Improving: 12-year-old Waukesha girl stabbed 19 times is walking & talking

WAUKESHA (WITI/AP) — Waukesha police have good news about the 12-year-old whose friends stabbed her 19 times and nearly killed her over the weekend.

Police Capt. Ron Oremus said Wednesday, June 4th the girl is on the road to recovery, at least physically. He says she's walking and talking again, and that she's "a fighter" to be recovering so well from such trauma.

Oremus says the victim's family is still overwhelmed and asks that their privacy be respected.

Waukesha Memorial Hospital tells FOX6 News the victim is in fair condition.

What that means medically is that the victim has vital signs that are stable and within normal limits. Fair condition means the victim is conscious, but may be uncomfortable.

At the scene of the crime -- Davids Park in Waukesha -- sits a memorial in honor of the 12-year-old stabbing victim.

The victim was discovered on the side of the road by a bicyclist -- after she apparently crawled out of the woods.

She was taken to the hospital and rushed into surgery.

Doctors said she was "1 millimeter away from certain death" because one of her stab wounds just missed a major artery near her heart.

Police say the suspects in this case -- 12-year-old Morgan Geyser and 12-year-old Anissa Weier told them they were motivated to kill their friend to gain the favor of a fictional, online character called Slenderman.

On Wednesday, June 4th, the man who claims to have created Slenderman five years ago said he's "deeply saddened by the tragedy in Wisconsin" -- saying his heart goes out to the families of those affected.