The Madison Police Department on Sunday released a recent image of Geyser, captured on security video in the past month, as they looked for the woman. Photo courtesy of Madison Police Department/Facebook
Police in Illinois said they captured Morgan Geyser, one of the two people who pleaded guilty to stabbing a friend to appease an imaginary creature called Slender Man, more than 100 miles away from the Wisconsin group home where she was staying.
Geyser allegedly cut off her monitoring bracelet Saturday night before leaving the residence in Madison and meeting up with an acquaintance. The police in Posen, Ill., told ABC News that law enforcement officials took her into custody Sunday night. Madison police confirmed her capture to CNN.
The Posen police said officers found Geyser at a truck stop with another person, identified as a 42-year-old man who was arrested on charges of criminal trespassing and obstructing identification.
Police said they planned to transfer Geyser for an extradition hearing at the Criminal Court Administration Building in Chicago.
Geyser and Anissa Weier pleaded guilty to the 2014 stabbing of their friend, Payton Leutner, when all three girls were 12. Geyser and Weier lured Leutner into the woods where they stabbed her 19 times. They told police a creature known as Slender Man threatened their lives and the lives of their families if they didn’t kill Leutner, who survived the attack.
Both Geyser and Weier were charged as adults in the crime and were ultimately found not guilty by reason of mental illness. They were sentenced to time at the Winnebago Mental Health Institute. Psychiatrists diagnosed Geyser with schizophrenia and she was later released to a group home.
A spokesperson for the Leutner family released a statement saying they were aware of Geyser’s disappearance.
“Payton and her family are safe and are working closely with local law enforcement to ensure their continued safety,” a statement said.
“The family would like to thank all of the law enforcement entities involved in the efforts to apprehend Morgan.”
The week in photos: Nov. 17–23
The demolition of the East Wing of the White House is seen during construction in Washington, on Monday. President Donald Trump began demolishing the East Wing last month to build a $200 million ballroom at the property. Photo by Bonnie Cash/UPI | License Photo
