Teen says 'Slender Man' asked her to kill her friend

In 2014, Anissa Weier and Morgan Geyser, after a sleepover, invited their friend Payton Leutner to join them for a walk in the park in Waukesha, a city west of Milwaukee. Once the trio was in the woods inside the park, Geyser stabbed Leutner 19 times. The pair left Leutner lying there and fled the scene. According to reports, the 12-year-olds were strongly influenced by Slender Man. They intended to meet Slender Man following the incident.

Who is Slender Man?

According to USA Today, Slender Man is a fictitious character who first started appearing online in 2009.

He is depicted as a tall man in a black suit, with a featureless face. In the beginning, this character was simply photoshopped, depicting normal scenes in a child's everyday life. For example, he would be shown standing in a children's playground.

Slender Man soon became a major horror story. A Slender Man game was also released. Soon children everywhere knew about the faceless character.

What did Anissa Weier plead guilty to?

After the stabbing, Leutner was able to drag herself to a path where she was helped by a cyclist. However, both Weier and Geyser have since been accused of attempted first-degree intentional homicide. In Weier's hearing on Monday, she pleaded guilty to attempted second-degree homicide.

She admits that she is guilty of being party to a crime with a deadly weapon, according to the Los Angeles Times.

Weier spoke to the Waukesha County Circuit Judge, Michael O.Bohren during the hearing on Monday, explaining the motive for the crime. According to Weier, Slender Man had wanted her to stab Leutner. She believed that he would hurt or kill the ones she loved if she didn't obey his wishes.

However, Weier did not want to stab Leutner. She told Geyser this during the walk to the woods and, so in the end, it was Geyser that jumped on Leutner and stabbed her 19 times. Weier simply stood and watched.

If found guilty of attempted second-degree homicide, Weier could be sentenced to 10 years in prison, according to USA Today.

Weier has also told the court that she was not in the right mind at the time of the stabbing and that she suffers from mental issues. If this is, in fact, the case, Weier will instead be sent to a mental hospital for three years. Geyser too is making a similar claim.

The 15-year-old Anissa Weier is set to appear in court again next month for the final ruling. Hope this case serves as an example to parents all over the world.