Morgan Geyser agreed in a brief Chicago hearing to return to Wisconsin after leaving a court-approved group home.
CHICAGO, Ill. — Morgan Geyser, 23, the Wisconsin woman who stabbed a sixth-grade classmate in 2014 in an attack linked to the internet character Slender Man, waived extradition in a Cook County courtroom on Tuesday, two days after police found her in suburban Chicago.
Geyser’s decision means Wisconsin authorities can take her back to Waukesha County as they move to revoke her conditional release from a state mental health commitment. She had been living under supervision at a group home this fall following a judge’s approval of community placement. Prosecutors in court said Geyser removed a GPS ankle monitor and left the Madison-area residence, prompting a multistate search and a quick court response once she was detained in Illinois.
Police said officers found Geyser in Posen, a south suburb of Chicago, after she left the group home over the weekend. At Tuesday’s hearing, a prosecutor told the judge Geyser should return to a secure mental health facility in Wisconsin, and Geyser—appearing in jail clothing—told the court she would not contest the transfer. In 2014, Geyser and a friend lured classmate Payton Leutner to a Waukesha park and stabbed her 19 times; Leutner survived after crawling to a path where a cyclist found her. In the years since, Geyser has remained under court oversight tied to her insanity verdict and mental health treatment.
Officials said the escape triggered public safety concerns because of the original case’s severity and the stringent rules attached to Geyser’s community placement. Charging and treatment records from Wisconsin describe curfews, GPS tracking, and bans on unsupervised contact as core conditions. Illinois authorities booked Geyser on a fugitive warrant; she faced no new Illinois charges linked to the escape. A 43-year-old companion seen with her during the flight from Wisconsin was arrested on misdemeanor counts in Illinois unrelated to aiding her departure, according to police accounts. Key questions remain about how long she was missing and whether she had outside help leaving the facility.
Geyser spent eight years at Winnebago Mental Health Institute after a judge found her not guilty by reason of mental disease or defect in the attempted murder of Leutner. The court allowed a stepdown to supervised community care this year after repeated petitions. Victim-impact statements and prior hearings emphasized the attack’s brutality, the lasting trauma for Leutner’s family, and the need for strict safeguards if any release were granted. The case drew national attention in 2014 for its link to the Slender Man mythos and the age of the girls involved.
Wisconsin officials have now asked a judge to revoke Geyser’s conditional release and return her to inpatient treatment. A hearing to consider that request is scheduled in December in Waukesha County. If the judge revokes the release, Geyser would be transported back to a secure state psychiatric facility; if not, the court could modify and tighten her conditions in the community. Court filings signal the state’s view that Geyser violated core terms, but the judge will weigh her treatment progress, risk assessments, and the circumstances of the escape.
Outside the courthouse, Chicago-area residents who followed the 2014 case said they were relieved by the quick arrest. “It was frightening to hear she was missing,” said Stephanie Martinez, who lives near the suburb where Geyser was found. In Wisconsin, people gathered outside the Waukesha County Courthouse described the case as a painful reminder. “Our community still feels this,” said Mark Jensen, a resident who recalled the park where the victim was found. Neither Geyser’s defense team nor Wisconsin treatment officials commented in detail about her mental health status, citing patient privacy laws.
As of Wednesday, Geyser remained in custody pending transfer arrangements. Wisconsin’s motion to revoke her release is expected to be heard later this month, with the court likely to set next steps and placement on or around Dec. 22. Further updates from Waukesha County officials are expected once she is back under Wisconsin jurisdiction.
Author note: Last updated November 27, 2025.