A judge has ordered the release of a teenager convicted of stabbing her classmate in Wisconsin in the 2014 “Slender Man” attack.
In a hearing this past week, Waukesha County Judge Michael Bohren agreed to release 19-year-old Anissa Weier from the Winnebago Mental Health Institute on Thursday. Initially, she was sentenced to remain at the institute until the age of 37, the Associated Press reports.
Anissa Weier 19-Year-Old Convicted of Stabbing Friend In ‘Slender Man’ Case Set To Leave Psychiatric Hospital Early
Back in March, Weier petitioned for a conditional release on the grounds that she had made great progress with her treatment and felt she was ready to re-enter society.
“By petitioning the Court for conditional release, I am NOT saying I am done with my treatment,” Weier wrote in a letter obtained by WDJT-TV dated March 8. “I am saying that I have exhausted all the resources available to me at the Winnebago Mental Health Institute. If I am to become a productive member of society, I need to be a part of society.”
State prosecutors fired back at the petition with a statement, revealing how they still believe she is a danger to others, adding that “her mind is still immature” and “susceptible to dangerous influences,” according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel previously reported.
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On May 31, 2014, Weier and her friend, Morgan Geyser, led their classmate into the woods and stabbed her 19 times, alleging that they attacked her in order to please Slender Man, a mythical creature they read about online.
All three girls were 12 years old at the time of the attack. The victim barely survived.
Despite their ages, Weier and Geyser were tried in adult court. Weier, who was initially charged with attempted first-degree homicide, ended up with a lesser attempted second-degree homicide charge after a jury deemed her mentally ill at the time of the attack.
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She accepted a plea deal back in 2017 and was sentenced to the maximum 25 years in a psychiatric facility. Her sentencing agreement allowed for her to apply for supervised release after spending at least three years at the Winnebago Mental Health Institute.
This past Thursday, Bohren stated that state officials will have 60 days to prepare a release plan for Weier, AP reports. In the interim, Weier will remain at the Winnebago facility.
Weier is scheduled to return to court on Sept. 10, when further arrangements will be made.
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