Pictured: The two US 12-year-olds obsessed with online ghost stories 'who lured classmate into woods and stabbed her 19 times' to prove 'Slender Man' myth was real

  • Authorities say the two girls lured another 12-year-old into the woods on Saturday after a sleepover 
  • Morgan Geyser and Anissa Weier had allegedly spent months planning to kill their friend, whose identity has still not been released
  • One girl said she was sorry and the other regrets the attack
  • The victim survived the attack after crawling out of the woods and waving down a cyclist
  • She is in stable condition, but was 'a millimeter from death' after a stab wound nearly cut a major artery
  • The two girls reportedly handed the knife back and forth because they couldn't decide who would stab their friend while the other held her down

Two 12-year-old girls who are accused of viciously stabbing a classmate 19 times have been identified for the first time publicly since telling police that they plotted for months to commit murder.

Morgan Geyser and Anissa Weier face attempted murder charges after attacking their friend, saying that they did so because they wanted to join the cult of the 'Slender Man' after reading about him online.

The girls told investigators they believed the Slender Man was real and they wanted to prove it by slaughtering their friend after inviting her for a sleepover in the Milwaukee suburb of Waukesha, Wisconsin.

The two suspects the knife back and forth between them before one girl held the victim down and the other stabbed her 19 times. It is not clear which one held the victim down and which had the knife.

One girl told detectives she regretted it and the other said she was sorry.

Scroll down for video

Charged as adults: Morgan Geyser (left) and Anissa Weier (right), both 12,  face 65 years in prison after admitting to police that they stabbed a friend, hoping to kill her so they could join the cult of the 'Slender Man'
Charged as adults: Morgan Geyser (left) and Anissa Weier (right), both 12,  face 65 years in prison after admitting to police that they stabbed a friend, hoping to kill her so they could join the cult of the 'Slender Man'

Charged as adults: Morgan Geyser (left) and Anissa Weier (right), both 12,  face 65 years in prison after admitting to police that they stabbed a friend, hoping to kill her so they could join the cult of the 'Slender Man'

The Slender Man is a prevalent internet myth that has been a viral sensation since it emerged online in 2009

The Slender Man is a prevalent internet myth that has been a viral sensation since it emerged online in 2009

Geyser and Weier told police they read about the fictional character on a website known as Creepypasta Wiki, where scary stories are submitted by users.

One of the suspects is understood to have told police a user must kill someone in order to climb into the Slender Man's realm.

When the victim escaped in the midst of the assault, her assailants grabbed her and pulled her into the woods and told her to lay down and be quiet, hoping she would bleed out and die, according to court documents. 

'I thought, "dear god, this was really happening"

-Suspect Anissa Weier told police about the moment she saw co-conspirator Morgan Geyser flash the knife she was holding in her waistband as they headed to the park to attempt to kill their friend

She eventually crawled out of the woods, covered in blood after being stabbed in the legs, arms and torso. A passing cyclist saw her and called police. The girl was taken to the hospital and is expected to live, despite being stabbed a dozen and a half times.

Surgeons say she was a 'millimeter from death' - one of the stab wounds nearly sliced open a major artery.

'It was weird that I didn't feel remorse,' one of the girls told detectives.

'The bad part of me wanted her to die, the good part of me wanted her to live,' the other girl said.

Both girls are charged as adults with attempted pre-meditated murder. If convicted, they face 65 years in prison and are being held on $500,000 bail each.

The criminal complaint spells out how the Geyser and Weier initially planned to put duct tape over their friend's mouth while she was sleeping and then stab her in the neck as she lay in bed, but then they thought that a bathroom would be a better scene for the crime because it would be easier to clean up after, according to CNN.

They opted against both of those theories, however, and chose to go for the attack during a game of hide and seek at a nearby park.

Just kids: The three girls- alleged killers Morgan Geyser (pictured with her lawyer), Anissa Weier, and the victim- were all 12 years old but Geyser and Weier are facing charges as adults

Just kids: The three girls- alleged killers Morgan Geyser (pictured with her lawyer), Anissa Weier, and the victim- were all 12 years old but Geyser and Weier are facing charges as adults

Horrific: One of the two suspected killers had a picture of her family with her when police found them because she didn't want to forget what they looked like (suspect Anissa Weier pictured)

Horrific: One of the two suspected killers had a picture of her family with her when police found them because she didn't want to forget what they looked like (suspect Anissa Weier pictured)

Facing the charges: If convicted, they face 65 years in prison and are being held on $500,000 bail each
Facing the charges: If convicted, they face 65 years in prison and are being held on $500,000 bail each

Facing the charges: If convicted, they face 65 years in prison and are being held on $500,000 bail each


'As they left for the park ... (the victim) was walking in front of them and Geyser lifted up the left side of her white jacket and displayed the knife tucked in her waistband. Weier stated she gave Geyser a look with wide eyes and, when asked what that meant Weier stated, "I thought, dear god, this was really happening,"' the report states.

The girls were found walking near an interstate highway shortly after their victim was rescued. They had a backpack full of snacks and a five-inch knife.

They said they had planned to run away and join the Slender Man in his mansion in the woods outside of town. One girl even had a picture of her family with her. She said she packed it because she didn't want to forget what they looked like.

The Slender Man is a prevalent internet myth that has been a viral sensation since it emerged online in 2009. The paranormal creature stalks, abducts and traumatizes children for its own amusement. It can also supposedly control people and communicate telepathically.

The girls said they believed the 'Slender Man' was real after reading stories about him online on a site called CreepyPasta Wiki, where users can submit their own scary stories.

INTERNET MYTH OF SLENDER MAN

The Slender Man is a fictional character prevalent on the internet after originating as a meme in 2009.

The mythical creature is often depicted as an unnaturally tall, thin figure with a blank, featureless face, wearing a black suit.

The character is said to have long, tentacle-like arms, which can be extended to capture prey.

It is said to stalk, abduct and traumatize children and, depending on interpretations of the myth, can cause memory loss, insomnia and paranoia.

It is also said to be able to create distortions in photographs and teleport.

It is understood to have originated in a photoshop contest on the Something Awful Forums in 2009.

It then went viral with numerous works of fanart and short scary stories published online known as 'creepypasta'.

Every student at the middle school where the girls attend had recently been given iPads. Parents say officials promised to monitor the students' online activity, but never did.

'I recognize their young ages but it's still unbelievable,' Court Commissioner Thomas Pieper said during one of the girls' initial court appearances Monday.

Both girls appeared in court wearing shackles and jail jumpsuits. They were surrounded by sheriff's baliffs, who towered over them. Family members of one of the girls wept openly as reporters snapped photographs. The other girl's family sat stone-faced.

According to the criminal complaint, one of the girls told an investigator they began planning to kill their friend in December. The other girl told police they decided to kill her so they could become proxies of Slender Man, who would accept them and let them live with him in his mansion in the Nicolet National Forest.

The other girl said she sees Slender Man in her dreams. She said he watches her and can read her mind and teleport.

'It's extremely disturbing as a parent and as chief of police,' Waukesha Police Chief Russell Jack said at a news conference ahead of the court appearances Monday.

The girls invited their friend to a slumber party on Friday evening, the complaint said. They planned to kill her during the night so they wouldn't have to look into her eyes, one girl told police, and then run away.

Survivor: The 12-year-old girl was brutally stabbed 19 times by the two other girls who lured her into the woods. Pictured above being transported to the hospital where she was last reported in stable condition

Survivor: The 12-year-old girl was brutally stabbed 19 times by the two other girls who lured her into the woods. Pictured above being transported to the hospital where she was last reported in stable condition

Pre-meditated: The two suspects allegedly planned the 12-year-old girl's murder for months. Above, police survey the woods where the victim emerged

Pre-meditated: The two suspects allegedly planned the 12-year-old girl's murder for months. Above, police survey the woods where the victim emerged

This is the first known appearance of the 'Slender Man' online - Photoshopped into a picture 2009 - it has been a viral internet phenomenon ever since

This is the first known appearance of the 'Slender Man' online - Photoshopped into a picture 2009 - it has been a viral internet phenomenon ever since

They decided to put it off, but the next day, during a hide-and-seek game in a wooded park, they attacked their friend with a knife. One girl told the other to 'go ballistic, go crazy,' according to the complaint.

The victim began to scream that she hated them and started stumbling away, one of the girls told police.

The girls left the victim lying in the woods. She crawled to a road where a bicyclist found her lying on the sidewalk. Police arrived and she gave them the name of one of the girls who attacked her.

She was rushed into surgery, police said.

Attack: Emergency vehicles line the street near where a girl was attacked Saturday in Waukesha, Wisconsin

Attack: Emergency vehicles line the street near where a girl was attacked Saturday in Waukesha, Wisconsin

Serious crime: The two 12-year-old suspects will be charged as adults. Above, police investigating the crime knock on the door of a local home

Serious crime: The two 12-year-old suspects will be charged as adults. Above, police investigating the crime knock on the door of a local home

One of the girl's attorneys, Donna Kuchler, asked Pieper to remove reporters from the courtroom because she planned to attempt to get her client waived into juvenile court. Pieper refused. Kuchler escorted the girl's family out of the courtroom, telling reporters only that the family was horrified at what happened.

The other girl's attorney, Joseph Smith Jr., led her family out of court. He declined to comment.

Both girls are due back in court on June 11 for a status conference.

STATEMENT FROM CREEPYPASTA: 'SOMETHING ELSE HAS TO BE GOING ON THERE' FOR THE GIRLS TO JUMP FROM FANS TO ATTEMPTED MURDERERS

First and most importantly, my condolences go out to all the families involved. I cannot even imagine how painful and confusing and awful this has to be for them. I don’t have children, but I can imagine how my mother would feel if something like this happened to me, and it absolutely breaks my heart to even consider her having to go through that. The families of the young ladies who committed this crime also have my heart going out to them – I know this can’t be easy for them as well, and I’m sure they’ll have to deal with mistargeted backlash and anger even while they try to get through such a trying time themselves. So when I say that I extend my deepest sympathies and my prayers to those affected, I hope that you understand that I mean it. I know that words can seem hollow or come off as mere lip-service to the cynical, but it’s the truth.

Of course, the next thing I want to talk about is this site and the creepypasta phenomenon at large as I’m sure that many people are here because they want to know precisely what is being blamed for this event....

In this specific scenario, I’ll be honest: I have tried to keep Slenderman stories limited here. I’m aware that he and Jeff the Killer have become absurdly popular recently, with fans expanding upon their origins (in Slenderman’s case, he was created on the SomethingAwful web forums many years ago in an attempt to cooperatively create new folklore – an experiment that has apparently been quite successful). Stories about Slenderman and his proxies are not the central focus of this website. I am not intimately familiar with all the various additions and expansions to his “legend” that have cropped up all over the internet – to be frank, I did not find him particularly interesting and as such I’m really not going to be very helpful with explaining the details of his popularity and stories to all the people who most certainly have questions....

But if I may be so bold, I don’t believe that it’s the fault of Slenderman or horror writing in general that this happened. I remember reading scary stories and watching slasher movies when I was a child and young teenager and while they certainly gave me nightmares, they did not instill within me a desire to murder my friends. For someone to make the jump from reading a creepy story that is – at least on this website, once again, I can’t speak for all creepypasta websites – being presented as 100% fiction into actually using it as a motive to plot and murder another human being – something else has to be going on there.

We live in a culture with a very unhealthy relationship with mental illness. People with mental health issues are frequently dismissed (people who deal with anxiety, depression, etc have almost certainly experienced people telling them that their problems don’t exist and that they should “bootstrap” and just “get over it”), shamed and bullied (consider Miley Cyrus’ tweets where she mocked Sinead O’Conner for acknowledging her own struggle with mental illness and asking for help), and often ignored or denied necessary treatment because people either choose to look the other way when they see symptoms or their attempts to help are met with resistance because the sufferer has internalized all the negative cultural messages about having and admitting to mental illness.



The comments below have been moderated in advance.

The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline.

We are no longer accepting comments on this article.