Payton Leutner survived a 2014 stabbing in Waukesha, Wisconsin, when two friends attacked her 19 times and later said they were influenced by the fictional Slender Man. After emergency surgery and months of physical and psychological recovery, she returned to school and later enrolled in college with plans to pursue a medical career. The attackers were committed to psychiatric treatment; one was discharged in 2021 and the other was released to supervised care in 2025 before briefly fleeing and being recaptured. Payton has largely stayed private, describing the experience as transformative and expressing gratitude for the support she received.
Where Is Payton Leutner Now? Life After the 2014 Slender Man Stabbing
Rescue workers take 12-year-old stabbing victim Payton Leutner to an ambulance on May 31, 2014 in Waukesha, Wisconsin; Payton Leutner.Credit: Abe Van Dyke/AP Photo; ABC News/Youtube
More than a decade after a nearly fatal attack that shocked the nation, Payton Leutner has largely rebuilt her life. This article summarizes the 2014 stabbing, her medical and emotional recovery, the legal outcomes for her attackers, and what Payton has said about how the experience shaped her future.
The Attack
On May 31, 2014, 12-year-old Payton Leutner was lured into woods near a park in Waukesha, Wisconsin, by friends Morgan Geyser and Anissa Weier under the pretense of playing hide-and-seek. The girls attacked Payton with a kitchen knife taken from Geyser’s home; she suffered 19 stab wounds. A passing cyclist found her crawling to a nearby path and called 911.
Anissa Weier appears via video link from the Washington County Secure Detention Center where she is being held, during a hearing in Waukesha County Court on November 11, 2016.Credit: Michael Sears/Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel / AP, Pool
Medical Treatment and Recovery
Leutner was rushed to ProHealth Waukesha Memorial Hospital and underwent roughly six hours of emergency surgery. Her wounds included injuries to her arms, legs and torso; one wound punctured her liver and stomach and another grazed her heart. Surgeons later noted that a very small additional movement of the knife could have been fatal.
She spent 10 days in the hospital and months receiving follow-up care. Alongside physical recovery, Payton attended counseling to address trauma-related anxiety and sleep disturbances; she has said she initially slept beside her mother and felt ongoing fear while healing.
Anissa Weier at Waukesha County Courthouse on September 11, 2017 ; Morgan Geyser appears in court on September 29, 2017 in Waukesha, Wisconsin.Credit: Morry Gash/AP ; Michael Sear/Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel via AP
Legal Outcomes
Geyser and Weier were arrested soon after the attack. Both admitted involvement and were charged as adults: Geyser with attempted first-degree homicide and Weier with attempted second-degree homicide. During court proceedings the defendants said they were influenced by the internet-created horror figure Slender Man and described themselves as acting as his 'proxies.'
In 2017 each entered guilty pleas to attempted homicide but were ultimately found not guilty by reason of mental disease or defect and committed to long-term psychiatric treatment rather than traditional prison terms. Weier was given a disposition with a maximum of 25 years and later applied for conditional release; she was discharged from the Winnebago Mental Health Institute in September 2021. Geyser was committed to a psychiatric hospital with a sentence allowing up to 40 years of treatment; she was released to a supervised group home in July 2025 under strict conditions and electronic monitoring, then briefly fled the facility in November 2025 before being located and taken into custody in Illinois.
Payton Leutner.Credit: ABC News/Youtube
Payton's Life Since the Attack
Payton has kept a largely private life but has occasionally spoken about the attack and her recovery. In a 2019 interview with 20/20 she described the experience as life-changing and said it gave her perspective and motivation she did not have at 12. She revealed that, for a time after the attack, she slept with a pair of broken scissors under her pillow for reassurance.
'I would probably, initially thank her,' Payton said in reference to Geyser. 'Just because of what she did, I have the life I have now. I really, really like it and I have a plan.'
Payton returned to school, completed honors coursework in high school, and later enrolled in college, where she has pursued studies aligned with a career in the medical field — a path inspired in part by her own experience with trauma and surgery. Friends, family and strangers have supported her through recovery, and Payton has said her goal is to put the attack behind her and live a normal life.
Morgan Geyser.Credit: Madison Police Department/Facebook
Recent Developments and Family Statement
When Geyser fled her supervised group home in November 2025, local authorities and the Leutner family confirmed Payton and her relatives were safe. The family issued statements thanking law enforcement and the community for their support during the search and subsequent recapture.
Where Things Stand
Payton remains a private person focused on education and recovery. The legal cases of her attackers have resulted in long-term psychiatric commitments with conditional releases and monitoring in later years. Payton's public comments emphasize resilience, gratitude for support, and a desire to move forward with her plans, including a career in health care.
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