Teen Girls Accused Of 'Slender Man' Stabbing To Stand Trial As Adults

By Stephen Gossett in News on Jul 27, 2016 4:11PM

The two girls accused of attempting to kill their friend to please fictional Internet-meme boogeyman the “Slender Man” in 2014 must stand trial as adults, a Wisconsin state appeals court ruled on Wednesday.

Two girls in Waukesha, WI, allegedly lured a friend, Payton Leutner, into the woods and stabbed her 19 times and left her to die. Both suspects and the victim were 12 years old at the time.

Attorneys have the chance to appeal to the Supreme Court. They previously argued that the girls should be charged as juveniles.

The girls both face one count of attempted first-degree homicide, and could face a potential 65 years in prison if convicted.

"Slender Man" began on the forums of content-hosting site Something Awful in 2009. The character became popular among users and inspired reams of fan fiction and fan art. The tall, blank-faced monster was frequently depicted attacking children. The accused girls wanted to become Slender Man “proxies,” investigators claimed.

The girls were determined competent to stand trial by a judge in late 2014. A judge ordered in 2015 that the girls would be tried as adults.