Morgan Geyser, now 19, hit the headlines once more when she went on the run from a Milwaukee-area group home in Madison, Wisconsin. Geyser first became widely known in 2014, when as a 12-year-old she stabbed her schoolmate Payton Leutner 19 times, a crime linked to the horror character Slender Man. In the years since her 2014 conviction for attempted homicide, she has been repeatedly hospitalized in psychiatric wards. Her most recent breakout was supposedly due to her perception of how she was being treated inside the group home.
On Saturday, Geyser cut off her court-mandated electronic tracking monitor and disappeared from the group home. She even talked about her wish to leave recently. This longing is for Chad “Charley” Mecca, a 43-year-old woman she figured out the church — and life in general — just two months ago. Mecca allegedly assisted her in the escape. Police eventually tracked both suspects down at a truck stop in the suburbs of Chicago. They were about 170 miles from the group home.
Days after her breakout, Geyser and Mecca were intercepted on the street by police responding to a report of loitering. According to reports, they may have been attempting to return home to Nashville, Tennessee. Crucial questions about the details of their plan remain unanswered.
Geyser’s flight from the group home raised red flags that were raised in Wisconsin prosecutors. Now, they are moving to have her conditional release revoked. They are now supporting her return to the institution, referencing her history of violent behavior and the seriousness of her past actions.
“At the end of the day, I followed what I thought was right. I stand by it.” – Chad “Charley” Mecca
As one of the most notable cases of juvenile psychopathy, Geyser was originally sentenced to a psychiatric hospital. She ultimately pleaded guilty to a reduced charge of attempted first-degree murder for stabbing Leutner in May 2014. Geyser and her friend Anissa Weier, both 12 years old at the time, lured Leutner to a wooded area in Waukesha, Wisconsin, where the stabbing happened. The tragedy served as a wake-up call for the country, prompting discussions around mental health and the impact of internet culture on young people.
In March, Geyser transitioned to a group home as a condition of her release. There, she was about to get the comprehensive care and wraparound support she continued to need. According to reports, Geyser alleged that she was bullied at the center.
“They’ll take away our visitation. Charly, please … you’re my best friend. And you know, you know that before you showed up, I was ready to drink bleach and just all this stuff,” – Morgan Geyser (via Mecca)
This has raised scrutiny on Mecca’s role in facilitating Geyser’s escape too. It still isn’t clear what drove Mecca to assist her friend’s escape. Through it all, she has continued to insist that she was trying to protect Geyser—that she thought she was acting in her best interests.
As soon as they escaped, authorities moved quickly to catch both women. On Tuesday, Geyser elected for waiver of her right to an extradition hearing. This ruling will make it easier for her to return to Wisconsin, where prosecutors are looking to change her status of conditional release.
Now, Geyser’s story has returned to the spotlight, reopening discussions on key issues like the treatment of serious mental health conditions. These debates often emphasize a vision of rehabilitating youthful offenders, especially in headline-grabbing cases.