Morgan Geyser, 23, was taken into custody Sunday night in suburban Chicago after a daylong search.
MADISON, Wis. — Morgan Geyser, one of two girls who stabbed a classmate in 2014 in the so-called “Slender Man” case, was taken into custody in Illinois late Sunday after authorities say she cut off a GPS monitor and left a Madison group home Saturday night.
Officials said the 23-year-old, who was conditionally released to supervised community living earlier this year, was located in Posen, a Chicago suburb, following a regional alert and public warnings. The case has renewed scrutiny of how quickly agencies reacted to alerts from Geyser’s electronic monitor and how information was shared with police and the public. Investigators are still determining why she left and who, if anyone, helped her travel across state lines. An extradition hearing is expected this week to return her to Wisconsin supervision while officials review whether any release rules were violated.
Authorities said Geyser removed her court-ordered monitoring bracelet at about 8 p.m. Saturday and walked away from the group home on Madison’s south side. Supervisors did not report her missing to police until early Sunday, according to officials, despite Department of Corrections staff receiving an alert that the device had malfunctioned. By midmorning Sunday, law enforcement agencies issued public notices with a recent image and urged anyone who saw her to call 911. Late Sunday, officers in Posen encountered Geyser at a truck stop with an adult acquaintance and detained her without incident. Her attorney had publicly urged her to surrender as the search intensified.
Police said the adult found with Geyser was identified and questioned, though investigators did not release the person’s name or say whether that individual might face charges. The Madison police chief said agencies coordinated throughout the day as leads came in. Waukesha County authorities, who oversee the underlying court case tied to Geyser’s 2017 guilty plea to attempted first-degree intentional homicide, obtained a warrant connected to her conditional release. Officials did not immediately detail how far she traveled or what vehicle was used. Officers in Illinois took Geyser to the Cook County jail pending extradition proceedings. No injuries were reported during the encounter, and investigators said they were reviewing surveillance video and digital records from the monitoring system.
Geyser and classmate Anissa Weier were both 12 when they lured sixth-grader Payton Leutner into woods after a sleepover in Waukesha on May 31, 2014. Leutner survived 19 stab wounds after crawling to a bike path where a passerby found her. Judges later ruled Geyser and Weier were not guilty by reason of mental disease or defect and committed them to state psychiatric custody. Weier was granted conditional release in 2021 with strict supervision and continued treatment. In January 2025, a judge allowed Geyser to move from the Winnebago Mental Health Institute to a Madison group home under rules that included GPS monitoring, therapy, no unsupervised contact with minors, and curfews.
Saturday’s departure triggered a multiagency response across Wisconsin and northern Illinois. Posen’s police chief said officers were briefed on the Wisconsin alert and approached Geyser after recognizing her at a fueling area. An officer said Geyser identified herself and complied with commands; a brief comment attributed to her at the scene suggested she told officers to search her name online. Madison’s police chief said his department focused on pushing information to the public while tracking tips and coordinating with state corrections officials. The Department of Corrections said it is reviewing the alert timeline and the performance of the electronic monitoring system but released no conclusions.
The episode is likely to figure in future court hearings that govern Geyser’s release conditions. Under Wisconsin law, a person on conditional release from a mental health commitment can be taken back into custody if they violate rules or if officials believe public safety or treatment needs require it. Prosecutors and the Department of Health Services can request changes to curfews, monitoring, residence, or treatment plans, and a judge must approve any modification. Court records from Waukesha County show Geyser’s underlying commitment runs decades, with regular review hearings. An extradition hearing was scheduled in Cook County for Tuesday, when a judge is expected to decide on returning her to Wisconsin without formal charges in Illinois.
Outside the group home on Madison’s south side Monday, neighbors described a quiet facility that rarely drew attention. One resident said marked cars rolled through the area overnight as alerts pinged phones. In Posen, a gas station employee said officers arrived quickly and that the woman they detained “looked calm” and did not resist. A spokesperson for the victim’s family did not offer new comment Monday, noting earlier statements that Leutner has sought privacy as an adult. Weier’s attorney did not respond to messages seeking reaction to the arrest.
As of Monday night, Geyser remained in Cook County custody awaiting Tuesday’s extradition hearing. Wisconsin officials said they will outline next steps after the hearing, including any request to revoke or tighten her conditional release and a timeline for transporting her back to Waukesha County.
Author note: Last updated November 25, 2025.