Girls accused of stabbing a classmate will remain in adult court... for now

WAUKESHA COUNTY (WITI) -- It's a shocking and unusual case against two young girls accused of stabbing a friend 19 times in Waukesha County. The infamous case surrounding the fictional character Slenderman and the girls' efforts to please him will stay in adult court for now. That's even though the girls were just 12 years old when they allegedly committed the crime.

The Waukesha County judge hearing the case on Friday, March 13th says the girls started plotting to kill their best friend when they were just 11 years old -- so they could be with Slenderman. The charge of first-degree intentional homicide will stand.

Testimony and recorded interviews with both girls have shown Morgan Geyser to be schizophrenic. Anissa Weier was apparently afraid Slenderman would kill her family if she did not kill her friend.

The girls' lawyers told the judge on Friday, March 13th, those are mitigating circumstances; facts that should lessen the crime. The lawyers wanted a second-degree charge which would put the case in Children's Court.

"With respect to Ms. Geyser's case, she a schizophrenic diagnosed post event by a doctor who diagnosed her in Winnebago. And when her room was searched, it was filled with an unyielding belief in Slenderman; that he exists, that he's real," said Anthony Cotton, Geyser's attorney.

"We would've preferred the judge to agree that the mitigating factors had been shown," said Maura McMahon, Weier's attorney.

Videos of not only Geyser but Weier talking to detectives show, the lawyers say, a fear that if they didn't kill their friend, Slenderman would kill their families.

"She was in tears. Her response was that he could teleport; that he could kill her family in three seconds," said McMahon.

The judge says while that is true, there are several other motives that were there -- leaving the charge as first degree.

Weier and Geyser are bound over for trial as their case continues in adult court while their lawyers plan for the next step to change that.

In May and June there will be more hearings to see if the girls can be put into the juvenile system based on things like expert testimony -- saying they are not developed enough or mature enough to be responsible for their crime as adults.

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