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| Girl accused in Slender Man stabbing had 'swirled into madness', says lawyer | Girl accused in Slender Man stabbing had 'swirled into madness', says lawyer |
| (4 months later) | |
| Anissa Weier, who allegedly helped a friend repeatedly stab a classmate to please the fictional character, believed he could kill her family, attorney says | |
| Associated Press in Waukesha, Wisconsin | |
| Fri 15 Sep 2017 19.55 BST | |
| Last modified on Wed 20 Sep 2017 17.07 BST | |
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| A girl accused of helping her friend stab a classmate nearly to death to please an online horror character, Slender Man, was lonely, depressed and descended into “madness”, her attorney said on Friday as she pleaded with a jury to send the girl to psychiatric care rather than prison. | A girl accused of helping her friend stab a classmate nearly to death to please an online horror character, Slender Man, was lonely, depressed and descended into “madness”, her attorney said on Friday as she pleaded with a jury to send the girl to psychiatric care rather than prison. |
| Anissa Weier and Morgan Geyser lured Payton Leutner into the woods at a park in Waukesha, a Milwaukee suburb, in 2014. Geyser stabbed Leutner 19 times while Weier urged her on, according to investigators. A passing bicyclist found Leutner, who survived. All three girls were 12 at the time. | Anissa Weier and Morgan Geyser lured Payton Leutner into the woods at a park in Waukesha, a Milwaukee suburb, in 2014. Geyser stabbed Leutner 19 times while Weier urged her on, according to investigators. A passing bicyclist found Leutner, who survived. All three girls were 12 at the time. |
| Both Weier and Geyser told detectives they felt they had to kill Leutner to become Slender Man’s “proxies”, or servants, and protect their families from the demon’s wrath. | Both Weier and Geyser told detectives they felt they had to kill Leutner to become Slender Man’s “proxies”, or servants, and protect their families from the demon’s wrath. |
| Weier, now 15, pleaded guilty to attempted second-degree intentional homicide in a deal with prosecutors in August. But she claims she was mentally ill during the attack and not responsible for her actions. | Weier, now 15, pleaded guilty to attempted second-degree intentional homicide in a deal with prosecutors in August. But she claims she was mentally ill during the attack and not responsible for her actions. |
| A jury heard three days of testimony from psychologists and detectives. If the jury agrees she was not responsible, she will be committed to a psychiatric facility. If not, she faces prison. | A jury heard three days of testimony from psychologists and detectives. If the jury agrees she was not responsible, she will be committed to a psychiatric facility. If not, she faces prison. |
| The jury began deliberations on Friday morning. Weier’s attorney, Maura McMahon, said during closing arguments that Weier was lonely and depressed after her parents divorced and she latched on to Geyser. | The jury began deliberations on Friday morning. Weier’s attorney, Maura McMahon, said during closing arguments that Weier was lonely and depressed after her parents divorced and she latched on to Geyser. |
| Together they became obsessed with Slender Man, developing a condition called shared delusional disorder, McMahon said. Weier believed Slender Man could read her mind as well as teleport and would kill her or her family if she talked about him, she said. | Together they became obsessed with Slender Man, developing a condition called shared delusional disorder, McMahon said. Weier believed Slender Man could read her mind as well as teleport and would kill her or her family if she talked about him, she said. |
| “This sounds crazy, because it is,” McMahon said. “This was a real being to this child and she needed to protect those around her. At 12 years old, she had no way to protect herself from [Slender Man] except for Morgan’s advice and they swirled down into madness together.” | “This sounds crazy, because it is,” McMahon said. “This was a real being to this child and she needed to protect those around her. At 12 years old, she had no way to protect herself from [Slender Man] except for Morgan’s advice and they swirled down into madness together.” |
| The Waukesha County deputy district attorney Ted Szczupakiewicz countered that the stabbing was calculated. He said the girls had planned the attack for at least four months and asked jurors to consider why, if the girls were so afraid of Slender Man, they waited so long to attack Leutner. | The Waukesha County deputy district attorney Ted Szczupakiewicz countered that the stabbing was calculated. He said the girls had planned the attack for at least four months and asked jurors to consider why, if the girls were so afraid of Slender Man, they waited so long to attack Leutner. |
| He also pointed out that Weier had told a detective she wasn’t frightened of Slender Man until after the attack, when Geyser told her she had made a deal with the monster that he would spare their families if they killed Leutner. | He also pointed out that Weier had told a detective she wasn’t frightened of Slender Man until after the attack, when Geyser told her she had made a deal with the monster that he would spare their families if they killed Leutner. |
| “It comes down to did she have to or did she want to?” Szczupakiewicz said. “It wasn’t kill or be killed. It was a choice and she needs to be held criminally responsible.” | “It comes down to did she have to or did she want to?” Szczupakiewicz said. “It wasn’t kill or be killed. It was a choice and she needs to be held criminally responsible.” |
| Weier visibly trembled in her seat during the closing arguments. | Weier visibly trembled in her seat during the closing arguments. |
| Geyser has pleaded not guilty to one count of attempted first-degree intentional homicide by reason of mental disease or defect. Her trial is set to begin on 9 October. | Geyser has pleaded not guilty to one count of attempted first-degree intentional homicide by reason of mental disease or defect. Her trial is set to begin on 9 October. |
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