Two girls who allegedly stabbed a 12-year-old friend over the online game Slender Man are competent to stand trial for attempted murder.
Wisconsin Judge Michael Bohren ruled that the now-13-year-old girl was competent after three doctors presented evidence on her mental state. The other girl, Morgan Weyser, waived her rights to a competency hearing, which means that she is ruled competent.
One girl was found incompetent to stand trial previously, and an attorney said at one point she might have schizophrenia. But a more recent report indicated her mental state was better, and the attorney didn’t have enough information to challenge it.
"I'm satisfied that the issues of age and maturity do not override her competency,"
Bohren said, according to The Associated Press. "She's competent to make the decisions that have to be made."
A preliminary hearing date was set for for February, which will determine whether available evidence will bring the girls to trial. Attorneys are still trying to get the case moved to juvenile court.
The girls allegedly attacked Payton Leutner in May, stabbing her 19 times. The girl survived, crawling to a road where she was found.
The case drew attention because the alleged attackers said they were in the woods to meet Slender Man, an online character popular since 2009.
The girls told police they were trying to please Slender Man, a meme they found on a website called Creepypasta Wiki.
“One of the suspects is said to have told police that Slender Man is the site's supposed leader, and to climb into his realm, a
user must kill someone,” CNN reported.
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