Two twelve-year-old girls stabbed their friend 19 times in Waukesha, Wisconsin. The girls lured the victim, also 12, to the forest. The victim crawled to the road and was found by a bicyclist. The bicyclist then called 911. The girls had been working on their plan for months. Their motive for the stabbing was to please Slender Man, an online fictional evil character. The girls believed Slenderman was real and wanted to become his proxies. They wanted to prove their dedication to him by killing their friend. They had planned to cover her mouth with duck tape, stab her, and pull her covers over her during a sleepover. They later came up with a new plan to attack her while playing hide and go seek in the woods. The girls stabbed her in the woods while the victim yelled out “I hate you! I trusted you!” The girls fled after they told the victim that they would go get help. The two girls thought that she would die and that they would see Slenderman.
In recent court proceedings, a psychologist testified that one of the girls truly believes that Slenderman is real. She testified that the girl told her that she also believes the villain in Harry Potter is real. Drawings turned up showing sayings with “not safe even in your own house” and “he is here always”, and “I love killing people” in her bedroom. Barbie dolls were also found in her room with the Slenderman symbol on them. The Barbie dolls were also missing hands, feet and hair. Prosecutor’s also found a map of the forest and a kitchen knife. The case has gained national attention and the interrogation tapes have been released.
The latest news in this case is that the defense attorney argued that the case should be dismissed because the girls claimed that they were coerced by Slenderman because they believed he was real. The attorney argued that the attempted first-degree murder charge should be dismissed because she thought Slenderman would kill her family. The defense attorney believes that the coercion was a mitigating factor and that the case should be recharged as second-degree murder, which would allow the case to be heard in juvenile court. Juvenile court sentences are much more lenient than adult court convictions. The girls could face sentence until they are 25 if they are convicted in juvenile court. However, in adult court, the girls could receive a 65-year prison sentence.
Benefits of juvenile court are obviously a much more lenient sentence. If children are tried in juvenile court, the focus is more on making the defendant’s understand the consequences of the crime and to deter them from committing any future crimes. Whether an individual will be tried in adult court depends on the facts of each specific case. Things to look at are: the juvenile’s record, age, past rehabilitation efforts, and the seriousness of the offense.
A criminal defense attorney in Dakota County, MN could help individuals charged with attempted murder in Minnesota. A criminal defense attorney in Dakota County, MN could argue that their client was not competent to stand trial. Mitigating factors also depends on the facts of every case. If you are faced with a crime and are trying to get it moved to juvenile court, contact Keller Law Offices. Many individuals suffer from mental illness, which needs to be brought to the court’s attention. Keller Law Offices offers a free consultation. Max Keller is a criminal defense attorney in Dakota County, MN and will fight for you. Call 952-913-1421 today. Keller Law Offices also offers payment plans for individuals.