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The Slender Man trial continues Thursday. Anissa Weier, 15, admits she helped try to kill a classmate in 2014. Her own defense says she did it, and she reached a plea agreement in August, admitting to playing a role in attempted second-degree intentional homicide. But here’s the question facing a jury in Waukesha County, Wisconsin: is she responsible for what happened, or did mental illness interfere with her ability to tell right from wrong? If the jury agrees with the defense, she’ll be committed to a mental hospital for at least three years. If jurors side with the state, however, she’ll spend at least 10 years in prison.
Authorities say she and co-defendant Morgan Geyser lured a classmate, another 12-year-old girl, to a park in Milwaukee. The victim was stabbed 19 times. She survived. The case captured national attention because of the alleged motive: the suspects wanted to placate the Slender Man, a fictional creature of internet lore. Weier’s defense says she suffered from a mental illness, and it interfered with her judgment. Prosecutors claim she participated in the attempted murder for the sake of her friendship with Geyser.
Detective Shelly Fisher, of the Waukesha Police Department, testified Wednesday that she spoke to the victim. The girl told her Geyser talked a lot about the Slender Man. The victim, who was 12 at the time, began to worry, and asked her mother if the creature was real. But according to Fisher’s testimony, it was Geyser, not Weier, who was obsessed with “creepypasta,” fictional horror stories shared around the Internet.
Detective Michelle Trussoni also testified. Prosecutor Kevin Osborne tried to highlight that Weier only talked about being afraid of the Slender Man until after the stabbing, not before.
Dr. Melissa Westendorf, a psychologist, testified that Weier suffered from a “shared psychotic disorder” during the crime.
Both Weier and Geyser were originally charged with attempted first-degree intentional homicide. Geyser, who is accused of doing the stabbing, pleaded not guilty, and her trial is scheduled to begin Oct. 9.