Slender Man Creator Speaks Out After Stabbing: ‘I Am Deeply Saddened’

The man who originally created Slender Man has finally opened up about the horrific stabbing of a 12-year-old girl in Wisconsin. The two alleged stabbers, also 12, claim they attempted to kill the girl for the fictional character. Eric Knudsen is the photoshop artist behind Slender Man. In 2009, he created a series of creepy photographs depicting the fictional character preying on groups of children as part of an online photoshop contest. Now, Eric is expressing his condolences after two 12-year-old girls attempted to kill their friend, also 12, by stabbing her 19 times as a sacrifice to the internet meme he created.

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June 6, 2014 12:35PM EDT
Slender Man Creator Eric Knudsen
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In this Sept. 13, 2017 file photo, Anissa Weier, listens as former teachers testify during her trial in Waukesha County Court, in Waukesha, Wis. One of the two Wisconsin girls accused of stabbing a classmate, Payton Leuter, in 2014 to gain the favor of a horror character named Slender Man will soon learn how long she will spend in a mental health facility. Anissa Weier court case, Waukesha, USA - 13 Sep 2017 A judge in Waukesha County Circuit Court on Thursday, Dec. 21, 2017, is expected to send 16-year-old Weier to a facility for at least three years after she was previously found not guilty by reason of mental disease or defect.
Waukesha County Circuit Judge Michael Bohren, begins the sentencing phase in the trial of Morgan Geyser who was 12 when she and Anissa Weier plotted to kill their sixth-grade classmate in 2014 under a delusion they needed to carry out the act to appease the internet character Slender Man, appears for sentencing before Waukesha County Circuit Judge Michael Bohren, . Geyser isn't criminally responsible for the shocking crime she committed as a mentally ill pre-teen yet could still get locked away for 40 years at a secure mental facility Girls Stabbing Plot, Waukesha, USA - 01 Feb 2018
Jessica Andrews, Director of Forensic Services at Winnebago Mental Health Facility, testifies that she believes Morgan Geyser has improved in her mental health where she should be placed in a setting for adolescents during sentencing before Waukesha County Circuit Judge Michael Bohren, . Geyser isn't criminally responsible for the shocking crime she committed as a mentally ill pre-teen yet could still get locked away for 40 years at a secure mental facility Girls Stabbing Plot, Waukesha, USA - 01 Feb 2018
Image Credit: Courtesy of Tumblr

Slender Man Creator Speaks Out After Horrific Stabbing

For the first time since a 12-year-old girl was nearly stabbed to death on Saturday, May 31 in Waukesha, Wisconsin, the Slender Man creator is speaking out.

“I am deeply saddened by the tragedy in Wisconsin and my heart goes out to the families of those affected by this terrible act,” Eric told Radar Online through his spokesperson, Sue Procko.

The two alleged stabbers, Morgan Geyser and Anissa Weier, also 12 years old, were arrested shortly after their friend survived being stabbed 19 times. During an in-depth interview with detectives, both girls admitted to stabbing their friend, and explained that they planned the attack as a “sacrifice” to Slender Man.

The official criminal complaint filed by the state of Wisconsin on Monday, June 2, described the girls’ obsession with the ghoulish fictional character as a “fascination.”

Eric Created Slender Man As Part Of A Photoshop Contest

Slender Man is best known now as an internet meme and the subject of many different short horror stories on Creepypasta, however his origin is actually quite interesting.

In 2009, Eric created Slender Man by adding the thing, creepy figure to the background of two photographs as part of a photoshop contest on Something Awful.

The images went viral shortly after being shared online, which sparked the Slender Man fandom. Plenty of copycats created their own versions, and others began writing fan fiction about him.

It’s clear that Eric never imagined his creation would spark such a horrifically violent act, especially from two little girls.

— Lauren Cox

More Slender Man Stabbing News:

  1. Slender Man: Girls, 12, Called Attack Plot ‘Stabby, Stab, Stab,’ Say Police
  2. Slender Man Stabbing Victim, 12, Recovering After Being Left For Dead
  3. Morgan Geyser: Was Obsession With Slender Man Encouraged By Her Dad?