The judge granted early release to the 'Slender Man' stabber, despite multiple unsuccessful attempts.

On Thursday, a Wisconsin judge granted an early conditional release to Morgan Geyser, who was convicted of stabbing her childhood friend over a decade ago.

In 2014, when Geyser was 12 years old, she, along with Anissa Weier, stabbed Payton Leutner 19 times in an attempt to appease the mythical character Slender Man.

In 2018, the woman was found not guilty by reason of mental disease and was committed to the Winnebago Mental Health Institute for a maximum of 40 years of state mental health supervision, which is now 22 years old.

Geyser was back in court on Thursday, making a fourth request for release from the state psychiatric hospital in the past two years, despite withdrawing her first two petitions.

Judge Bohren of Waukesha County ruled that Geyser had exhausted all her treatment options at the facility and mandated the Department of Health Services to devise a plan for monitoring and housing her in a group home, pending his approval at a hearing within 60 days.

Doctors have assessed Geyser's progress to determine if she is eligible for a conditional release.

During Thursday's hearing, Dr. Brooke Lundbohm, who has a history of working with Geyser and previously stated that Geyser was not ready for conditional release, changed course and testified in favor of Geyser's release.

In March of 2024, Lundbohm testified that there were still ongoing concerns about emotional regulation and anxiety provoked reactions to unknown triggers that were reminiscent of her trauma. Since that time, there is nothing in the record to suggest continued symptoms that once plagued her, like crying spells, anxiety attacks, periods of dissociation.

"Since 2021, there have been ongoing issues related to her report of auditory disturbances that she described as demons. However, there have been no reports of such disturbances for the past three years."

In May 2014, Geyser and Weier enticed Leutner to a secluded wooded area following a slumber party, and Geyser repeatedly stabbed Leutner, with Weier urging her actions.

Despite being left for dead, Leutner survived the attack by crawling out of the woods and being discovered by a bicyclist.

According to Lundbohm, Geyser's current understanding is that her mental illness caused fantasy to become indistinguishable from reality, leading her to have difficulty distinguishing between what is fiction and what is real.

Lundbohm stated that she backed a conditional release of Geyser to a residence treatment program, but only if it included various support services and the ability to monitor her behavior and relationships effectively.

Geyser has been allowed to visit Starbucks, museums, and other excursions from the facility in recent months, and Lundbohm stated that she does not believe Geyser poses a risk to herself or others during these outings.

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Geyser's progress, according to Lunbohm, is due to a combination of factors, including maturity and Geyser's suicide attempt in October 2021. Lunbohm also confirmed that Geyser is taking anti-depressant and anti-anxiety medications.

"Lundbohm stated that she has been more committed to her treatment and has become more involved in it. Over the past eight to ten months, there has been a significant improvement in her comprehension of her mental health."

Both Geyser and Weier were sent to psychiatric institutes due to mental illness after admitting guilt to attempted homicide.

In September 2021, Weier was granted conditional release and was mandated to undergo outpatient psychiatric treatment and be subjected to GPS monitoring.

Planet Chronicle' Stepheny Price contributed to this report.