Teenager Involved in 'Slender Man' Case Sentenced to 25 Years in a Psychiatric Hospital

On Thursday, Anissa Weier, who pleaded guilty in August to accomplicing attempted second-degree intentional homicide, was sentenced to 25 years in a psychiatric hospital. Although she pleaded guilty, she cited mental illness as the reason behind her actions, according to TMJ4 News.

Her case has garnered media attention as Weier — along with Morgan Geyser, who will be sentenced in February — was only 12 years old when she attempted to murder a fellow 12-year-old, claiming she did so on behalf of the mythical character Slender Man.

Weier is now 16 years old, which means she will be institutionalized until she is 37. Although it’s unclear if she has a diagnosis, Geyser, who was directly involved in the stabbing while Weier accompanied her, has been diagnosed with early onset schizophrenia, the Washington Post reported.

At the time of the investigation, both Weier and Geyser told detectives they felt they had to kill the young girl to protect their families from Slender Man.

“I do hold myself accountable for this and that I will do whatever I have to do to make sure I don’t get any sort of delusion or whatever again,” Weier told the judge on Thursday. “I want everybody involved to know I deeply regret everything that happened that day. I know that nothing I say is going to make this right and nothing I say is going to fix what I broke.”

People who live with mental illnesses are more likely to be victims of violence than violent themselves. While the majority of people who receive a schizophrenia diagnosis are not violent, factors including substance abuse, insufficient social support and failure to receive treatment can increase the chances of someone with schizophrenia becoming violent.

If this news is triggering for you, you are not alone. 

If you need support right now, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255, the Trevor Project at 1-866-488-7386 or reach the Crisis Text Line by texting “START” to 741-741.

Lead photo screenshot via TMJ4