Two 12-year-old girls in Wisconsin are accused of stabbing their unidentified 12-year-old friend 19 times and nearly killing her – all in the name of a mythical creature invented five years ago by a user on an online forum.

The Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel reported that the two girls, Morgan Geyser and Anissa Weier, told police the attempted murder was a dedication to “Slender Man,’’ a fictional character created on the Something Awful forums who is often portrayed as a tall, slim, faceless man in a black suit with multiple tentacles.

Weier told police that Slender Man is the "leader" of Creepypasta, and in the hierarchy of that world, one must kill to show dedication. Weier said that Geyser told her they should become "proxies" of Slender Man, a paranormal figure known for his ability to create tendrils from his fingers and back, and kill their friend to prove themselves worthy of him. Weier said she was surprised by Geyser's suggestion, but also excited to prove skeptics wrong and show that Slender Man really did exist.

From the Journal-Sentinel:

Both suspects explained the stabbing to police referencing their dedication to Slender Man, the character they discovered on a website called Creepypasta Wiki, which is devoted to horror stories. Weier told police that Slender Man is the "leader" of Creepypasta, and in the hierarchy of that world, one must kill to show dedication. Weier said that Geyser told her they should become "proxies" of Slender Man — a paranormal figure known for his ability to create tendrils from his fingers and back — and kill their friend to prove themselves worthy of him. Weier said she was surprised by Geyser's suggestion, but also excited to prove skeptics wrong and show that Slender Man really did exist. The suspects believed that "Slender," as Weier called him, lived in a mansion in the Nicolet National Forest in northern Wisconsin. The plan was to kill the victim and walk to Slender's mansion.

The Associated Press reported that the stabbing had been planned months in advance and took place after they invited the victim over for a slumber party last weekend. All three girls went to a park the next day where Geyser, Weier, or both, stabbed her. According to the AP report, one of the wounds missed a major artery by about a millimeter. Geyser and Weier then left the victim in the woods to die.


After they left, the victim was able to crawl to a nearby road where a bicyclist found her. She was taken to a nearby hospital and was in stable condition Monday night.

After the two girls were found walking along a stretch of road, they explained to investigators their motive for the attack and the extent of their belief in the character.

From the AP:

The other girl told police they decided to kill her so they could become proxies of Slender Man, who would accept them and let them live with him in his mansion in the Nicolet National Forest. The other girl said she sees Slender Man in her dreams. She said he watches her and can read her mind and teleport.

Both girls are being charged as adults with first-degree attempted homicide, with a possible penalty of up to 60 years in prison. They were each held on $500,000 bail.