3 Horrifying Crimes Inspired By The Slender Man

The Slender Man is a well-known creepypasta that has circulated widely around the Internet, inspiring a slew of fans who have created an endless stream of artistic depictions, short stories, and video games.

A fictional character, depending on who you’re talking to, The Slender Man is unnaturally tall and thin, wears a black suit, and has a completely whited-out, blank face. His mythology describes him as an ancient, teleportation-capable being who preys on children and teenagers by either driving them to madness or having them act violently on his behalf.

Victims of The Slender Man are said to experience vivid nightmares, and are plagued by intense paranoid delusions, but naturally these are just aspects of a mythos that is entirely fictional and can be embellished accordingly.  Nevertheless, Slender Man is just a creepypasta, an Internet horror story designed to scare and entertain, but the following three crimes, said to be inspired by the Slender Man himself, are entirely real:

The least bloody incident on this list took place in June of 2014 in Cincinnati, Ohio, where a mother told police that, after she arrived home from work, her daughter was waiting for her silently in the kitchen. The kid (who remains unnamed, for legal reasons) was reportedly known for struggling with mental health issues, but was apparently also fanatical about The Slender Man. It was later discovered that she had written numerous things, which were found in her room after the incident, that centered on demons, insanity, and references to The Slender Man. When the mother entered the family home, her daughter was in all black clothing, donning a white mask, and attempted to stab her in the chest. Luckily the would-be victim escaped with minor defensive wounds and the daughter was taken to a Juvenile Detention Center.

Just a few months later in Port Richie, Florida, Lily Marie Hartwell walked to a local park in the middle of the night with a backpack containing knives, lighters, flashlights, cookies, and water. Unbeknownst to her mother and nine year old brother, who were sleeping at the time, Hartwell had set her house on fire in a dangerous act inspired by The Slender Man, prior to beginning her trip. She later told local law enforcement that she had been obsessed with the creepypasta and had frequented websites that contained a multitude of stories and information about the character. She also kept a journal where she eerily wrote about murder and death, but also had a particularly ominous entry that read; “If this keeps up there will be no safety in this house.” Fortunately, for the mother and the brother, they escaped the fire with no serious injuries, but their entire home burned to the ground. Hartwell was charged with arson and two counts of attempted murder, but since she was a juvenile at the time of the crime, her court records have been sealed and there is no further information about her fate.

Arguably the most famous incident of a Slender Man inspired crime took place in May of 2014 in Waukesha, Wisconsin. Twelve year old  Morgan Geyser and her friend Anissa Weier believed that The Slender Man was real and they wanted to become his followers and to prove their undying loyalty to him. They thought if they offered up a sacrifice they would be allowed to live in his mansion and remain his servants for the rest of their lives. Geyser and Weier lured their victim, Payton Leutner, a classmate of theirs to the woods, following a slumber party that took place the night before. Under the guise of hide and seek, Geyser and Weier pinned Leutner down and began to stab her with a large kitchen knife, leaving nineteen wounds total. Thankfully, only two lesions hit major arteries. After the stabbing, the aggressors fled the scene, abandoning the injured Leutner. The bleeding victim dragged herself out of the forest, where she was discovered by a passing biker and was able to name her attackers before being rushed into major surgery. Leutner survived the attack, but Geyser and Weier have been in correctional custody since their arrest just hours later. The girls have both been mentally evaluated with Geyser being diagnosed with childhood onset schizophrenia. However, she and Weier were still deemed fit to stand trial. The pair have since pleaded not guilty and have been transferred to an adult facility for their crimes, under the charge of attempted first degree intentional homicide. Their next court appearance is set to be in July of this year.