The 'Slender Man' attacker found a new friend and escaped to be with them

The day following Morgan Geysers escape from her Illinois group home, authorities located her at a truck stop over two hours away on Sunday night. She was found crouched next to her friend, 43-year-old Chad Mecca, who appeared cold and occasionally struggled to speak. Geyser expressed concern about being separated from Mecca and initially avoided revealing her identity, telling officers she had done "something really wrong." She later suggested officers could search her name online, according to the Posen Police Department.

An online search would reveal Geyser's past: in 2014, at age 12, she stabbed her sixth-grade classmate, Payton Leutner, multiple times under the influence of the fictional character Slender Man, while another friend, Anissa Weier, watched. The case drew national attention and led to documentaries chronicling her prolonged court battle. A jury later determined Geyser was mentally ill, with attorneys citing undiagnosed schizophrenia as the cause of her actions. In 2017, she accepted a plea deal that placed her in a mental institution rather than prison.

After seven years at the Winnebago Mental Health Institute in Wisconsin, Geyser received conditional release in January. Fearing separation from Mecca, she fled the group home, carrying a backpack and a pink journal labeled homeless couples guidebook. Police reported that Geyser and Mecca traveled by Greyhound bus from Wisconsin and were arrested over 165 miles away in Illinois. Mecca was released on citation and is scheduled to appear in court on January 15. Geyser waived extradition at her hearing Tuesday and will remain in Cook County without bail while Wisconsin decides whether to reclaim her.

Authorities are considering whether to petition for revocation of Geysers conditional release. The Dane County District Attorneys office has not yet received a referral on the case, and Geysers attorney has not commented. The 2014 attack on Leutner occurred during a hide-and-seek game in a Milwaukee-area park. Geyser stabbed Leutner 19 times, narrowly missing a major artery, while Weier assisted indirectly. Leutner survived after crawling to a nearby bicyclist. Both girls were arrested hours later.

During her trial, Geysers attorneys highlighted her schizophrenia diagnosis, claiming she believed Slender Man threatened her family. Weier, who did not stab Leutner, pleaded guilty to attempted second-degree homicide and was institutionalized for 25 years, being released in 2021. Geyser, sentenced at age 15, spent nearly seven years at Winnebago before being conditionally released to a group home earlier this year. Experts testified she no longer posed a public threat, and a judge approved the placement despite some objections from the district attorney.

Police say Geyser was last seen on November 22 around 8 p.m. with Mecca. Shortly after, authorities discovered she had tampered with her ankle monitor. By 11:30 p.m., she had removed it entirely. The next evening, she and Mecca were found in Illinois, where officers noted Geysers insistence on not being separated from Mecca. Body camera footage showed the pairs interactions with law enforcement and the discovery of the pink journal.

Mecca, who prefers the name Charly, told ABC affiliate WKOW that their friendship developed at a Wisconsin church and that Geyser ran away due to visitation restrictions. Following their arrest, the two were transported in separate patrol vehicles. Footage shows Geyser quietly looking out the window, while Mecca spoke briefly with officers, expressing a desire to leave and apologizing for the trouble caused.

Author’s Analysis: Geyser’s Escape and Conditional Release

The recent escape of Morgan Geyser from her Illinois group home underscores the ongoing challenges in managing conditional releases for individuals with serious mental health histories. Geyser, who was previously institutionalized for nearly seven years following the 2014 stabbing of a classmate, was located more than 165 miles from her group home at a truck stop in Illinois. Authorities reported that she was with Chad Mecca, her close friend, and expressed strong concern about being separated from him.

Her flight highlights the tension between ensuring public safety and supporting reintegration for individuals diagnosed with serious mental illnesses. Geyser’s past diagnosis of schizophrenia played a central role in her original case, and experts at the time testified that she no longer posed a public threat. However, the removal of her ankle monitor and subsequent travel out of state indicate the potential risks inherent in conditional release programs.

Police and legal authorities are now evaluating whether to petition for revocation of Geyser’s conditional release. While Mecca has been released on citation, Geyser remains in Cook County without bail, awaiting Wisconsin’s decision on whether to reclaim her. The case serves as a reminder of the complex balance between rehabilitation, mental health management, and public safety oversight in post-institutional release scenarios.

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• The 'Slender Man' stabber made a close new friend — then ran away so they could be together