'Slender Man' Girls Get Bad News in Court

Two 13-year-old girls accused of trying to murder a classmate when they were 12 learned today that they will be tried as adults—a decision that could make a difference of decades in prison. In what they told investigators was an attempt to please the fictional online "Slender Man" character, Morgan Geyser and Anissa Weier allegedly stabbed their friend 19 times and left her for dead in Waukesha, Wisc., last spring. They have been detained since the attack, and the judge's decision today was being closely watched by advocates for reform of the juvenile justice system, reports the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel. "There has to be assurance to the public—and to these defendants as well—that a serious offense has to be dealt with on a serious basis that offers protection to everyone," he said.

The girls have been charged with attempted intentional first-degree homicide, a crime that could get them a 45-year sentence as adults. If they were treated as juveniles, they could be out before they turn 18. Fox 6 reports that mental health experts have testified over the last year that both girls would be better off in the juvenile system. Anissa is now in a juvenile secure detention facility and Fox 6 reports that she has done well in school but spent time on suicide watch after bullying. Morgan's case is more complicated, the Journal-Sentinel notes: She has been diagnosed with early-onset schizophrenia, but isn't receiving medication and has told psychiatrists that she still believes in the Slender Man. (More Slender Man stories.)