Attorney: Girl accused in Slenderman stabbing belongs in juvenile court
WAUKESHA COUNTY (WITI/AP) — An attorney for one of two girls accused of repeatedly stabbing a classmate to please the fictional character Slenderman says he will prove his client does not belong in adult court.
A preliminary hearing for the two girls got underway Monday, February 16th in a packed courtroom in Waukesha County. Prosecutors charged 12-year-old Morgan Geyser and 12-year-old Anissa Weier as adults with first-degree attempted homicide in the attack at a Waukesha park last May.
Defense attorney Anthony Cotton said during his opening statement that his client's obsession with Slenderman warrants a lesser charge of second-degree attempted homicide that could be dealt with in juvenile court.
In court, for the first time on Monday, drawings from a notebook found in Geyser's locker after the stabbing were shown, and details about the plan that was reportedly five months in the making were brought to light. Also -- video of the girls accused in this case talking about why they did it.
This, as Geyser's attorney says he wants the case moved into juvenile court because of Geyser's deep belief in the evil fictional character Slenderman.
"She made the deal previously with Slenderman that if they didn't follow through, their families would be in danger," Waukesha Police Detective Michelle Trussoni said.
"Morgan got on top of (the victim's) legs. She sat on her legs. She got real close to (the victim) and whispered in her ear 'I'm so sorry,' and then started stabbing her," Shelly Fischer with the Waukesha Police Department said.
Shown in court Monday were excerpts from Geyser's notebook -- including a supply list for the alleged crime, sketches of Slenderman and sayings like "help never comes."
In a video interview, Weier told a detective she did it because she wanted to prove Slenderman was real, and because she was afraid of him.
"Well yeah. He is anywhere from 14 to 60 feet tall. He constantly wears a suit. He doesn`t have a face. He targets children. He has tendrils on his back. I was really scared he could kill my whole family in three seconds," Weier said in the video.
A detective interviewed Geyser and reported she had no remorse -- that it was easier not to feel anything.
The girls' preliminary hearing continues Tuesday -- and it's expected we'll learn whether this case will go to trial. If it does, a later court date will determine whether that will happen in adult or juvenile court.
The victim was stabbed 19 times, but managed to crawl to a nearby path where a bicyclist found her.
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