Waukesha, Wisconsin — May, 31, 2014, on a Saturday morning Anissa Weier and Morgan Geyser allegedly stabbed their friend Peyton Leutner nineteen times. The girls are reported to have stabbed Leutner in the woods, and then left her for dead. Weier and Geyser have stated that they committed this crime in order to be accepted by a fictional character called Slender Man.

Slender Man is a tall, faceless character that lurks in the shadows and preys on children. Weier and Geyser were obsessed with the fictional character. To become his “proxies” the girls said it was necessary to kill Leutner. After going through with their attack, Weier and Geyser ran away to find a mansion which they believed belonged to Slender Man.

Weier and Geyser had planned their attack for months to please the fictional idol. They first took Leutner to a bathroom and attempted to stab her there. The plan failed, however, because neither Weier nor Geyser wanted to take the knife and stab Leutner at the time. They then told Leutner they were going to go play hide and seek in the woods. Leutner stated that she was forced to go.

Weier gave a 5 inch blade to Geyser and hid with the victim. Weier told Leutner to lie down, and when Leutner refused, Weier forced her down and sat on her. Geyser held the knife and said to Weier “I’m not going to until you tell me to.”

Weier responded by saying “Go ballistic, go crazy.” Geyser then allegedly stabbed Leutner nineteen times.

“

“It was weird that I didn’t feel remorse.”

— Morgan Geyser

Both Weier and Geyser fled, telling Leutner they were going to get help. They were headed to Nicolet Forest, where they thought Slender Man had a mansion.

Leutner somehow found the strength to crawl out of the woods. A biker came across the victim and called 911. Leutner was rushed to the hospital where doctors said a particular stab would likely have killed her had it gone one millimeter deeper. The knife sliced through her chest, through tissue, left vessels exposed and stopped before hitting the wall of a major artery. Had it not stopped, Leutner would have likely bled to death before finding help.

Morgan Geyser and Anissa Weier were found by the police and taken into custody. Geyser and Weier face charges of attempted intentional homicide. Their attorneys argue that the girls should stay in juvenile court, but on Monday, August 10, 2015, it was decided that the girls will be tried in adult court. If they are found guilty, they could be charged with at least 65 years in prison.

The trial date is set for October 15th.