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Monday, March 18, 2024 | Back issues
Courthouse News Service Courthouse News Service

Months of Delay Expected in Slenderman Stabbing Trial

WAUKESHA, Wis. (CN) - A judge decided to stay the attempted-murder trial of two 13-year-olds on Wednesday, minutes after correcting media reports saying he made the order last week.

Anissa Weier and Morgan Geyser were 12 on May 31, 2014, when they stabbed their classmate, Payton Leutner, 19 times. The girls told police they did it to please Slenderman, an online horror character they later claimed would have hurt them and their families if they failed to kill Leutner.

Leutner recovered from the attack, and her friends were charged as adults with attempted murder.

Though Waukesha County Circuit Court Judge Michael Bohren refused to send the trial to the juvenile system, the Wisconsin Court of Appeals agreed to reconsider the issue.

Bohren told the court Wednesday that the appeals court will set a briefing schedule when it receives the lower court records by Nov. 2.

Though local media had reported last week that Bohren issued a stay at the last hearing, the judge said this was not the case.

Wisconsin has not opposed the defense's motion to stay the proceedings, and Bohren granted such relief today.

Weier and Geyser appeared by phone for the hearing.

Bohren scheduled a status conference for Jan. 15, 2016, saying he does not anticipate a decision by the appeals court before the end of this year.

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