The Slender Man stabbing horrified the nation, as two young teens stand accused of murdering their classmate — to impress someone who simply does not exist. Although the girls are 13, a Wisconsin judge has determined they will both be tried as adults.
As reported by The Washington Post , Slender Man is a mythological character who is the subject of numerous urban legends . Although the teens reportedly thought the character was real, he was actually created during a Photoshop contest.
In June 2009, forum users on the website Something Awful were challenged to “create paranormal images through Photoshop.” Although users submitted numerous photos, Victor Surge’s entry was specifically creepy .
The photos featured a tall, shadowy figure — who appears to lead children astray. The text, which was included with the photos, only fueled the resulting myth.
“… we didn’t want to go, we didn’t want to kill them, but its persistent silence and outstretched arms horrified and comforted us at the same time… “
As the photographs continued to gain popularity, other users began creating similar photos and sharing their own stories about Slender Man.
@KrisMcDonald21 I don’t think I’ve ever heard a man refer to himself as “slender.” Except this guy: pic.twitter.com/fwybDKVwBx
— Nadine Long (@nadineblong) August 6, 2015
Although most people understand the character is fictitious, other are not so sure.
In May 2014, Morgan Geyser and Anissa Weier, both age 12, invited a classmate to play a game of hide and seek. Unfortunately, the game was simply a ploy to lure the classmate into the woods.
As reported by Journal Sentinel , the girls planned to kill their classmate as an offering to Slender Man — who they read about on a website.
In a police interview, Weier said she and Geyser expected to be become the mythological creature’s “proxies” by stabbing their classmate to death.
After entering the woods, Geyser and Weier pushed their classmate to the ground and proceeded to stab her a total of 19 times. They then fled the scene in search of Slender Man — who they believed “lived in a mansion in the Nicolet National Forest in Northern Wisconsin.”
Thankfully, the Slender Man stabbing was not fatal. Although she suffered numerous life-threatening wounds, the classmate was discovered by a bicyclist — who called for help.
The victim was forced to undergo several hours of surgery to repair wounds to her diaphragm, liver, stomach, and several major arteries. However, she eventually made an astonishing recovery.
Geyser and Weier were eventually arrested and charged with attempted first-degree intentional homicide. Following their arrest, both girls admitted they intended to end their classmate’s life to appease Slender Man.
As reported by Fox News , Waukesha County Circuit Judge Michael Bohren recently determined both girls will be tried as adults in the Slender Man stabbing. While discussing his decision Judge Bohren said he is concerned “the girls would stop receiving mental health treatment and be released into the community with no supervision when they exited the juvenile system at age 18..”
[Image via Huffington Post ]