WAUKESHA COUNTY (WITI) — An important hearing is taking place on Tuesday, May 26th for one of two girls accused in the so-called “Slenderman” stabbing. A Waukesha County Circuit Court judge is listening to testimony about whether Anissa Weier should be tried in adult or children’s court.
13-year-old Weier and 13-year-old Morgan Geyser are charged with attempted first-degree intentional homicide after the knife attack on their then 12-year-old friend. In adult court, that could mean up to 65 years in prison.
In court Tuesday, Weier’s lawyer is trying to get the case moved to juvenile court. The charge would carry a lesser penalty of around 12 years behind bars. Both Weier and Geyser claim they were trying to please the online fictional character Slenderman. The victim survived the attack.
FOX6’s Myra Sanchick reports that officials say Weier had one time been on suicide watch — and was bullied by others. She apparently only saw a counselor at the Washington County secure detention facility — after she was cleared from suicide watch. Officials also say Weier can have no physical contact with her parents or siblings — and that no other child has stayed in that facility as long as Weier. The average stay is roughly 30 days.
Testimony and recorded interviews with both girls have shown Morgan Geyser to be schizophrenic and Anissa Weier to be afraid Slenderman would kill her family if she did not kill her friend.
In March 2015, the girls’ lawyers told the judge there are mitigating circumstances — facts that should lessen the crime.
The lawyers wanted a second degree charge which would put the case in children’s court. The judge says while that’s true, there are several other motives that were there, leaving the charge as first degree.
Geyser’s hearing is set for June.