Missing Slender Man Defendant Found Outside Illinois Truck Stop

Morgan Geyser was located sleeping outside a truck stop in Posen, Illinois on November 24, 2025 after authorities say she removed her electronic monitoring bracelet and left a group home where she had been living under supervised release. Posen is about 170 miles south of Madison, Wisconsin. A 42 year old man found with Geyser was charged with criminal trespassing and obstructing identification, and he was later released from custody. Cook County authorities expected Geyser to appear in court for an extradition hearing back to Wisconsin.

Officials said the Department of Corrections received an alert that the ankle monitor had malfunctioned, but did not notify Madison police until many hours later. The victim's family reportedly learned of Geyser's disappearance only after the situation became public. Local and national outlets reported the capture, and law enforcement indicated Geyser may be returned to a psychiatric facility depending on the outcome of legal proceedings.

Geyser pleaded guilty in 2017 to being a party to attempted first degree intentional homicide in the 2014 attack on her classmate Payton Leutner. The stabbing, which left the victim with many wounds, drew international attention because the defendants said they carried out the attack to please the fictional character Slender Man. Geyser and her then friend Anissa Weier were tried as adults, placed in psychiatric care, and subjected to a prolonged court supervised process that eventually led to conditional releases for both young women. Geyser had been committed to a psychiatric hospital for up to 40 years before being transferred earlier in 2025 to a group home under supervised release following court review and conditional release planning.

For true crime enthusiasts and community observers this episode highlights key issues in high profile rehabilitations, including electronic monitoring reliability, interagency notification protocols, and the balance between supervised release and public safety. The case remains a touchstone in discussions about juvenile defendants tried as adults, the role of mental health treatment, and how communities and victims are kept informed when custody arrangements change. Authorities will determine next steps through extradition and any subsequent court proceedings.