All language subtitles for Beware.The.Slenderman.2016.720p.WEBRip.x264.AAC-[YTS.MX]

Hey! Over here!

Please!

911, what is the address
of your emergency?

Waukesha County,
I'm gonna transfer over
a caller on Big Bend.

That's a dead end
just south of Rivera.

Okay.
He came upon
a 12-year-old female.

She appears
to have been stabbed.

She appears to be what?

Stabbed.
Stabbed?

Correct.

On Saturday, May 31st, 2014,
at approximately 9:50 a.m.,

the Waukesha
Police Department
was notified

by a concerned
citizen

that a 12-year-old girl
was stabbed

in the area
of Big Bend Road
in the city of Waukesha.

The stabbing brought a huge
police presence to the area,

a major search
by ground and air
looking for two other girls.

Anissa Weier
and Morgan Geyser

are accused
of stabbing their friend

and leaving her for dead.

Weier and Geyser lured Payton
into the woods

Police say that's when Geyser,
holding the knife,

was told by Weier,
"Go ballistic, go crazy."

And what happened?

Payton said,
"Then she started."

Geyser began to stab
the 12-year-old,

as she screamed, 19 times
with a five-inch blade.

In the arms,
legs, and torso.

One of the knife wounds
missed a major artery

near her heart
by just a millimeter.

Payton somehow survived.

She crawled out
of those woods.

A bicyclist found her
on the sidewalk,

covered in blood
and begging for help.

When asked who attacked her,
she said, "My best friend."

Police say the suspects
were inspired by a character

on a website
called Creepypasta,

a site filled
with scary stories.

Now, the story they followed

was about a character
called Slenderman.

A tall, fictional boogeyman
featured on Internet blogs.

Slenderman, a faceless ghoul

many parents have likely
never heard of.

If you don't know
who Slenderman is--

well, we didn't either,
but plenty of young kids do.

If you don't know
who Slenderman is,
you live under a rock.

Who's that?

Run! Run! Run!

Oh my god, run! No, run!

Oh my god!
Oh my god!

Anissa Weier and Morgan Geyser

were found walking
near the interstate.

They later told police
they planned to walk

to Slenderman's mansion.

Police say it's also who

the young suspects claimed
they wanted to please.

Anissa felt as though
she needed to prove

that Slenderman existed
and would be able to do that
by killing somebody.

And Morgan said
that her family would be
in danger if they didn't.

Prosecutors have charged
the girls as adults.

If convicted on the charges,

each 12-year-old faces

up to 65 years in prison.

Did it seem
to you at any point during
your interview with Morgan

that she was remorseful
about what she had done?

Absolutely none.

Did she cry at all at any point
during your interview of her?

There was no emotion
from her at all.

Did you, after discussing
the incident itself,

have any conversation
with Payton

about how she felt
about Morgan and Anissa
at this point?

She said
that Morgan should go to jail
for the rest of her life...

and that Anissa should
go to jail too, but not as long

because she was involved
but she didn't stab her.

She just stood there
and watched.

Hi, Morgan.

Hi, Morgan.

Morgan was a surprise.

And I didn't know how to feel
about it at first...

but I knew that I loved her.

Yay!

And she changed
our lives drastically

and for the better.

Morgan's always been quirky,

and she's always marched
to the beat of her own drum.

Even from--
from little on...

she didn't care
what people think about her,

which I think is
a wonderful trait,
especially for-- for a girl.

Girls are usually so--

so self-conscious
and concerned about--

about what others think of them,
and Morgan was never like that.

You know, she just...

She always just did
her own thing,

and if people didn't like it,

well, that was
their problem.

Kitties and puppies
aren't wild animals.

No, that's right.
They're not. They're pets.

I had a camera in her face

for a good portion
of her childhood,

so I think she got sick
of it sometimes.

She got a real
miniature baby grand piano
for Christmas one year.

And she would sit there
for quite a long time,

just making up
sweet little songs.

And we tried
to capture as many of them
as we could on video,

but usually as soon
as she realized that
we were paying attention

or recording her,
she would stop.

♪ They'll stay stray forever ♪

One thing about Morgan
that always struck us...

as a little...
odd was that she...

She didn't react the way

that you would
expect her to react...

like at the movies.

Like, if something bad happened
to the main character, she...

she wouldn't
have empathy for them.

♪ ♪
Bambi, come here!

Look.

New spring grass.

I remember watching "Bambi"
with her for the first time.

We were so worried
to watch it with her,

because we thought
she was gonna be so upset
when-- when the mother died.

♪ ♪
Bambi, quick! The thicket!

Faster! Faster, Bambi!

Don't look back!
Keep running! Keep running!

But the mother died,
and Morgan just said,

"Run Bambi, run!
Get out of there,
save yourself!"

You know?
And she wasn't sad about it.

We made it!

We made it, Mother!

We...

Mother!

And I could think of...

a lot of other examples
along those lines

where she hasn't reacted
in the way

that we would expect
a little girl to react.

We were aware that Morgan
was interested in Slenderman.

She would show us
some of the characters
and some of the stories.

While I wasn't thrilled
about her interest,

I didn't really see
the harm in it either.

We never thought
for a moment that she...

She could possibly believe
that it was real.

When I was
Morgan's age, I--

I remember
biking home from the library
with Stephen King's "It."

You know, so I liked
that sort of thing too
when I was her age,

and I think most kids
her age do like scary stories
and horror movies and...

scary stories
on the Internet, you know?
So, that's all that we--

that's all that
we thought that it was.

I just can't imagine her...

I can't imagine her coming up
with that plan on her own.

♪ My bonnie... ♪

♪ My bonnie lies
over the ocean ♪

♪ My bonnie
lies over the sea ♪

♪ My bonnie lies
over the ocean ♪

♪ So bring back
my bonnie to me ♪

♪ Bring back, bring back ♪

♪ Oh, bring back
my bonnie to me ♪

♪ Bring back! ♪

♪ Bring back ♪
♪ Back ♪

♪ Oh, bring back
my bonnie to me ♪
♪ Bonnie... me ♪

She lost
a tooth, so the tooth fairy
gave her a dollar.

It was that tooth.

I was telling her--
I was like, "A dollar?"

I said,
"I only ever got quarters
from the tooth fairy."

She was happy.

The tooth fairy
gave her a dollar.

This was
the last video
I have.

This was at the end of her
sixth grade year for school.

♪ Hush, hush,
somebody's callin' my name ♪

♪ Hush! Somebody's
callin' my name ♪

♪ Hush, hush,
somebody's callin' my name ♪

♪ Oh my Lord, oh my Lord,
what should I do? ♪

Yes, this is Anissa's
very pink bedroom.

At the time
that we painted this,
pink was the thing.

Anissa's his person.
Tiger is Anissa's cat.

After Anissa left...

he would come up here
and he'd spend a lot of time

just walking around,
nosing around,

looking for Anissa.

You know, nobody uses...

the bed while she's gone.

I don't know,
maybe the cat does, but...

I guess it just made more sense
to take everything apart

and wash it
and when she comes home,

it's all clean
and ready to go.

It's just a matter of when.

She would come
in here to practice choir.

She did projects
that she would have to FaceTime

with two or three
different kids

from this flight academy class
she was in.

'Cause I'd pop in
on a regular basis.

I'd just you know,
"What are you doing?"

I see a face on the iPad.
"Okay, who are you talking to?"

You know, "What are
you guys working on?"

And then you know, most days...

you know, 7:30, "Anissa,
you're done with your iPad.

Shut it down,
come downstairs,
be with your family."

And she never argued.

People have asked me if I saw
any signs in my daughter
and this and that.

And I'm just like,
"No. I knew what
she was doing in here.

Because when she wasn't doing
her choir practice,
that door was open."

You know, all of the kids--

not just Anissa,
all of them--
they know...

there's no closed doors
in this house unless you're...

fresh out of the shower
or getting ready for bed.

So...

for people to say...

I wasn't involved...

Apart from sitting
in the corner and watching
every move she makes,

I don't know how much
more involved I could've been.

My focus is Anissa...

not Slenderman.

And what is your name?

Anissa Weier.
Anissa, okay.

Okay, Just kind of...

give me a look.
Give me a look.

Morgan.

How you doing?
Fine.

Come on up.

Morgan, all right.

Hmm.

Okay.

All rise, please.

I thank you. Please be seated.

Court will call the matter,
State of Wisconsin versus
Morgan E. Geyser

and also State versus
Anissa E. Weier.

Good morning.
The case is here today
on a number of matters.

The first matter
I'll address is the issue
of... competency.

They're glad--
they're--

Uhh...

So...

There was a sleepover
the prior night

for Morgan's 12th birthday.

We knew that
there was Anissa, Morgan,

and a third girl
that we've never met...

and that they were all
at Morgan's house.

Morgan and Anissa have
only known each other

since they started
sixth grade.

They met because they--
they rode the same bus.

♪ ♪

We were so happy
that Morgan had made
a good friend

so-- so close, someone else
in the neighborhood.

(sniffles) We were--
we were so happy for her...

to have someone
to play with.

♪ ♪

(Trussoni speaks
on video)

(sniffles)

Uh-huh.
Okay.

My name is Bella,
and I was nominated

to do the Ice Bucket Challenge
for ALS by...

Morgan and Bella have known
each other since kindergarten,

and they've been best friends
since fourth grade.

Man:
Are you guys ready?
I guess.

Man: Let's go.
One, two, three.

One, two, three.
(woman moans)

(screams)
Oh my god!

(Casey speaking)

(Morgan speaks)

Umm...

(crying)

Okay.

♪ ♪

(Anissa speaking
on video)

(Casey speaks)

(Morgan speaks)

(Trussoni speaks
on video)

Anissa:
Umm...

♪ ♪

(clears throat)

♪ ♪

(Anissa speaking)

(Morgan speaks
matter-of-factly)

(sniffles)

♪ ♪

(Skype startup noise)

(ringing)

Irene:
Hello, Dr. Zipes!

I-- I don't have--
I-- uh, wait.

(clicks)
Hello?

Actually, the quality
seems fine on my end.

And yeah, my Skype is
just not having it today.

You-- have we started now?

Irene:
Yes, yes.
When-- when did we start?

Man: Hello.
Hello.

Man:
How are you?
Good.

Man:
Who are you
Skyping with?

Someone-- I'm getting
interviewed for a documentary.

Okay, then--
what-- so let's start--
start with the question then.

♪ ♪

Trevor Blank:
Slenderman is
the modern-day boogeyman.

Because it's faceless,
because it's quiet,

because it doesn't speak words,

it's open to a lot
of interpretation

and open
to a lot of possibilities
and to a lot of projection.

It varies
from person to person

as to what
Slenderman actually is.

♪ ♪

He's the creature
that lives in my closet.

He's the guy
in the windowless white van.

The faceless stranger
who kidnaps kids.

It encapsulates,
symbolically,

a lot of these other
kind of societal fears

that we've had
for ages and ages

and kind of conveniently
wraps them up

and makes it really malleable.

Because, really,
Slenderman can be whomever
you want him to be.

(mouse clicks)

♪ ♪

(keyboard clacking)

(mouse clicks)

Blank:
We can empirically look back

and find out where
Slenderman was created.

It was created
in 2009 by Eric Knudsen

under the screen name
"Victor Surge"

as part
of a Photoshop contest

to try to create something

that looked real
that really wasn't.

Brad Kim:
Urban legends on the Internet
has been a thing for decades.

♪ ♪

There was already
a base audience

that was ready
for a globalized project

to kind of build a myth.

It actually began
with the games

that spun off
from Slenderman.

♪ ♪

It's so heavily
visually oriented

that it's replicable
without really having

to understand
too much cultural context.

(footsteps)
(crickets chirping)

Kim:
And from there,

it spread
to every available platform

and medium on the web.

Tumblr...

DeviantArt...

YouTube...

and also the 4chan's
Paranormal Board.

All of these websites have

a really strong affinity
with fan art in general.

(mouse clicks)
(man breathes heavily,
speaks German)

(speaks German)

"Slender is coming"?

(speaks German)

Kim: YouTube was
the international hub

for non-English speakers

to kind of break their way
into the myth.

(man speaks Spanish)

(man 2 speaks Spanish)

(man 2 breathing hard)

(speaks Spanish)

(Kike speaks)

(grunts)
(distortion)

(retches)
(mouse clicks)

♪ ♪

Kim:
Creepypasta is
this generic term

for horror stories
that gets copied

then pasted because it's good.

As it spreads,
people start tweaking

some parts of the story
or pick up where
they left off.

These are stories
that branched out

of the main canon
of Slenderman.
(mouse clicks)

(piano music playing)

Woman:
"Oh, should I travel
through the woods,

"Or should I not
wishing I would?

"For above me
lurks within the trees

"No one could hear
my deathly screams

"The palest man,
the blackest suit

"Bigger than the tallest brute

"Six black arms
will grab you up

"Or stalk you
till you just give up

"He'll leave your body
not to eat

But to staple
your corpse upon a tree."

(static)

"Fear the man,
the Slenderman

For he can do
what no one can."

♪ ♪

Blank:
Slenderman kind
of represents an opportunity

to see where people
are nervous

about certain things
and what excites them

and what brings them together,
because it changes.

It changes based
on who's telling the story.

♪ ♪

Often in the adult world

we forget how much
it sucks to be a kid.

Slenderman can also be seen
as a guardian angel.

Slenderman is
the Grim Reaper

but with a heart.

These pictures are not
so much him showing up

on the playground
to snatch kids away,
but to rescue them.

Stories like this can be

a powerful aphrodisiac for--

for somebody who is lonely
or is troubled,

or is trying to find
their way in the world.

♪ ♪

Slenderman has
this entire community
of people online

who are feeding
into the narrative

and creating
their own versions of it.

It's constantly--
it's exponentially growing.

♪ ♪

Richard Dawkins:
That's the definition
of a good meme.

In human culture,

if it's copied
from one brain to another,

that's a meme.

Hi, my name is Valerie,

and I've decided to do
the Ice Bucket Challenge.

I'm doing the ALS
Ice Bucket Challenge.

I'm here to join
the people bringing attention
to Lou Gehrig's disease.

Dawkins:
It can be an idea.

It can be a tune.
It can be a style of dancing.

Woman: Tired?
Cameraman:
What do you think he's doing?

Planking.
Cameraman:
Oh, you know?

Woman:
Yeah, I do.
Cameraman: Yes!

Woman:
I am from the Internet.
(men laugh)

Dawkins:
The Internet provides

a very, very fast,
efficient, universal,

worldwide medium
for memes to spread.

That'll never catch on.

(anchors laugh)
No doubt.

Dawkins:
There may be
some memes that spread

like a very rapid epidemic
and then die away.

But others may have
strong persistence.

(humming)

People are
captivated
by Slenderman

and wish to pass on images
or to modify images of him.

(distortion, static)

This horrifying story
of two girls who thought

that it was
their duty to Slenderman
to go and kill someone.

Well, that's what
I call power.

That's very substantial power,
very horrific power.

(static)

(clicking)

Jack Zipes:
Unconsciously,
Slenderman stems

from a tradition that--
that goes way, way back.

To a great extent,
the Brothers Grimm
collected tales that deal

with what I would call
universal human struggles

that we continue
to have today.

I think that's
one of the reasons

why people are
responding to this tale,

and they're telling
their own versions,

their own horror stories

about what is happening
in the world today.

Slenderman is
a tale about a character,

a strange weird character,
who may feed upon children.

It made me think of a legend

that Jacob
and Wilhelm Grimm collected

called "The Pied Piper
of Hamelin."

Many years ago a town was
being devastated by rats--

in the gutters...
on the streets...

in the cellars.

The Pied Piper comes
out of nowhere.

And he's a very odd,
strange-looking person,

but he has a flute

or some type of pipe
that he plays.

The man said,
"If you want me to get rid
of the rats, you must pay me."

So they said, "Yes,
as much as you want

if you can get rid
of the rats."

The Piper began
blowing on the pipe.

The rats began following.

♪ ♪

The Piper had all the rats
jump into the river.

But the mayor
and the councilmen
cheat him.

And the Piper said,
"You know,

"there are
other tunes
I can pipe

"and ways that
I can repay you

in a way that
you will never forget."

♪ ♪

So the Piper took
his pipe to his lips again

and he began piping.
(children playing)

The people froze,
but the children
followed him.

There was an opening,

a sudden opening
in the mountain.

And all the children headed
toward this opening.

And as the last one entered,

the mountain closed,

and the Piper
went inside as well.

(booms)

Depending on the times
and the person who is
telling their version

of "The Pied Piper,"

he can be
many different things.

(squeaking)
(stomps)

(polka music plays)

(lively music plays)

(hypnotic music plays)

So he is
a very mysterious figure.

We don't know
whether he's evil or good.

We don't know
whether he's going to do
anything to these children.

The children never return.

Nobody ever hears about them.

(ominous music playing)

But the Pied Piper
does live on.

♪ ♪

(Casey speaks)

(Morgan speaks)

Umm...

(car driving)

(Angie sighs)

It's almost like
she was living a whole
nother life inside her head

that we just--
that we just didn't know about.

It's hard with kids because...

they don't necessarily
know how to differentiate

between fantasy
and reality to begin with.

So, it's just hard to know...

where-- where to draw the line.

Where does that become...

abnormal?

So even though, you know,

looking back,
maybe there were some signs.

It's everything in retrospect.

It's been two months
to the day on the calendar

that she's been
in Washington County
Juvenile Detention Center.

The first day was rough.

You know, you get in there...

you have to learn
all your check-in procedures
and everything.

You know, you get back there,
and you don't know
what to expect.

There's you,
there's a pane of glass
with metal bars behind it,

and then...
there's our daughter.

That's how it works.

(Trussoni speaks)

(Anissa speaks)

(mouse clicks)

(mouse wheel clicking)

(clicks)
(clatters)

(keyboard clacks)

(mouse clicks)

♪ ♪
This is the first time
we are trying this.

We got him something.
He doesn't know yet.

It's a little mouse.
You can see him in there.

You ready?
It's the circle of life, okay?

Right, Cole?
Yep.

It's just like
"The Lion King."
(laughs) Yeah.

Woman:
Let's see how he reacts.

It's the same color as the--
as the bathtub.

Look, baby.
Look, baby, look.

See if he notices it.

(mouse clicks)

(heavy metal music playing)

(music stops)
Man: My voice is
going to take you

to a very calm
and peaceful place.

♪ ♪
(distortion, static)

Man:
So this part,

striking into
any soft tissue
in the body--

the eyes, the cheeks,

cut right through the blood

and air vessels into the throat,

get it in and out,
in and out, in and out.

Kids:
Meow, meow, meow!

Man:
So with the first one,
why do you think

the pig passed out
when the kitten was put on it?

(mouse clicking)
Woman:
He's playing with it.

♪ Dog goes woof,
cat goes meow,
bird goes-- ♪

Ah! Why do you
stick a baby

in the blender
feet first?

(demonic voice) So you can see
the expression on it's face.

(maniacal laughter)

(mouse clicks)
(helicopter whirring)

(keyboard clacks)

(mouse clicks)
(music plays)

Shh.
(pounds)

(slurping)

I don't know if I should say,
"I hope you enjoyed it,"

but there's the circle
of life for you.

Talk to you later.
Thanks for watching.

♪ ♪

(mouse clicks)

♪ ♪

(water dripping)

Kristi:
Ever since she got that iPad,

she liked to spend
a lot of private time
up in her room and...

she watched a lot
of things that were...

funny to her.

Nothing that
was gross,

or depressing,
and emotionally degrading...

She liked--
that iPad just gave her a way

kind of not to--
to socialize with the family.

And I totally...

regret the iPad.

Anissa showed me
a picture once.

She was in her bedroom,

and I went up to see
what she was doing,
and I looked.

It was a picture
of this Slenderman character

and Jack Skellington.

♪ ♪

At the time,
it doesn't seem to be anything
inherently dangerous.

I had no inklings
that I would need
to research this further.

The iPads will be moving

into elementary school levels
this year.

So, at least,
our fifth-grade son is going
to be coming home with one.

His own.

Tom Haynes:
So this is the yearbook
from Anissa's fifth grade year.

(chuckles)
And this is what Anissa wrote.

it says, "You're like
a second dad to me."

So that was really sweet.

It's kind of tough
looking back on it,

'cause if she felt that strong,
you know, just...

maybe I could have done
something else.

Anissa was definitely
one of the biggest
outliers I've had

just because she had
no solid connections

with other
4th and 5th-graders.

Anissa would definitely cry
once every couple weeks,
I would want to say.

Mostly about... kids
being mean to her at school.

She wouldn't
be able to contain herself
in front of the whole class,

and sometimes
she would just cry.

So other kids
were aware of her...

emotions,
and being upset.

And there's times
she would come in
from lunch/recess

and cry about
not having friends.

I've guessed that Anissa made
a connection with Morgan

and was happy
that they both were
into Slenderman,

was happy that
she made a new friend,

shared a connection,
shared interest,

and it may have spiraled
out of control from there.

(classical score playing)

(no discernible dialog)

(mouse clicks)
(keyboard clacks)

♪ ♪

Abigail Baird:
You couldn't set up
a better system to fail

In terms of "No one
at school likes you,

"but here's this
open-ended monster

who will embrace you."

The worst time
to be socially isolated

is the time when
your brain and body
are begging for camaraderie,

for kinship,
which is adolescence.

It's the hardest time
to be alone.

I think in the absence
of social contact,

the Internet
can sometimes serve

as a peer in a way,
or a peer group.

Those two girls
in a tight-knit group
of eight friends,

I don't think
this would've happened,

because they wouldn't
have only been talking
to each other

and they wouldn't
have been relying so heavily

on information
from the Internet.

(engine starts)

Kristi:
Bill and I separated
in the summer of 2012.

It was my decision.
I asked for a divorce.

But when a situation
got really bad,

he was willing to still
be there and stuff.

(turn signal clicking)

She's not allowed to see
her brother or sister.

She's not allowed
to see any aunts or uncles,
or cousins or anything,

so I wanted to have
as many people

as she could have
as often as possible.

I try to bring her mentally
out of the environment

and try to bring her
some sunshine in her day.

But then when I leave,
I kind of feel...

I feel happy
that I was able to see her

and... make her smile
for a few minutes in a day.

But on the other hand,
I'm still kind of sad

that I'm leaving
without my daughter, and...

The drive home is
sometimes heart-breaking...

but... I know
that I'll be coming up

and seeing her
in a couple days anyways,

and I'll just repeat
the performance and--

(sniffles)
and hopefully, someday,
this might be my last trip

and-- and...

And then
she'll be home for good.

But that might be
a while off.

(musical ringtone plays)

Computer: You have
a prepaid call from...
Anissa: Anissa...

Computer: An inmate at...
Man:
Washington County Jail.

Computer:
This call will be recorded

and subject
to monitoring
at any time.

You may begin speaking now.

(Anissa speaks)

Hello, Anissa.
So, how was your day?

Yeah?

Define "pretty good."

Do you know
who's sitting here?

Yep, Tyler's sitting here.
Tyler: Hi!

(Bill laughs)
How are you?

I've been...

pretty good
despite the cold.

Hi, Ani!

(laughs)

What's up?

Anissa! Anissa.

We can all tell
you're a little spun up.

Are you excited
to be talking to everybody?

Yeah?

Hey, hey hey! Anissa!
(laughter)

Dial it back a notch.

So, besides what
you've already like mentioned,

what's up with you?

Okay.

Anissa: Yeah.
Just don't smile too much.

Computer:
One minute remaining.

All right,
we've got one minute,

so you have a good night.

Love you too.

All right?
And I will see you tomorrow.

So-- all right.
Computer: Thank you
for using IC solutions.

Goodbye.
And there you have it.

♪ ♪

(Tiger meows)

♪ ♪

(murmuring)

(chains clinking)

(cameras clicking)

Maggie:
I don't know where

the whole Slenderman thing...

started because
Anissa never talked about
anything like that.

Nobody ever talked
about Slenderman.

Unless she was, like,
constantly Internet surfing,

she never really showed me
anything that was bad...

or anything scary.

She-- she is
easily frightened, though.

(woman coughs)
(camera clicking)

Maybe she did it
because she wanted
to be noticed.

Because, honestly,
at her school

I didn't know that
she didn't have many friends.

She told me
that she had lots of friends,
lots of guys liked her,

and a bunch of--
and she was accepted,

and she was having
a great time at school.

But... she was
constantly picked on,

and she never really fit in.
She was a follower.

Bailiff:
All rise.

Bohren:
Okay, thank you.
Please be seated.

Maggie:
I think some kids
are just...

big believers.

They can't help but believe
everything they hear.

(rustles)

Officer: Do you swear
to tell the truth,
the whole truth,

and nothing but the truth,
so help you God?

Yes, I do.
Attorney:
In this case

were you assigned
to interview the victim,
Payton Leutner?

Yes, I was.

Attorney:
At some point, your discussion
got into the area

of a birthday party
that was planned for Morgan?

Payton said that
the birthday party

had been planned
for several weeks,

and it was for May 30th,

and that they had planned
to go do Skateland

and sleep over
at Morgan's house.

Angie:
They were being
normal little girls.

They were running
up and down the stairs,

holding hands
and giggling.

There was no...

indication that anything
was-- was off

or that we had anything to--

to be worried about.

After Skateland,
they came back to Morgan's house

and they went
into the basement.

(speaks matter-of-factly)

And we-- we woke up
in the morning,

and we had donuts
and strawberries
for breakfast,

and everything
was very normal.

The girls were laughing and...

having a good time.

And they asked
if they could go
to the park,

and I didn't think
anything of it.

I said, "Yeah, of course
you can go to the park."

And, you know,
Morgan said goodbye

and told me
she loved me.

♪ ♪
(breathes shakily)

(Trussoni speaks)

(Anissa speaks)

(Trussoni speaks)

(Anissa speaks)

After playing
on the playground
equipment for a while,

they went into the bathroom,
all three of them.

(Casey speaks
on video)

(Morgan speaks)

(Casey speaks)

(Anissa speaking
on video)

♪ ♪

She didn't want
to go to sleep,

so she didn't sit there
with her eyes closed,

and at some point,
Anissa hit the front
of her head

and caused the back
of her head to...

slam against the wall.

Basically.

(Anissa speaks)

And Morgan said,
"I thought we agreed that
you were going to do this."

Attorney:
Did Payton tell you anything

about what Payton
was thinking about that?

I don't think she understood
what was going on.

(Anissa speaking
on video)

(Trussoni speaking
on video)

(pulling tape)

(gasps)
Thank you!

Boy:
Hey, that's what I wanted.
Ooh.

(boy gasps)
Angie: It's a super-fancy
touch screen one.

I want that one.
It's already charged...

and there's already
some books on it for you.

Wow.
(boy mumbles)

Can we put it together?

Mm-hmm. What do you think?
Pretty cool? Yeah?

Angie:
I had the conversation
with Morgan--

the birds and the bees
conversation.

I explained about
the changes that you
go through during puberty,

and I explained
about getting your period.

And I finish,
and she looks at me,
and she goes,

"Mommy,
I don't think
I believe you."

(laughs)
"That doesn't really happen."

(camera clicks, beeps)

(Angie mutters)
Morgan:
Thank you!

(Angie chuckles)
You're welcome!

(camera clicks, beeps)

Angie:
Morgan did believe
in Santa,

the Tooth Fairy,
and the Easter Bunny,

and actually believed
in Santa until she was 11.

(chuckles)
And I guess I just thought,

"What parent
tells their child
that Santa's not real?

Who's-- who's in a hurry
for their child to grow up?"

♪ ♪

Tyler:
There are a lot
of strange things

in the world
that we just can't explain.

So we just make up things
to try to help explain them.

To believe in something--

I don't know,
the Loch Ness Monster

or the boogeyman--
isn't... that hard

to believe that people
actually do believe it.

♪ ♪

You can't say for sure
that it is real or not.

And I do believe
that they did believe

that it was real.

♪ ♪

Jacqueline Woolley:
What is it about certain kinds
of storybooks

that make kids more
or less likely to believe
that they're real?

What is it about aspects
of the Internet that affects

whether kids think things
on it are real or not real?

I think the concept
of what's real has always
been pretty messy.

Technology is creating
these new situations

in which it's becoming
even messier.

♪ ♪

These two girls,
maybe they were both
strong believers,

but then the fact
that they were both together

was creating
an even stronger
context for belief.

That's kind of how
Santa Claus works
or is perceived to work.

Sort of like
"The Believers' Club."

There's this big fear
that if I stop believing
I won't get the presents.

(static)

What is the benefit
of being a believer?

Feeling like you're special,
you're a part of something,

that you can become
a part of just by believing.

That's a lot easier
than a lot of other clubs,

you know,
especially at that age.

But all you need to do
for the Slenderman club
is just believe.

♪ ♪

Blank:
If there's one thing the cult
of Slenderman is about,

it's about making
it all believable,

especially by remaining
unverifiable.

And that's
really kind of how
folk belief works.

Because you can't prove
beyond a shadow of a doubt

that Slenderman
is fake or real.
(mouse clicking)

Boy:
Hey, guys, it's Shane.

So, ever since I found out
about Slenderman,

he's been haunting my dreams,
like every single dream.

And I'm really scared,

so I'm going to show you
a picture--

I'm-- I'm just going to show you
some pictures that I got of him.

There it is.
Look at this.

Look right there
in the background.

Right there.
Boy: See, it's Slenderman.

Shane:
That's my-- that's my sister
when she was young.

And then we found that
in the background.

Oh, it's really scary.
Um, Bye.

(mouse clicks)
(birds chirping)

Cartwheel.

(boy clears throat)
Round off.

Boy: Oh my god,
my stomach is killing me.
Back walkover.

Crappy back walkover.

Boy 2: Mine-- ugh.
Mine, too.

Back walkover.

(boy burps)
Oh my god.

Round off.
Boy: Sam, we need to do--
Sam, we need to do this later.

Can you go
a little bit longer?

Boy:
No, we'll just stop
this one and then we'll...

and then we'll just do
another one later,

'cause my st--
oh my god, I feel like I'm
about to throw up right now.

All right, just hurry up
and do one more.

Boy:
What the fuck?
Oh my God! Run! Run!

Run! Run!
Oh my god, run! No, run!

(shouting)

Hope:
The moment you know about him,
he knows about you.

(girl whimpers)
Boy: Oh my god,
I'm so scared right now.

Hope:
Like there's no way
to summon him,

but there's no way
to get him to, like, stop
following you around.

(mouse clicks)

I remember
when I was like 13,

one of my birthday parties,
we had this big plan

me and three of my friends
were all going to get together,

we were going to bring
our cameras

and sneak out into the woods

and try to find him
with our cameras.

And I was out there
for like two hours.

If I encountered him...

I would explain myself
and be like,

"I don't think
you're that bad.

"Personally, I think
you're kind of cool.

I wouldn't mind doing
what you're doing."

♪ ♪

Since I had
no social life back then,

basically my whole life
was on the Internet.

And since
it was there, like, 24/7...

I would just gradually get
more and more attached to it.

And the thing
that kept coming up
would be Slenderman.

Back then I believed,
like every fiber in my body,
he was real.

♪ ♪

(footsteps)

(mouse clicks)

All right,
and the game
has started.

(crickets chirping)

(ominous music playing)

Dawkins:
If everybody knows
that is Slenderman,

then I think
that's sufficient
to define it as a replicator.

(paper rustles)

Genetic viruses spread
from body to body.

And so... a meme that
has great spreadability...

deserves to be called
a virus of the mind.

Girl:
Ooh! A note.
Girl 2: No!

No, I don't wanna get it.
No, you have to get it.

You have to get it. You have to.
You get it.
Then he's gonna come.

Get it.
Okay.

Just keep walking.
Just keep walking.
Why?

Because he's finding you!

Dawkins:
A virus of the mind spreads

by being listened to or seen
by the sense organs.

♪ ♪
(footsteps)

When one brain picks it up,

it will have a tendency
to pass it on to another brain

and another brain and so on,
so it will spread exponentially.

(musical sting)
(girls scream, laugh)

(cries)

(footsteps)

Dawkins:
And it's empirical fact
that this happens.

The Slenderman case
is a very powerful example

of peer-to-peer
horizontal transmission.
It does happen.

(musical sting)

(static)

(keys jingling)

Bill:
Meow, meow, kitty.

(meows)
That's right, come here.

Were you sleeping as usual?
Yes, you were.

(meows)
(mimics meow)

Stand up straight.

I think you should wear
your badge from Webelos Camp...

because there's only
two people in your whole pack
that have that badge.

Aiden: Okay.
Bill: All right.
All your pins are secure?

Aiden: Yes.
Bill: You don't want
to be losing them. Right?

Aiden: Yeah.
Life is good.

You're all geared up,
all right?

Aiden: Okay.
Get ready to put
that thing away. All right?

Okay.
Bill: I don't want
to get any grief about,

"Oh I just got
to finish this level,"
or whatever else.

All right?

(mutters)
Aiden?

Yeah.

Yay?

Are you okay, Aiden?
Aiden: Yeah.

You sound
a little sniffley.

This whole event,
from start to finish,
has been a tragedy.

But you have to be angry
at the situation.

I'm angry at the situation...

and my daughter
is not the one...

that spent upwards
of seven days

in the hospital
recovering from this.

And I'm angry
about the situation.

So, if I'm angry about it...

you know, this other family
sure as hell has a right
to be angry about it.

You know, they could...

you know, slam the door
in my face, or, you know,

punch me in the face
and knock me on my ass
and you know...

they would probably
be justified in doing so.

I'm sure they have a lot
of the same questions I do.

Attorney 2: Did you come
to any conclusions about Anissa,
as far as a diagnosis?

The predisposing
characteristics that...

made her susceptible
to the delusional disorder...

is what's referred
to as a schizotypy.

It's a diminished ability
to determine

what's real
and what's not real.

A lot of people have
varying degrees of this.

Adults may have,
simply, eccentric religious
or spiritual beliefs

or... conspiratorial beliefs
or things like that

and live out their life
with no problems at all.

I've done
quite a bit
of research

on the early stages
of psychopathic personality

in adolescents
over the last 20 years.

Attorney 2:
Based on your experiences
and testing of Anissa,

she does not carry
that particular diagnosis.

No. She doesn't have--

she has, really,
no characteristics
of a psychopath

or a sociopath
or anything like that.
Attorney 2: Okay.

♪ ♪

Fisher:
Morgan and Anissa came out
of the bathroom.

Payton said
that she didn't want
to play hide and seek,

but Morgan said
that the next game

that they played
could be her choice.

♪ ♪

Payton said that...

Anissa pulled her deeper
and deeper into the woods.

(Casey speaks
on video)

And then...

Anissa says, "Now!"

And Anissa turns her back.

Morgan got on top
of Payton's legs.

She sat on her legs,
and then she got her face
real close to Payton

and whispered in her ear,
"I'm so sorry."

♪ ♪

And then started stabbing her.

Attorney:
What, ultimately,
was Morgan diagnosed with?

The final diagnosis,
both in the psychological report

and in my report
are schizophrenia,

unspecified, 295.90...

oppositional
defiant disorder, 313.81...

and bronchial asthma,
mild, intermittent, J45.2.

♪ ♪

Attorney:
What is schizophrenia?

Casimir:
Schizophrenia is
one of the most serious

and one of the most studied

mental illnesses
of human beings.

Approximately 1%
of the population succumbs
to schizophrenia.

It is a psychotic illness.

It's through a combination
of genetic predisposition

and then stress
placed on the person

to begin
manifesting symptoms.

♪ ♪

Patients lose track of reality
in a number of ways.

One would be hallucinations.

One could hear voices,
one could see visions,

one could feel
things crawling on them.

Delusions,
on the other hand,

don't have to do
with sensing something,

they have to do
with a thought.

So, for example,
believing that Slenderman
is real is a delusion.

Saying that you saw Slenderman
is a visual hallucination.

(leaves rustling)
(Robert Niesen laughs)

Is the pile
getting bigger?

Ha! (laughs)

Diana Niesen:
Jumping in the leaves.

Robert:
And that's one
of my favorites.

I raked up a bunch of leaves
in the back yard and...

she came flying in.
(laughs)
Diana: Nice action shot.

Diana:
Yeah, it's hard
for us to imagine

that she was
having problems.

It's hard to process.

None of us...
saw this coming.

Angie:
Morgan recalls having

hallucinations
as early as three.

She remembers...

seeing ghosts at night,
as young as three,

that would bite her
and pull her hair.

But from
what I understand,

for the most part
they were friendly, too.

She even said that she--
she tried to tell us
about it once,

and that we just told her
to go back to bed,

but I don't have
any recollection of that.

And really,
how often do your children

tell you at bedtime that
they're seeing something

or hearing something
when they're that age?

"A monster's in my closet,"
or "something's under my bed,"

you know, just because
they don't want to go to bed.

It's hard
because I haven't been able

to discuss these things
with Morgan,

because she's
been incarcerated...

for the entire time
that I've-- I've known...

that she's--
that she's had
these symptoms.

Brooke Lundbohm:
She expressed the ability
to see and hear things

that other people are
not able to hear or see.

Things like unicorns.

She at one point digressed

into fairly rambling discussion

about a student in her class
being a pegasus.

When I saw her last week,
a few days before,

Snape had come to visit her
and kept her up

until 3:00 in the morning,
by Morgan's report.

Attorney: Snape?
Snape.

Attorney:
Who is that?
A "Harry Potter" character.

She also will say not just
that she's heard things,

but that since
as early as three,

she's had some
sensory-perceptual
distortions.

She might see a person
change slightly or see colors.

She doesn't...
have much concern

about whether she gets
a long prison sentence,

because, wherever she is,
she will use Vulcan mind control

to make herself feel,
to make herself believe
whatever she likes.

And so, even under
very stressful circumstances,

she doesn't feel
the stress because of this--

what she described
to be Vulcan mind control.

Attorney 2:
How about her-- her cell?

I would consider
her cell disorganized.

She has papers scattered
about the floor.

Attorney 2:
Have you ever suggested
picking them up?

Officer Simon: Yes, I have.
And she stated that she
liked the papers there

because they made it feel
less empty.

Attorney 2:
And she is in the room alone?
Officer Simon: Correct.

She said,
"Seeing my friends,

"none of these things
are dangerous.

These friends can't disappear.
They're important to me."

Attorney:
Was she referring to real world
friends or fictional friends?

Fictional, I believe.

Attorney 2: She's not allowed
to hug her family or touch them?

Not in our facility.
Attorney 2: Right.

She made clear
that her primary concern

was with her relationship
with Slenderman,

and she felt like
if she says the wrong thing,

if she somehow
upsets Slenderman,

not only hers
but her family's lives
could be in danger.

With childhood schizophrenia,

almost everyone
develops, eventually,

negative symptoms
and cognitive symptoms.

What's unique
about Morgan's circumstance

is that a severe course
is so predictable.

Well, we knew her diagnosis
before we went to meet them
at the hospital.

We had a conference call
with two of the doctors,

so we were--
we were prepared.

And the reason that
we all went up there, actually,

was so that
we could tell Morgan

what her diagnosis was.

And we thought
that it would be helpful
for her to know

that her father also...

had the same mental illness,

because we had
never told her previously
that Matt had schizophrenia.

We were very worried
about the way that
she might react

to learning that
she has schizophrenia

because Morgan--
Morgan's a very smart girl,

and she's been reading...
Matt: Which makes me think
that she knew.

Yeah.
I think when they told her,
she was probably like...

Not surprised.
..."Well, that's what
I would've guessed...

if I had
to diagnose myself."

Angie:
What I think is
that Morgan knows

that other people
don't see her hallucinations,

but they're still
very real to her.

Like, in her head
they are real,

and they're
there with her.

They're there.
Angie: But I think
that she knows

that other people
don't see them.

Otherwise, why would
she make an attempt to...

Cover it up. Mm-hmm.
Angie:
...hide them from us, exactly.

It's because
she doesn't want to lose them.

She's afraid they would
be taken from her.

Angie:
This is the doll house,

or the components
for a doll house,

that Morgan made
while she was housed

at Washington County
Juvenile Detention Center.

And she just put so much...

detail into it, it's amazing.

She's not allowed
to have scissors,

so all of these--

all of these
tiny little pieces
she ripped by hand.

This is a television,
and these are

some of her
little cartoon characters
that she likes to draw.

This actually, I think,
is a character

that's modeled after Spock.

When I watched her
do a couple of the dolls

and the--
and the clothing,

and she said what was
surprising is how few times
she had to start over.

Like, she was able to just
be meticulous about--
Here's some food.

I think this is salad
and a piece of pizza.
A salad and a piece of pizza.

Here's a little
laptop computer.

See there's even
detail on the screen.

Look at the cute little heart
on the front of the computer.

This looks like
it's another TV.

Oh, and there's--
how appropriate.

There's a courtroom drama
playing in the background.

When I ask her
what she wants to watch
on TV that night--

it's one of the things
I usually ask her when
I talk to her on the phone--

she'll say that it depends
on whose turn it is to decide.

And she's in a cell by herself,

so she's the only person there.

♪ ♪

I do a lot of stuff
with running numbers
in my head.

I do...

I try to put up static,
almost, is how I describe it.

I wish that I could talk
to her about--

like, I have-- right now,
there's like patterns

of light
and geometric shapes

that's, like, always racing.

Like always,
like right now.

Pshew, pshew, pshew,
pshew, pshew, pshew.

I always wanted to know
if she sees that stuff, too.

Everything seems normal
to me, because it's--
it's my everything.

This is how
I've always seen things.

So, it doesn't seem weird
to me that like,

"Oh that's not how
you see street lights?"

or "Oh, that's weird."

I don't know if that was
everyone that had like
a weird little visual...

thing going on...

like the glaring demon, devil.

Like that you're like,
"Okay, this is clearly
not real."

But it doesn't matter.
Like, I've had where...

like you...

you can see it
and you know it's not real...

but it totally doesn't matter,
because you're still
terrified of it.

Like, I know that there's...

I know the devil's
not in the backseat,

but the devil is
in the backseat.
You know?

Yeah, sometimes
you know it's not real,

but it still smells, tastes,
and looks real, so it's real.

♪ ♪

Attorney:
Could you just describe,
in general terms,

what you found in the bedroom
when you went through it?

There were...
numerous... notebooks

and pieces of paper
with drawings

and writings pertaining
to the Slenderman character.

♪ ♪

Attorney:
Where was
all this stuff located?

All in Morgan's bedroom.

Collins:
When you ask Morgan...

"What if Slenderman
doesn't exist?"

She can't tolerate that.

She becomes
somewhat oppositional,

and says
she knows it's true,

and it can't
be proven untrue,
so it's true.

Attorney:
Did Morgan use the words

"It had to be done?"
Yes.

Attorney: Did you
tell her to say that?
I did not.

Attorney: She's volunteering
this to you?
Correct.

(pen scratching)

Attorney:
That seems like
an unusual thing to say.

It does.
Attorney: Did you ask her
what she meant by that?

I did.
Attorney: And did you have
to ask her multiple times?

I did.

Attorney:
Okay, after you asked her
multiple times

what she meant
by "It had to be done,"

what did she offer you
or what did she say?

She told me
that the man ordered it.

(attorney speaks)

Grunke:
Yes, I did.

(attorney speaks)

She held up three fingers.

Attorney: Like three?
Three.

Attorney: What did that--
did you try to understand
what that meant?

I asked her if that meant
three years ago,

and she said,
"No, at age three."

She believed that
she communicated telepathically

with Slenderman, and that...

once the communication began,
that she had to do

what it was
that Slenderman demanded.

Attorney 2:
And if she didn't do
what was demanded,

her family
wouldn't be safe?

Robbins:
She wouldn't be safe,
her family wouldn't be safe.

Attorney 2:
Dr. Robbins,
was Morgan's entry

into this particular crime
because of her psychosis?

I believe so.

Casimir:
It bears saying
that schizophrenia,

in and of itself,
is not a dangerous illness.

There are many 35-year-olds
who have schizophrenia

who don't have
to be incarcerated,

who can be managed
in a community.

However, there's
a second part to that.

When your delusion--
when your fixed delusion

tells you to kill people...

and when your...

insight doesn't allow you
to seek treatment,

then schizophrenia
becomes dangerous.

It is a dangerous
illness untreated...

and hence...
we're here.

(chattering)
(birds chirping)

Matt:
You are just so lost
in your illness

that no one knew about...

and then for people just
to hate her like that,
just hate you--

"I hate that little girl.
I hope she burns."

Like, having people
call my house and tell me,

"You're going to burn in hell
and so is your daughter."

People don't
understand that...

(emotionally)
she loves Bella.

We love Bella...

so much, and she still talks
about her like they're friends.

Oh my god.
She loves her
like I love her.

And like, for people
to talk about her the way
they do, it's like--

Morgan loved Bella.
She's-- like, how sick are you

that you would do that
to your best friend?

Because you're afraid
of something happening,

or because you want
something happen.

You want
to become something...

because your illness
dictated that this is
something you need to be.

Just blows me away...

that people are like that.
It just makes me sad.

(sniffles)
I wish people knew.

(crying)
♪ ♪

(Morgan speaking)

(whistling)

(Anissa speaking
on video)

(speaks indistinctly)

(Anissa speaking
on video)

(Anissa sighs)

♪ ♪

(clears throat)

(Trussoni speaking)

(Anissa speaks)

(Trussoni speaking)

(Trussoni speaking)

The regular ones are
just the regular cat treats
that you're used to.

Just to say,
"I love you, kitty."

Cat Snacks are only 2.99
at your local grocery store.

(Casey speaks)

(Morgan speaking)

Attorney:
Thank you.

Detective, did you have
a chance to watch
that compilation?

I saw the compilation.

Attorney:
And would you agree
that that's you present

in that room
with Morgan Geyser?

Those were...

pieces of the interview

that was me
and Morgan together.

Attorney:
Did you tell Morgan she could
have parents available

to talk to before
you interrogated her?

I did not tell her that,
because that wasn't an option.

Attorney:
You weren't going to let
her parents be present?

Correct.
Attorney: Or let her even have
a phone call to talk to them?

Um, we did not offer her
a phone call.

Attorney:
At some point were you
provided with Anissa's phone?

Casey: Yes, I was.
Attorney: Did you have
a chance to look

at any of the... messages
on that phone?

Yes, I did.

It says,
"This is my final wish
to those who care..."

♪ ♪

(crying)

Trussoni:
Mm-hmm.

♪ ♪

(church bell ringing)

Attorney:
Where did you locate
the suspects?

Thom Moerman:
They were located right
by I-94 in Waukesha County.

Attorney:
Did you notice anything

about Anissa's
emotional state

when you
had contact with her?

She said she was scared,

and I asked what was
she scared of?

Attorney: And do you recall
what she said to you?

She made mention
that if she told me,

I would think
that she was crazy,

and I told her
that I didn't think
anybody was crazy.

Trussoni:
Okay.

(exhales)
(clattering)

(mutters)

(breathes shakily)

(Trussoni speaks
on video)

(Anissa speaking)

(Morgan speaking)

(Casey speaking)

(cellphone playing tune)
(speaks indistinctly)

Can you ask the question
again please?

Attorney 2:
One of the first communications

before any
of the search requests

was found
on Anissa's phone

that was provided
by her parents, correct?

Correct.
Attorney 2: It was basically
a goodbye letter.

Correct?
Yes.

Attorney 2:
And basically indicated that

people should remember
who she was,

not grieve for her...

and that she
wouldn't do them harm.

Correct.
Attorney 2:
Nothing further, Your Honor.

♪ ♪

(character blabbering on iPad)

Bill:
Aiden? Wrap it up, chief.
we got places to go.

All right? We have
to run over to the school

for a mandatory meeting
about iPads--

setting up their iPad...

and using
their iPad, and...

the disadvantages
they'll be at

if they're not allowed
to use their iPad.

(sighs)
You know?

I don't think
anybody can really,
you know, begrudge me

for thinking
the way I do about...

a bunch of fifth graders
getting iPads.

You know,
based on what this family
has been through.

At the same token...

you know, I don't want
to hinder his learning.

(blabbering)

Bill:
I guess I just need to...

get over
my own reservations
about it.

And about the iPads.

If I'd had my way,
he wouldn't have one.

You have a child that is...

incarcerated, for lack
of a better term...

but your other life
still has to go on,

so you still have to be able
to support your other children

with the activities
that they're in, and...

you do your best
to support your children

that you can't
have access to...

and have to explain
to Anissa that,

"Well, I might not be able
to come up on Tuesday,

"because Aiden has
a pack meeting.

I have to be there
for that."

I've had
conversations with...
my oldest son.

I was out in the backyard.
He comes outside, he says
to me, "What's wrong?"

(clock ticking)

(breathes deeply)

That's when I told him...

it's just stressful
as hell...

trying to keep
everything as balanced
as it can possibly be.

(sighs)
You never get
a day off...

(emotionally)
and it wears on you.

It just really wears
the shit outta ya.

Because you have
to do so much more...

to try to keep everybody

in a positive place,
including yourself.

It's...

It's mentally...

and emotionally
and physically just draining.

(sniffles)

(birds chirping)

Angie:
I knew it was
always a risk,

simply because of... genetics

that one of our children
might develop schizophrenia.

I never thought something
like this would happen.

Matt is so...

He's so high functioning
and he's so... stable.

I just know
that he's developed
an awareness

of what's real
and what's not.

And I think,
for Morgan,

those lines are
still pretty blurry...

but it's all
still very real to her.

♪ ♪

In general,
Morgan's just becoming
more and more lost

and involved
in this world

of imaginary friends
that she has.

The best possible situation
would be that she ends up
in an environment

where she can
receive treatment
for her schizophrenia,

and that would be
a psychiatric facility.

Not prison.
She can't go to prison.

♪ ♪

I think
it's kind of cruel
of the courts...

to have a law where
you can take two girls

who are not
troublemakers prior...

And they did not try
to hide what they did.

They did not lie
about what they did.

They were
very truthful for it.

And it's like they're being
punished extra because of it.

Well, let's hope the judge
is gonna have some good news.

Some very good news.

The two young girls
accused of stabbing
their classmate

are back in court.

WISN 12 news'
Hillary Mintz

is live in Waukesha County
with the very latest.

Hillary.
Well, Melinda,

for pretty much the past year
since the stabbing happened,

a judge here
at the county courthouse

has been trying to figure out
"Should Morgan Geyser

and Anissa Weier be tried
as adults or juveniles?"

That decision is expected
to come today,

and the stakes
in that decision
are extremely high.

♪ ♪

The victim,
13-year-old Payton Leutner,

has physically recovered,

but they say
she is still dealing

with the emotional damage.

♪ ♪

The court's prepared
to proceed with the ruling.

The court easily finds
that this is a violent,

premeditated,
personal offense.

There was
a conscious decision made

at the time of the offense
to let the victim die.

They told P.L.
that they would leave
to get her help.

They did leave...

and they left, walking
to the Nicolet National Forest

to locate
the Slenderman Mansion

and then meet up
with Slenderman.

This is charged
as an attempted murder,

but you have
to keep in mind
for both defendants

that this was in fact--
this was an effort
to kill someone,

not a mistake
by hitting them too hard,

not a mistake
by pushing them
too hard.

The issue
of brain development

is important
for the court to consider.

They were young
when the offense occurred,

but they get older
every day, frankly.

They're a year older today.

But what happens at age 18?
And in this court's view,

that's a critical factor
for the court to evaluate.

There would be
no oversight, no control,

no ways to ensure
public safety.

They've committed
an offense that is serious.

It's-- it's, frankly, vicious.

There has to be assurance that
that doesn't happen again,

that a serious offense

is dealt with
on a serious basis

that offers protections
to everyone.

On that basis then,
I'll order that the defendants,

Ms. Geyser and Ms. Weier,

be retained
in the adult jurisdiction.

As so ordered.

Nick Bohr:
There were tears and some
surprise here in court

as a judge denied a motion
by lawyers for both girls

to have their cases handled
in juvenile court.

Anissa Weier's lawyer
went on to say

they'll be discussing
the possibility of an appeal.

The victim's father here said
they wouldn't be commenting,

though the family
did appear to be upbeat

following this decision.

♪ ♪

Bill:
I'm sure that they would
have been found eventually.

I think they never would have
made it to the state forest.

From Waukesha
to the Nicolet State Forest

is a good four-
to five-hour drive.

And they thought
they were going to walk that?

They had no idea
of what it would take
to walk that distance.

The judge ordered
that Anissa have no contact
with the Internet.

The judge also ordered
that, you know,

she have no contact
with the co-defendant.

♪ ♪

Angie:
Morgan has no access
to the outdoors.

Not even a window
to look out.

Morgan says that
this doesn't bother her,

because she doesn't want
to go outside anymore.

(birds chirping)

One of the things
that Anissa and her
had talked about was,

no matter what happened...

they would
always be together.

(crow caws)
(no discernible dialog)

♪ ♪

(chains clinking)
(camera clicking)

(mouse clicking)
(camera clicking)

(woman coughs)
(whispering)

♪ ♪

(mouse clicks)

♪ ♪

(church bell ringing)

♪ ♪

(hums)
(pen scratches)