The Slender Man killings have lead to issues of mental illness regarding one of the 12 year old girls accused of stabbing a classmate to death in the Wisconsin woods in a frenzied attack that allegedly paid homage to the Slender Man ghoul.
The judge would appoint an examiner who would have 15 days to file a mental health report and advise whether the girl is mentally competent to exercise her rights, attorney Tony Cotton told NBC News.
Both suspects, whom NBC News is not identifying because of their age, are being tried as adults.
NBC report that prosecutors say the near-fatal stabbing in the Milwaukee suburb of Waukesha was inspired by an eerie online meme known as Slender Man. The alleged attackers reportedly told investigators they were trying to pay homage to the faceless ghoul they discovered on a horror-themed website by stabbing their 12-year-old victim 19 times.
The girls face one count each of first-degree “attempted homicide with a knife enhancer” and could get up to 65 years in the state prison system.
Wisconsin laws dictate anyone over 10 years old charged with homicide is automatically considered an adult. Four states set the age threshold at 13 years old.
Who is Slender Man?
The Slender Man Know Your Meme site defines Slender Man, or Slenderman, as “a mythical creature often depicted as a tall, thin figure wearing a black suit and a blank face”.
The BBC report that in the Slender Man mythology “he can stretch or shorten his arms at will and has tentacle-like appendages protruding from his back”.
Representations of Slender Man can be seen in many guises. On the Etsy craft sales website, there are key rings, bracelets and stuffed toys. On Flickr and Instagram, you can see everything from Slender Man fancy dress to Lego tableaux.
Hundreds of thousands click on YouTube videos based on the character. He crops up on blogs in graphic art and fan fiction.
