Waukesha, Wisconsin. A quiet American town where nothing strange ever seemed to happen. But on May 31, 2014, something so shocking happened that it sent cold chills down the spines of people all over the world.
Payton Leutner, 12 years old, was excited. Her best friend, Morgan Geyser, had invited her for a sleepover. The two had been friends for years. They played games together, ate snacks, watched cartoons, and even shared secrets. But Payton didn’t know that this night would nearly cost her life.
Morgan had another friend, Anissa Weier. She was quieter, not as close to Payton, but also part of the sleepover. That night, the three girls played like normal—laughing, running around, talking about silly things. But inside the minds of Morgan and Anissa, something dark was growing.
They believed in a creature called Slenderman—a tall, faceless man in a black suit who lived in the woods. They had read about him online. They believed he was real. And worse—they thought he wanted them to prove their loyalty… by killing someone.
That someone was Payton.
The next morning, the girls went to the park. They laughed, joked, and played hide-and-seek. Then, they walked deeper into the nearby woods. Payton followed them, still thinking it was all part of the game.
But suddenly, Morgan pulled out a knife—a big kitchen knife she had taken from home.
“I’m sorry,” Morgan whispered.
And then… she stabbed Payton.
Not once. Not twice.
Nineteen times.
Payton screamed. The pain was unbearable. She begged them to stop. Blood poured from her wounds—her arms, her legs, her chest. One stab wound came just a few centimeters from her heart. She was dying.
Morgan and Anissa stood over her. But instead of helping, they simply said:
“Stay here. Don’t move. We’re going to get help.”
They never did.
They walked away, leaving their friend bleeding in the dirt, deep in the forest.
Payton couldn’t move much. Her body was weak. Her vision was blurry. But something in her said, “You have to survive.” So she dragged herself through the leaves, the mud, and the pain—slowly—towards a nearby bike path.
A cyclist found her. Shocked, he called 911.
Paramedics rushed her to the hospital. She had wounds all over her body. But… she lived.
She had survived the impossible.
When the police caught Morgan and Anissa, their story was chilling.
They believed Slenderman was real. They said if they didn’t kill someone, he would come for their families. They thought stabbing Payton would let them become his “proxies” and live with him in a mansion in the woods.
But it was all fantasy. Slenderman wasn’t real. Just a scary story made up on the internet.
Psychologists who examined Morgan said she was suffering from early-onset schizophrenia. She saw things that weren’t there. Heard voices. She believed Slenderman truly existed.
Anissa wasn’t as deeply mentally ill, but she believed Morgan’s story. She said she was scared Slenderman would hurt her family if she didn’t help.
They were only 12 years old.
The justice system had a big decision to make. These were just children—but they had planned a murder.
Morgan Geyser was sent to a mental health facility after being found “not guilty by reason of mental disease.” She was ordered to spend up to 40 years in psychiatric treatment.
Anissa Weier was also sent to a mental institution for 25 years, but she was released on conditional supervision in 2021 after seven years. She now lives under strict rules, with GPS monitoring and therapy sessions.
Payton, the victim, recovered physically. But emotionally? The scars remain. In an interview years later, she said: “I still sleep with scissors under my pillow.”
Final Thoughts:
This story is not just about monsters in the woods. It’s about the monsters that can grow inside young minds when fantasy and reality get mixed up. It’s about friendship, betrayal, fear, and survival.
And above all—it’s about how strong the human spirit can be, even at just 12 years old.
Would you forgive a friend who tried to kill you? Could you ever trust again?
