The 2014 Slender Man stabbing in Waukesha, Wisconsin, shocked the world, not just for its brutal nature but for the young ages of everyone involved. The story focused on the three 12-year-old girls: the victim, Payton Leutner, and her two attackers, Morgan Geyser and Anissa Weier.
In the years since, the legal and personal journeys of these individuals have unfolded in the public eye. While much has been said about the crime itself, the families caught in this tragedy have their own complex stories, including that of Anissa Weier’s parents, who found themselves grappling with a reality they never could have imagined.
You Might Like: The Private World of Udo Kier
The Weier Family and Their Public Response
Anissa Weier’s parents are Bill Weier and Kristi Weier. During the legal proceedings, they occasionally spoke to the media, expressing a mixture of shock, regret, and a desire to understand what had happened. In a 2017 interview, Bill Weier described the moment he learned of his daughter’s alleged involvement as “surreal,” a word that captured the disbelief shared by many. Both her mother and father were active in Anissa’s life despite being divorced, with Kristi Weier stating that she monitored her daughter’s iPad use and kept a watchful eye on her activities.
In the aftermath of the stabbing, the Weiers also faced the difficult task of navigating the public retelling of their family’s trauma. Bill Weier was openly critical of the 2018 Hollywood film Slender Man, calling it “extremely distasteful” and arguing that it was “popularizing a tragedy” and extending the pain for all three families affected by the real-life event. He expressed hope that local theaters would choose not to show the movie. Kristi Weier participated in an HBO documentary about the case, not to defend her daughter’s actions, but with the hope that sharing their experience could help other parents who might be unaware of what their children are consuming online.
Also See: Is Erika Kirk Pregnant?
Parental Insight and Family Impact
For Anissa’s mother and father, the attack was a complete shock that came without any obvious warning signs. Kristi Weier has said that Anissa never mentioned anything to her about believing in Slender Man, a detail that highlights the challenge parents can face in knowing their children’s inner worlds. When police first contacted her, she initially feared Anissa had been abducted, only to later discover a heartbreaking “goodbye note” on her daughter’s phone that read, “This is my final wish to those who care, do not grieve my absence, but remember me for who I was.”
Public records and news reports covering the case identify Anissa Weier as of Caucasian (white) ethnicity and confirm she has at least one sibling, her older brother William Weier. However, the focus of available information remains squarely on her immediate parents and their reactions. Seeing their daughter in court, shackled and charged as an adult with a crime that could have resulted in 65 years in prison, was a devastating low point for the family.
Kristi Weier described it as a moment that “really hit me hard,” making the reality of the situation painfully clear. As part of her release from a mental health institution in 2021, a condition of Anissa’s probation was to live with her father, Bill Weier, indicating his continued role in her life and recovery.
