Morgan E. Geyser is led into a Waukesha County courtroom in Waukesha, Wis. Abe Van Dyke
Hello and good evening, Ladies and Gentlemen!
My criminology professor at USF, (Dr. Kathleen M. Heide) was interviewed for Newsweek about two pre-teen girls, Morgan Geyser and Anissa Weier, who stabbed their friend 19 times in the hopes of becoming part of Slender Man's pack. Geyser and Weier are tried as adults because murders and attempted murders by children over the age of 10 are automatically tried in adult court in Wisconsin. The actions of Geyser and Weier's crime were so violent, that they are being charged for non-negligent murder and face up to 65 years in prison! Can you imagine being 12 years old and already knowing where you are going to be spending the rest of your life?!
Although what these girls did was cruel, I do believe the sentence is harsh for two 12 year-old girls. No one should get away with murder, but knowing how the human brain works, these girls' brains are not fully developed to think logically as an adult. They do know right from wrong, but their clouded judgment is what causes them to act out their crime. Do you guys believe these girls should be tried as juveniles or adults? What do you guys believe their punishment should be?
If you are interested in crime stories as much as I am, read the article by Abigail Jones here: http://www.newsweek.com/2014/08/22/girls-who-tried-kill-slender-man-264218.html.
