Both Girls Accused Of "Slender Man" Stabbing To Be Tried As Adults

If convicted, both girls — who were each 12 at the time of the attack — face up to 65 years in prison.

The two girls accused of stabbing their friend 19 times to appease the internet meme Slender Man will go to trial in an adult court.

Morgan E. Geyser and Anissa E. Weier, both 12 at the time of the May 2014 attack, face a count of attempted first-degree intentional homicide, the Associated Press reported. According to Wisconsin law, the charge automatically places them in an adult court.

Waukesha County Circuit Judge Michael Bohren made the decision on Friday after spending about a month hearing testimony from preliminary hearings.

The attorney for the girls argued that they were driven to attack their friend, Payton Leutner, by Slender Man, and believed they needed to do so to protect their families.

Prosecuting attorneys maintained that the 12-year-olds tricked Leutner into going into the woods with them, where they stabbed her. Leutner survived the attack.

Attorneys for both Weier and Geyser requested additional hearings in an attempt to move the cases back to a juvenile court. The judge granted the request and scheduled hearings in May and June.

If convicted, Weier and Geyser could each face up to 65 years in prison.

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