Buy Photo
Anissa Weier is seen here being led into a courtroom for her sentencing hearing in December 2017. Weier, who has spent more than three years in a state mental hospital, said in order to become a productive member of society a judge should grant her conditional release.(Photo: Michael Sears/Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)
Anissa Weier, one of the Waukesha girls convicted in theSlender Man stabbing, says she has learned to forgive herself for her role in the crime and wants the chance to prove that she can be a "productive member of society."
In a letter filed with the court at a hearing on Wednesday, Weier, now 19 years old, asked a judge for her conditional release from a state mental hospital, nearly seven years after she and her friend set out to kill a classmate when they were 12 years old.
A decision won't be made until at least another two months after the state and defense have time to respond to reports filed by doctors who evaluated Weier in recent months.
In December 2017, Waukesha County Circuit Judge Michael Bohren committed Weierto the maximum of 25 years to the Winnebago Mental Health Institute after a jury foundhernot criminally responsible for her role in the near fatal stabbing of Payton Leutner, who was her sixth-grade classmate at the time. The crimegained worldwide coverage after Weier and Morgan Geyser said they committed the act to appease a fictional online horror character named Slender Man.
As part of her plea in 2017, Weier agreed she wouldn't request her release for at least three years.
Weier, who petitioned to be released in November, briefly spoke in court on Wednesday when asked two questions by Bohren. Her letter portrays someone who is remorseful, has taken her treatment seriously, and accepted her part in the crime while understanding she isn't a finished product.
"I am not saying I am done with treatment," Weier said. "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."
Weier's statementswill be used when the state formulates its brief to the court, due by March 26, Waukesha County deputy district attorneyTed S. Szczupakiewicz said.Szczupakiewicz said hehas been in contact with Leutner and her parents on how the state is proceeding.
The defense will then have until April 9 to respond. Aconditional release hearing is scheduled for June 11.
The state and defense don't plan to call on the psychologists and psychiatrists who evaluated Weier to testify on their reports, which Bohren said are "lengthy and thorough."
Maura McMahon, Weier's attorney, said in a message to the Journal Sentinel the doctor's reports "all find Anissa qualifies for conditional release."
"Arguments oftentimes in very serious matters and complicated, sophisticated matters can oftentimes be best presented by written arguments that can be amplified through oral arguments," Bohren said Wednesday.
Bohren must decide whether Weier poses a significant risk to herself or others or ofseriously damagingproperty if conditionally released.
If she is released, Weier would be assigned case managers through the state's Department of Health Servicesthat would provide services to her until she is 37, the length of her commitment. She was credited with the 3 years she served at the West Bend Juvenile Detention Center as her case played out.
If Bohren denies Weier's request, she would return to Winnebago for continued treatment. She would have to wait another six months before petitioning the court again.
RELATED: Here's a question-and-answer on what we know ahead of Anissa Weier's release hearing
Bohren has denied many requests made by Weier and Geyser over the years, including having the case moved to the juvenile court system.
"It was a planned murderby kids," Bohren said at Weier's sentencing hearing. "We can't forget the goal was to kill."
Doctors have testified that Weierwas suffering from a shared delusional disorder that was magnified by her friendshipwith Geyser, who had the early stages of schizophrenia, and their belief that Slender Manwould harm them or their families if they didn't kill someone. Geyser stabbed Leutner 19 times in a wooded park on May 31, 2014, in Waukesha with Weier telling her to "go ballistic." They told authorities they planned to live with Slender Man in a mansion hundreds of miles away and become his proxies. Police arrested Weier and Geyser hours later on the side of a road.
Anissa Weier, who has been committed for 25 years for her role in the 2014 Slender Man stabbing, said in a letter filed on Wednesday that "I hate my actions on May 31, but through countless hours of therapy I no longer hate myself for them."(Photo: C.T. Kruger / Now News Group)
Leutner was found by a passing bicyclist and survived the attack but would have a long recovery.
"I hate my actions on May 31, but through countless hours of therapy I no longer hate myself for them," Weier wrote. "I have forgiven myself for my participations in those events, and I ask that anyone affected forgive me as well. I have learned that forgiveness is a process of healing that helps release the pain of the past. I no longer want to be a source of pain in my community, and that is why I ask for forgiveness."
Charged initially with attempted first-degree intentional homicide, Weier eventually pleaded guilty to attempted second-degree intentionalhomicide. Ajury later accepted her insanity defense by finding her not guilty by reason of mental disease or defect, which avoided her prison time.
TIMELINE: How the Waukesha Slender Man stabbing case played out over the years
The Slender Man stabbing case, centered on Morgan Geyser (left) and Anissa Weier, has ended. Geyser and Weier were 12 when they were charged as adults after nearly stabbing their classmate, Payton Leutner, to death in May 2014.
Geyser, whoseschizophrenia was diagnosed while she was in jail,reached a plea with the state to avoid a trial.Geyser receiveda 40-year commitment to a state mental hospital.
During a "20/20" special in 2019, Leutner said she doesn't fear for the eventual releases of Geyser and Weier but that she still slept with a scissors under her bed.
"I am sorry and deeply regretful for the agony, pain and fear I have caused not only Payton and her family, but my community as well," Weier wrote.
Weier said when she's released she wants to get "someformof higher education" and that she's committed to her health and using this "negative situation and publicity for something good." She impliedthis could be through helping others with mental illness.
Weier said in her letter she has "taken care of" her mental health by participatingin all aspects of hertreatment, and maintaining 100% medication adherence,though she admits she's far from a perfect person.
"Sometimes I take my medications a little late because life gets in the way. Sometimes I lose my way and down seems up, though only for a short period of time because Ive learned to talk about whats going on so I dont become a danger again," Weier wrote.
ContactChristopher Kuhagen at (262) 446-6634or christopher.kuhagen@jrn.com. Followhim on Twitter at @ckuhagenand our newsroom Instagram accounts at MyCommunityNow and Lake Country Now.
Our subscribers make this reporting possible. Please consider supporting local journalism by subscribing to the Journal Sentinel at jsonline.com/deal.
Autoplay
Show Thumbnails
Show Captions
Read or Share this story: https://www.jsonline.com/story/communities/waukesha/news/waukesha/2021/03/10/slender-man-stabbing-anissa-weier-requests-conditional-release-waukesha-county-judge-bohren/4633888001/
Read the original here:
- Intentional Community and Capitalism - Shareable - April 10th, 2024 [April 10th, 2024]
- How alternative communities have evolved from pacifist communes to a solution to the ageing population - The Conversation - March 12th, 2024 [March 12th, 2024]
- Georgia Power Announced T. Dallas Smith named to Georgia ... - All On Georgia - November 18th, 2023 [November 18th, 2023]
- CSRWire - Thought Leaders Gather for Critical Community ... - CSRwire.com - November 18th, 2023 [November 18th, 2023]
- EPA centers diversity with first-ever environmental youth advisory council - Yahoo News - November 18th, 2023 [November 18th, 2023]
- Rigor, Relevance, & Reality: Education Collaboratory at Yale ... - Yale School of Medicine - November 18th, 2023 [November 18th, 2023]
- Gaza: UN experts call on international community to prevent ... - ReliefWeb - November 18th, 2023 [November 18th, 2023]
- Fathering Together Announces Acquisition of City Dads Group - PR Web - November 18th, 2023 [November 18th, 2023]
- Company to pay over $50 million in largest environmental lawsuit settlement in D.C. history: Health risks to the public - Yahoo News - November 18th, 2023 [November 18th, 2023]
- Student death is now part of the routine at Middlebury - The Middlebury Campus - November 18th, 2023 [November 18th, 2023]
- We welcomed an abandoned dog into our family. But dog dumping ... - Kansas Reflector - November 18th, 2023 [November 18th, 2023]
- The National Climate Assessment Goes Woke - Dallasweekly - November 18th, 2023 [November 18th, 2023]
- A Conversation about History, Race and the Meaning of True ... - Philanthropy Roundtable - November 18th, 2023 [November 18th, 2023]
- The color of community | WORLD - WORLD News Group - November 18th, 2023 [November 18th, 2023]
- Kindness has good benefits | News, Sports, Jobs - The Review - November 18th, 2023 [November 18th, 2023]
- Georgia Power Foundation awards grant for BIG Edge ... - Georgia Southern University Newsroom - November 18th, 2023 [November 18th, 2023]
- "Chilling": Maryland lawmakers threaten to cut aid to immigrants ... - Salon - November 18th, 2023 [November 18th, 2023]
- Three water options come with high cost | News, Sports, Jobs - Evening Observer - November 18th, 2023 [November 18th, 2023]
- Welcome to the Team, Kintan! | Office of Immigrant Affairs - Philadelphia Water Department - July 11th, 2023 [July 11th, 2023]
- Fannie Mae Recognized for Its DEI Efforts - DSNews.com - July 11th, 2023 [July 11th, 2023]
- Fannie Mae Named 'Best Place to Work for Disability Inclusion' and ... - Fannie Mae - July 11th, 2023 [July 11th, 2023]
- Focused on progress - Weekly Challenger - July 11th, 2023 [July 11th, 2023]
- Good Ancestors and Messengers of Hope - Digital Journal - July 11th, 2023 [July 11th, 2023]
- 'Make it intentional': 3-N-1 Trinity Services helps young ... - Longview News-Journal - July 11th, 2023 [July 11th, 2023]
- 'Latinistas' is the World's First All-Latina Fashion Doll Line - hiplatina.com - July 11th, 2023 [July 11th, 2023]
- CSU Releases Findings of Three-Year Research Study on NAVA'S ... - InvestorsObserver - July 11th, 2023 [July 11th, 2023]
- Press Ganey's Physician of the Year on a cardiology 'game changer ... - Becker's Hospital Review - July 11th, 2023 [July 11th, 2023]
- City Officials Join Summer Campers and Local Artists to Kick Off ... - Philadelphia Water Department - July 11th, 2023 [July 11th, 2023]
- Merrill and Linda Hutchinson on Communication for a Summer of ... - Digital Journal - July 11th, 2023 [July 11th, 2023]
- Feathers installed as Rotary District Governor | News, Sports, Jobs - The Inter-Mountain - July 11th, 2023 [July 11th, 2023]
- Theatre at St. Luke's: All Shook Up to The Little Mermaid - Orlando Sentinel - July 11th, 2023 [July 11th, 2023]
- Culture wars rage on, forcing marketers to decide whether to ... - Marketing Dive - July 11th, 2023 [July 11th, 2023]
- Some thoughts on governance of the local variety - Resilience - July 6th, 2023 [July 6th, 2023]
- 988 is saving lives, but more awareness and support needed - Alton Telegraph - July 6th, 2023 [July 6th, 2023]
- The Limitations of Eco-Anxiety | Atmos - Atmos Magazine - July 6th, 2023 [July 6th, 2023]
- Welcome Back: How JAPER Becomes Real for the People in Brazil ... - Just Security - July 6th, 2023 [July 6th, 2023]
- Now Is the Time to Go All In on Heat Pumps - Rocky Mountain Institute - July 6th, 2023 [July 6th, 2023]
- Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) celebrates 40th ... - Elizabethton.com - July 6th, 2023 [July 6th, 2023]
- Discrimination or bureaucracy? A Jewish community in Germany ... - The Jerusalem Post - July 6th, 2023 [July 6th, 2023]
- AAP Rules And Guidelines For How To Keep Kids Safe From Cars - Fatherly - July 6th, 2023 [July 6th, 2023]
- Pine County Sheriff's Report and Jail Roster | Communities ... - Pine City Pioneer - July 6th, 2023 [July 6th, 2023]
- Is a Hanan Ben Ari concert the solution for Jewish divisions? - opinion - The Jerusalem Post - July 6th, 2023 [July 6th, 2023]
- What the LGBT wedding website Supreme Court ruling means for ... - The Atlanta Journal Constitution - July 6th, 2023 [July 6th, 2023]
- Out at CHM hosts its first 2023 event - Windy City Times - July 6th, 2023 [July 6th, 2023]
- 'The time is now': Longtime friends launch support organization for ... - The Lawrence Times - July 6th, 2023 [July 6th, 2023]
- La Vergne Receives Municipal League Award for Excellence in Fire ... - rutherfordsource.com - July 6th, 2023 [July 6th, 2023]
- UW System offers status update on its five-year strategic plan (day 1 ... - University of Wisconsin System - July 6th, 2023 [July 6th, 2023]
- Hawaii Native Krystal Ka'ai Tackles Equity And Anti-Asian Hate For ... - Honolulu Civil Beat - July 6th, 2023 [July 6th, 2023]
- News & events / News - Diocese of York - July 6th, 2023 [July 6th, 2023]
- Businesses that address social or environmental problems often ... - The Conversation - July 6th, 2023 [July 6th, 2023]
- EFOC: Is This Happening To Me Because I'm Black? Combating ... - Essence - July 6th, 2023 [July 6th, 2023]
- Stations Telling Diverse Stories With Sponsored Segments from ... - Next TV - July 6th, 2023 [July 6th, 2023]
- Ex-Prisoners Face Headwinds as Job Seekers, Even as Openings ... - The New York Times - July 6th, 2023 [July 6th, 2023]
- Bungie weighs in on the current argument raging through the ... - PC Gamer - July 6th, 2023 [July 6th, 2023]
- Myanmar: Dire humanitarian and human rights situation ... - OHCHR - June 30th, 2023 [June 30th, 2023]
- Invest in our public schools - EdNC - June 30th, 2023 [June 30th, 2023]
- N.Y. stands up for LGBTQ equality: Having Pride 12 months a year - New York Daily News - June 30th, 2023 [June 30th, 2023]
- NASCAR, Bubba Wallace bring 'Bubba's Block Party' to Chicago - Daytona Times - June 30th, 2023 [June 30th, 2023]
- Fifth Third's 2022 Sustainability Report Shares Progress on Priorities ... - InvestorsObserver - June 30th, 2023 [June 30th, 2023]
- Top LGBTQ+ Financial Influencers to Learn from in 2023 - Investopedia - June 30th, 2023 [June 30th, 2023]
- 'Retirement is so traditional,' try periodic retirement to figure out ... - Morningstar - June 30th, 2023 [June 30th, 2023]
- Crisis of missing and murdered Indigenous people brings federal ... - New Mexico In Depth - June 30th, 2023 [June 30th, 2023]
- The Astounding Power of Intentional Productivity (And How You Can ... - The Good Men Project - June 30th, 2023 [June 30th, 2023]
- What SCOTUS ruling on affirmative action means for UL schools - Louisiana Radio Network - June 30th, 2023 [June 30th, 2023]
- Community managers find the path for developers and players to ... - VentureBeat - June 30th, 2023 [June 30th, 2023]
- The EPA was ready to clean up 'Cancer Alley.' Then it backed off. - Grist - June 30th, 2023 [June 30th, 2023]
- What Bidenomics Means for Workers and Families - UpNorthNews - June 30th, 2023 [June 30th, 2023]
- The vital link between a healthy press and our republic - The Fulcrum - June 30th, 2023 [June 30th, 2023]
- Death, Drag, and Decadence shows off the queer joy of DnD - Wargamer - June 30th, 2023 [June 30th, 2023]
- Israeli Expats in the U.S.: 'I Speak English, but I Don't Speak American' - Tablet Magazine - June 30th, 2023 [June 30th, 2023]
- NTSB hearings end with talks on tanker conditions, fire's aftermath - Marietta Times - June 30th, 2023 [June 30th, 2023]
- Can 'Friendship Clubs' Cure the Loneliness Created by Remote Work? - The San Francisco Standard - June 4th, 2023 [June 4th, 2023]
- 'Men in Blazers' Podcast Comes to Higher Ground to Talk Vermont ... - Seven Days - June 4th, 2023 [June 4th, 2023]
- Mindfulness, breathwork expert preaches value of slow living to Black and brown communities - Yahoo News - June 4th, 2023 [June 4th, 2023]
- Idaho's physician shortage is here. Here's what we can do about it. - Idaho Capital Sun - June 4th, 2023 [June 4th, 2023]
- Awards Ceremony Shines Spotlight on Caltech's Trailblazers in ... - Caltech - June 4th, 2023 [June 4th, 2023]
- The African American Museum of Iowa Announces Juneteenth ... - River Cities Reader - June 4th, 2023 [June 4th, 2023]
- US Supreme Court Rules Against Striking Drivers Who Abandoned ... - Engineering News-Record - June 4th, 2023 [June 4th, 2023]
- The Future of the Thomaston Green is Green (or should be) - PenBayPilot.com - June 4th, 2023 [June 4th, 2023]
- The Elephant in the Ethernet Port - City Journal - June 4th, 2023 [June 4th, 2023]