Morgan Geyser is currently a 23-year-old young woman dealing with serious and tragic mental health issues. These obstacles stem from the legal fallout of one very unfortunate incident from 2014. At the impressionable age of simply 12, Geyser pled guilty to stabbing her sixth-grade classmate Peyton Leutner. She stabbed her 19 times with a kitchen knife. That shocking crime shook the nation. Because of this, Geyser and her partner-in-crime, Anissa Weier, were tried as adults under Wisconsin state law.
Geyser was ultimately sentenced to 40 years in a psychiatric institution. This decision shows both the severity of her conduct and the danger posed by her deteriorating mental state. As we discussed over the course of the interviews, she has reported that she has experienced lifelong visual and auditory hallucinations, frequently seeing people she believed to be ghosts. Her symptoms expanded to include elicited imaginary friends and vivid visual distortions, such as colors leaking down walls.
Recently discharged from a psychiatric hospital, Geyser was conditionally placed in a group home. Her emotional and educational growth has pretty much stopped since her early adulthood. Geyser’s attorney, Tony Cotton, argued against the prosecutor’s request to keep her confined in a psychiatric hospital, labeling it as a “hit job.”
Though she has been released, Geyser’s path has been anything but easy. She recently ran away from the nursing home after being moved there. Authorities arrested her a day later at a truck stop near Chicago. They later discovered her with Chad “Charley” Mecca, a 43-year-old woman whom she had met at church only two months before. This event has further deepened concerns about Geyser’s stability and capability to be an independent operator.
Concerns regarding Geyser’s mental health have grown. Abbey Nickolie, a representative from the state, noted, “The state has real concerns these things are, frankly, just red flags at this point.” Her long-standing pattern of mental health problems gives many pause. They ask if her conditional release was premature in light of her prior conduct.
Kathleen Hale, a mental health expert, considering Morgan Geyser’s case. She impressed upon me some grave concerns about the systems set up for disabled folks like herself. Hale said, “Wisconsin has just turned a child into an adult without any tools to be an adult.” As she put it, years of research overwhelmingly finds that trying children as adults leads to more negative outcomes, not less.
Hale called attention to the challenges that those who have been institutionalized since childhood experience. As she explained, “To someone institutionalized since childhood liberty is not a reward – it’s terror. As Geyser attempts to return to society, she’ll be confronted by some very real challenges. At the same time, she struggles with her traumatic history.
Furthermore, Hale remarked that Geyser’s past experiences shouldn’t be seen just as continuations of her offense. She should not be victimized further as an extension of the original crime,” she said. It’s the system that has truly failed to foster people like Geyser. This brings up a compelling question on how our society wants to treat mental health for young offenders.
Lingering fears remain that Geyser will be transferred back to the psychiatric hospital. People question the impact of a return like that, especially after her sentencing. Her health and behavior are still monitored due to the scrutiny her actions have brought about. At the same time, the nuances of her situation are nuanced and undeniable.
The effect of online culture on young people is a source of great concern for the law enforcement community. In the past, the Waukesha police chief has voiced his concerns on the more sinister elements of internet culture. … yet the internet is full of dark and wicked things,” he explained. This type of commentary highlights the dangers of exposure to violent or disturbing content and how it might affect at-risk youth.
Geyser’s case emphasizes the need for personal responsibility. It further exposes the larger systemic failures of mental health care and juvenile justice. Her fight for life and health demonstrates the importance of good rehabilitation plans. These approaches should prioritize treating the underlying mental health issues, rather than simply penalizing the behavior.