

There, and the only thing that I.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Could tell her at the time to make her feel better was that the police have them and she was safe with us. When we come back, the girls now describe their original plan, why it changed, and who actually held the knife in the woods.

[Morgan Geyser]

So she gives you the knife and then I give it back to her and say, you do it. Go ballistic, Go crazy.

[Ryan Reynolds]

And for every family watching tonight, we also learn what these parents never noticed.

[Anissa Weier]

I couldn't believe what I was hearing.

[Ryan Reynolds]

When we come back, two mothers now trying to reconcile the little girls they raised with the 12 year olds who brutally attacked their friend. They'll stay straight forever.

[Anissa Weier]

Morgan was very happy child. She was intensely creative. She was always making up songs and stories.

[Anissa Weier's Mother]

Vanessa did enjoy choir. She did enjoy singing Bring Back, Bring Back, oh, Bring Back my Bunny to me.

[Ryan Reynolds]

And only now do moments along the way seem to carry greater weight. Morgan's mother telling me she remembers showing her daughter a movie, a children's classic. You were watching Bambi and you noticed something. What was it?

[Anissa Weier]

We had been concerned to show Morgan the movie. We were afraid when Bambi's mother died, she would be devastated, that she'd be very upset. Master Bambi, don't look back. She, in fact, had quite the opposite reaction. And after Bambi's mother was shot, Morgan just said, run, Bambi, run. And had no reaction whatsoever to the mother dying.

[Ryan Reynolds]

She wasn't at all concerned about the mom?

[Anissa Weier]

No, no, not at all.

[Ryan Reynolds]

And Anise's mom points to her daughter's childhood and her struggle to fit in.

[Anissa Weier's Mother]

Looking back, Anissa was never really invited to a lot of, like, birthday parties or anything. I don't think she really made friends that easy.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Which is why both mothers say they were happy when their two daughters met at the bus stop in middle school.

[Anissa Weier]

Morgan didn't do a lot of bullying, especially in the sixth grade by the other students.

[Anissa Weier's Mother]

They knew what each other had gone through and they were going to be there for each other.

[Ryan Reynolds]

What was Aneesa like?

[Anissa Weier]

Anissa was always extremely polite.

[Ryan Reynolds]

You were witnessing what you thought was a very normal friendship.

[Anissa Weier]

That's true, yes.

[Ryan Reynolds]

It was a new friend for her daughter, Morgan, who had already been friends with Peyton since the fourth grade. And their friendship seemed normal, too.

[Anissa Weier]

They were just typical giggly girls.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Peyton's parents told Us the same thing. Were there ever any red flags, they.

[Peyton Leitner's Mother]

Would have little arguments. But every 12 year old girl has little arguments.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Peyton's parents had never met Anissa Weir, but they say that Peyton spoke of her at school. And they could never have imagined that their daughter's friends were plotting against her. And it turns out the horror that played out in those woods was not the original plan for Peyton.

[Morgan Geyser]

Gordon said that at her birthday party, while Bella was sleeping, we were gonna duct tank her mouth shut, stab her in the neck, and then leave.

[Anissa Weier]

She would bleed out. They would cover her up with covers to make it look like she was sleeping, and the two girls would run.

[Ryan Reynolds]

But when they got home from Skateland, the plan would change.

[Morgan Geyser]

I didn't think it would work. I didn't think any of this worked from the start. I wanted to give her release one more morning.

[Ryan Reynolds]

The next morning, a new plan.

[Morgan Geyser]

We're going to do it today at the park. That's what Morgan said.

[Ryan Reynolds]

As they leave for the park, Anissa tells police that Morgan lifts up her white jacket, the knife tucked in her waistband. What were you thinking?

[Morgan Geyser]

I was thinking, dear God, this is really happening.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Morgan and Anissa lead Peyton into a bathroom at the park. But one more time, they would change the plan. The girls leave that bathroom and walk down a nearby road.

[Morgan Geyser]

I pointed out the woods to Morgan and said we should do it there. So I told Bella we were gonna play hide and seek.

[Ryan Reynolds]

At the edge of those woods. Peyton's parents tell me that Peyton remembers her two friends luring her in.

[Peyton Leitner's Mother]

They got to the park and they told her they wanted to play hide and seek in the woods. And she told me she didn't want to go.

[Ryan Reynolds]

She sensed it.

[Peyton Leitner's Mother]

Yeah. She did say she was forced to go.

[Morgan Geyser]

She was gonna hide one place, I was gonna hide another. And then Morgan and I were gonna be like lionesses chasing down the scene road. I was gonna tackle her. And then Morgan was gonna do the stabbing.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Anissa tells police she sits on Peyton. Peyton says to her, I can't breathe.

[Morgan Geyser]

So she, you hear the name and then I give it back to her and say, you do it. Go ballistic, Go crazy.

[Ryan Reynolds]

What did you do next?

[Morgan Geyser]

Stab, stab, stab, stab, stab.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Peyton is stabbed 19 times, stumbling, trying to get up. And listen to how Anissa describes that moment.

[Morgan Geyser]

The whole time, Peyton was screaming in agony.

[Ryan Reynolds]

They would leave her right there. Has Peyton talked at all about the horror of that moment?

[Peyton Leitner's Mother]

We asked her what she remembered about what happened, and she said she remembered everything.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Do you know what happened to the knife after Peyton got stabbed.

[Morgan Geyser]

I put it back in the bag and walked. It was weird. I felt no remorse.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Morgan said it was weird that I didn't feel remorse.

[Peyton Leitner's Mother]

Yeah.

[Ryan Reynolds]

This was a girl who had been in your home many, many times.

[Peyton Leitner's Mother]

That was hard because I thought that she really cared about Peyton as a person and they were good friends.

[Morgan Geyser]

Do you know what happened to Bella? Is she dead?

[Ryan Reynolds]

I don't know. She wants to take her to the hospital.

[Morgan Geyser]

I was just wondering.

[Anissa Weier]

That's not my daughter saying those things.

[Ryan Reynolds]

It was like looking at a different child.

[Anissa Weier]

Yes. She appears to have no remorse. She doesn't appear to be frightened.

[Ryan Reynolds]

After hours of waiting, detectives finally reveal to Angie what her daughter has done in the woods. Could you believe what you were hearing?

[Anissa Weier]

No, I couldn't believe what I was hearing. No. No, I never. I never would have imagined that my daughter was capable of hurting another person.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Not only was this hurting, it was multiple stabbings with the intent to kill.

[Anissa Weier]

Yes.

[Ryan Reynolds]

When we come back, what these parents would learn about their own daughters. An extraordinarily rare diagnosis. And for parents watching across this country tonight, what are you to do when children are drawn in by someone or something that you never knew existed?

[Anissa Weier's Mother]

Anissa never talked about Slender Man. Soon me.

[Ryan Reynolds]

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[Anissa Weier]

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[Peyton Leitner's Mother]

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[Anissa Weier]

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[Peyton Leitner's Mother]

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[Ryan Reynolds]

Than three years now, those two girls who confessed to brutally stabbing their 12 year old friend have been locked up. Their mothers still hope their daughters will one day come home. Christy Weiher's daughter Anissa sits behind these walls at the Washington County Juvenile Jail. And Christy shows us one of Anissa's paintings done just a few months before that. Horror in the Woods.

[Anissa Weier's Mother]

She's drawing flowers and sunshine and hearts.

[Ryan Reynolds]

She tells us she had no idea her daughter had fallen so completely under Slender Man's spell. They did it to impress Slenderman, who is the shadowy figure.

[Morgan Geyser]

I was really scared, knowing that Slytherin could easily kill my whole family in three seconds.

[Anissa Weier's Mother]

Bill and I, although we were divorced, we were still very active parents. I did search her iPad. I did watch over her shoulder. Anissa never talked about Slender man to me.

[Ryan Reynolds]

And Morgan was convinced Slenderman was real too. Who's this creepy guy that you were talking about?

[Morgan Geyser]

Slenderman.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Did you know anything about Morgan's fascination with Slenderman?

[Anissa Weier]

We did. And she would. She would show us some of the pictures and she would read us some of the stories.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Did you ever think that, you know, this is a little too dark for my daughter?

[Anissa Weier]

When I was Morgan's age, I was reading Stephen King novels, so I. I just thought it was normal for a child of middle school age to be interested in scary stories.

[Ryan Reynolds]

And it turns out that Peyton, who crawled out of those woods alive, had even told her mom that Morgan thought that Slenderman was real. Did it give you pause?

[Peyton Leitner's Mother]

A little bit. But at the same time, These girls are 12 years old. And fantasy, when you're 12 years old, is still a very active part of your life.

[Ryan Reynolds]

But their fantasy would give way to reality. And Morgan and Anissa now face charges of attempted first degree intentional homicide. When a child 10 or older commits a crime like this, Wisconsin law requires.

[Anissa Weier]

Them to be charged in adult court.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Anthony Cotton is Morgan's attorney. He says he knew the moment he met her that he was not dealing with a typical 12 year old. Was it clear to you she was struggling with mental illness? Yeah, it was apparent right out of the gate. She'd be looking around the room, she'd.

[Anissa Weier]

Be looking at in the corner, she.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Would be seemed to be responding to things that weren't in the room. The girls are formally charged as adults, each facing the possibility of up to 65 years in prison.

[Anissa Weier's Mother]

Seeing her in the courtroom in the jumpsuit with the shackles really hit hard.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Morgan and Anise's families launch a legal fight to get their daughter's cases moved from adult court to juvenile court. Children's court is the right place for this case. It would mean more resources to help treat their mental health. But it also meant that each girl could be freed as soon as their 18th birthday, something prosecutors would immediately fight.

[Greg Steinberg]

In spite of the fact that they were 12. These were two girls that made an extreme serious effort to try to kill Peyton.

[Ryan Reynolds]

After the brutal attack, investigators searching Morgan's room would find disturbing evidence of a deteriorating young mind. Dismembered Barbies, drawings of Slenderman with children, and pages in pages of messages that she had written to herself. We pore through those drawings with Morgan's mother and find one of the darkest messages. How typical is it for a 12 year old to write, I want to die?

[Anissa Weier]

I don't think it's very typical at all.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Morgan also writes, help me escape my mind.

[Anissa Weier]

This one makes me sad.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Why?

[Anissa Weier]

Just knowing how long she was sick and suffering inside her own head before we had any idea.

[Ryan Reynolds]

While prosecutors build their case, two mothers visit their daughters behind bars weekly, sometimes daily.

[Anissa Weier's Mother]

It's just her and I, divided by glass, talking. There are moments where my heart is so full of sadness, that's when I put on a mask. I don't allow myself to break down in front of her and see how much this is. This is hurting me.

[Ryan Reynolds]

And Morgan's mother tells me about the barrier between her and her daughter. And you would see her through the glass?

[Anissa Weier]

Yes. I mean, it was painful. We went months without being able to touch her.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Both families now say their daughters are trapped between adult and juvenile courts. And on this day, we are at Anissa's home when she calls to wish her sister a happy birthday for father Bill. Wearing a Superman T shirt, Anissa still reveres her father to this day. Hello. Hello. How you doing? Pretty good. And then a song for her sister. Happy birthday to you. But as they sit behind bars, they are cut off from the resources typically available to treat children who commit crimes at such a young age. There's social workers, there's treatment professionals, as opposed to the adult system, which is designed to be punitive. And while they are not treated for mental illness, they are given a court ordered mental health evaluation. And Morgan, who held the knife, who drew those pictures discovered in her bedroom, and who was unmoved by the movie Bambi all those years ago, she would now receive an extraordinarily rare diagnosis for someone so young. Early onset schizophrenia. We're in a war. You want to fight or you want to win? Now streaming. You're thinking small. You're thinking like a thief. I'm thinking like. Like a soldier. Think like a leader. The critically acclaimed series andor returns to Disney plus. If it goes up in flames, it will burn very brightly. Remember this moment. You're right here and you're ready to fight. Welcome to the Rebellion Andor Season 2 new episodes Tuesdays only on Disney plus Marvel Studios. Thunderbolts will take the world by storm. Yes, there's some big right out there and you're gonna no. Stop it us why? You got some place to be on May 2nd.

[Anissa Weier]

Avengers are gone no one's coming to.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Save the day their time. I think we could be the people that are coming has come being the hero There is no higher calling. Let's do this. Marvel Studios Thunderbolts only theaters may 2 get tickets now. This film is not yet rated. Are you surprised?

[Anissa Weier]

No, I wasn't surprised simply because there is a family history of schizophrenia.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Her father.

[Anissa Weier]

Yes, her father has schizophrenia.

[Ryan Reynolds]

In fact, Morgan's father had been hospitalized at least four times as a teenager himself. Was that one of the first things you thought of after the stabbings?

[Anissa Weier]

It was that she must be sick.

[Ryan Reynolds]

But if Morgan's father had a history of schizophrenia, we asked, did her parents look for warning signs along the way?

[Anissa Weier]

I think it was something that had been building that we both didn't notice and also attributed to the changes she was going through as an adolescent.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Do you feel responsible?

[Anissa Weier]

I think on some level I'll always feel responsible for not knowing that my daughter wasn't well.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Her daughter Morgan would stay in that jail for a year and a half, untreated for mental illness until a judge gets her moved to a mental health institution where she receives medication.

[Anissa Weier]

And did you see a change when she started medication? Oh, yes, we saw a dramatic change all right.

[Ryan Reynolds]

And after more than a year of hearings and evaluations, Judge Michael Boren makes his decision on whether the children should remain charged as adults. It was premeditated attempt to kill someone on that basis, then I'll order that the defendant's disguiser and misfortune be retained in the adult jurisdiction.

[Anissa Weier's Mother]

They were just children. They weren't chronic offenders.

[Ryan Reynolds]

When we come back, the families battle to save their daughters, to get them help and to get them a chance to one day come home. But will they be sent away for years after what they did in the woods? Their fates revealed when we come back. It has been more than three years now since that horror in the woods in Waukesha, Wisconsin. And now a community torn. As brutal as the attack was. What do you do with two girls who were just 12 years old when they did it? Morgan Geiser and Anissa Weier are now preparing to be tried as adults, facing the possibility of decades in prison.

[Anissa Weier]

I mean, to me it's unthinkable to try a 12 year old child as an adult, regardless of what they've done.

[Ryan Reynolds]

You know, there are some who will Say she planned it and look what she did.

[Anissa Weier]

I don't think that any of that changes the fact that she was a child. We do everything else possible in our society to protect our children from themselves. For some reason, we view that differently within the criminal justice system, and that just doesn't make sense to me.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Both girls plead not guilty by reason of mental disease or defect. The girls will be tried separately. A niece's case is first. And just days before her trial, she strikes a deal with prosecutors, pleading guilty to a lesser charge of attempted second degree intentional homicide.

[Anissa Weier's Mother]

Anissa took the plea deal. It was her decision to plead guilty to save Peyton from reliving that day.

[Ryan Reynolds]

But as part of that deal, Anissa will now stand trial so a jury can determine if she should be sent to prison or to a state mental institution.

[Greg Steinberg]

In instead, the evidence will show.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Now 15 years old, walking into court. Anissa's attorney, Joe Smith, acknowledges that she attacked her friend, but argues she is not criminally responsible because she was under the spell of a delusion. The prosecution paints a starkly different picture of a calculating 12 year old. She knew what she was doing was wrong. The defense calls family members, friends, teachers to the stand to testify that they never knew Anissa was struggling with mental illness. I do, starting with her father, Bill.

[Anissa Weier's Mother]

Was there any time where she expressed.

[Ryan Reynolds]

That she had seen things?

[Greg Steinberg]

There was an episode when Anissa was about 10. She had gone to bed for the night. She saw something in her closet looking at her.

[Ryan Reynolds]

So, you know, 10 year old monster.

[Greg Steinberg]

In the closet, turn the lights on.

[Ryan Reynolds]

We open the closet, nothing's in there.

[Greg Steinberg]

I didn't give it any more credit.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Than that, but it would turn out. The centerpiece of Anissa's defense would be testimony from three mental health experts. Had you ever seen a case like this before?

[Anissa Weier]

No. It's almost unfathomable that this could happen.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Dr. Melissa Westendorf was one of the court appointed forensic psychologists who evaluated Anissa.

[Anissa Weier]

What they had in common was the delusion about Slenderman.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Neither family knew that their daughters were mentally ill. Is that difficult for you to believe?

[Anissa Weier]

No.

[Ryan Reynolds]

That it would go unnoticed.

[Anissa Weier]

It can go unnoticed, you know, especially with delusions. Delusions can remain compartmentalized for people.

[Ryan Reynolds]

And it was Morgan's mother, Angie, who told us she believes her daughter actively hid her delusions from those around her.

[Anissa Weier]

I think that as she got older and she realized that, hey, maybe this isn't normal, that she did make a conscious effort to hide it. A lot of her hallucinations were friends to her and I don't think that she wanted to lose them.

[Ryan Reynolds]

And Dr. Westendorf says there also may have been something uniquely compelling to these already vulnerable minds of Morgan and Anissa about the way Slender man is presented online.

[Anissa Weier]

Once you find this character on the Internet, you can read all these stories that look real.

[Ryan Reynolds]

And the doctor says with Anissa, there was something different at play. Remember, it was Morgan who was diagnosed with schizophrenia. Dr. Westendorf then diagnosed Anissa with what's called a shared psychotic disorder, saying that Morgan's schizophrenia, when paired with both of their delusions about Slenderman, would create a perfect storm, luring Anissa in two. A lot of parents will say that my 12 year old knows the difference between right and wrong. They would know that it's wrong to stab your friend 19 times in the woods. How did they not know this?

[Anissa Weier]

They appreciated that what they were doing was wrong.

[Ryan Reynolds]

So if they knew it was wrong, why do it?

[Anissa Weier]

Because their belief in Slenderman was so powerful and was so strong, they believed that if they did not fulfill their plan, Slender man was going to come back and kill their families.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Dr. Westendorf testified that because Anissa's mental disorder led led to her actions that day in the woods, that she should not be held criminally responsible. Prosecutors disagreed.

[Greg Steinberg]

All the psychiatrists were saying the same thing, which is they had this shared delusion. And that compulsion was, if we don't kill Peyton, then Slender Man's going to either kill us or our families. And what we argued repeatedly was Anissa, by her own words, said she didn't even know that Slender man was a threat until after the act was over.

[Morgan Geyser]

The silly thing about this was I didn't know I was in danger until.

[Ryan Reynolds]

After the case goes to the jury. The seven men and five women deliberate for 11 hours. As they file in, we see Anissa visibly shaking. Anissa Weier was found not guilty by reason of mental disease or defect. With that, I will order that she be committed to the Department of Health Services.

[Anissa Weier's Mother]

Their decision was to humane, but her.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Daughter'S sentencing was yet to come. And given the jury's decision in a niece's trial, prosecutors now allow Morgan to plead guilty too. Her family awaits sentencing as well.

[Anissa Weier]

She's sick, and she belongs in a mental health facility as opposed to a prison.

[Ryan Reynolds]

At her plea hearing, Morgan is required to tell the judge what she did. What did you do on May 31, 2000, 2014? I hurt Bella. All right, so what did you do? I came up from behind her. I jumped on her. And then what happened?

[Morgan Geyser]

And then I stabbed her.

[Ryan Reynolds]

When we come back, a judge's decision. How long will Morgan and Anissa be sent away for? Or will they be allowed to go home? And that remarkable little girl who crawled out of the woods determined to live. How is she doing now, more than three years after we first met her? It was just 24 hours ago, the final sentence in a case that began with a sleepover more than three years ago. Morgan Geyser is about to learn her fate. It was just weeks ago that Anise's sentencing came first. The case is here today, the judge ordering her to a state mental facility for up to 25 years. Anissa will now be under state supervision until she is 37 years old.

[Anissa Weier's Mother]

My fear is she will not really know how to interact with normal people. At Walmart, at the gas station, at Pick n save. After spending 25 years in a mental.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Institution and before Morgan's mother would learn her own daughter's fate, she shares with me a letter that her daughter has now written to Peyton.

[Anissa Weier]

Dear Bella, I wish I had words that could make everything better, but I don't. So all I can say is how sorry I am. I can promise you not a day will go by that I don't regret what I did. Stay strong, Morgan.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Just yesterday, a judge deciding that Morgan will also be sent to a state mental health facility for up to 40 years. It was more than three years ago we first met Peyton. Shy in front of the cameras, we did see a glimpse of her smile returning as she shared with us her love of kittens and of family.

[Greg Steinberg]

She's doing well in school. She has friends, she's social.

[Ryan Reynolds]

And overnight, Peyton's mother, sending us a message for any family dealing with the kind of pain and horror they have faced. If you trust in your strength and believe in your resiliency, you will get through this. And tonight, the new images of Peyton. And in just over a week, she will celebrate a milestone, her 16th birthday. A milestone Morgan Geiser will soon reach as well. It's not where you pictured her turning 16.

[Anissa Weier]

No. You know, I see on social media my friends and family who have children Morgan's age, and they'll post pictures of them driving a car, you know, going to homecoming. You know, it's. That's difficult.

[Ryan Reynolds]

And now, after learning Morgan's fate, her mother says life for all three families has changed forever.

[Anissa Weier]

We're leaving Waukesha.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Why?

[Anissa Weier]

For a new start. I frequently drive by these places that hold horrible memories, and I just want to get us all away from that.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Away from those woods that have since been cleared to make way for a new residential development. The scene of that horror now erased. But for those three families tonight, they will never be able to erase the pain. You've been listening to the 2020 True Crime Vault, and you can find all new broadcast episodes of 2020 Friday nights at 9 on this episode is brought to you by Progressive Insurance. It's Brad Milke, host of ABC's Daily News podcast. Start here. Fiscally responsible financial geniuses, Monetary magicians. These are things people say about drivers who switch their car insurance to Progressive and save hundreds. Visit progressive.com to see if you could save Progressive Casualty Insurance Company and affiliates. Potential savings will vary. Not available in all states or situations.