UPDATE 7:52 p.m. Friday:
The jury has reached a verdict. We expect to hear from the jury momentarily. Watch the jury's verdict below:
Stay with tmj4.com for updates.
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After a rather speedy trial, deliberations continue in the Slender Man case.
The attorneys made their closing arguments in the case for Anissa Weier Friday. During the course of the trial, the state had made arguments about Weier's motivation for the stabbing.
They said she didn't acknowledge a fear of Slender Man until well after the stabbing occurred so it couldn't act as a motivator for her actions. Defense Attorney Maura McMahon challenged that in her closing argument.
"It doesn't matter what or when Morgan told her about the deal she made with their devil, Slender Man," McMahon said. "The Wiki told her he could read her mind, he was always watching, he could be anywhere in the blink of an eye and he stalked, stole and strangled children and their families."
Aside from the fear of Slender Man, McMahon hammered home the testimony of three separate psychologists. All three were certified as experts by the court and came to the same conclusion; Anissa Weier suffered from a shared delusional disorder.
"Independent of each other, [they] found the same delusional disorder," McMahon said. "Found this behavior was driven by mental illness and all three agreed the delusional disorder kept her from being able to conform her conduct to the requirements of the law."
However, the state said the three experts had a flawed diagnosis.
"The silly thing about this was, I didn't know I was in danger until after [the stabbing]," Deputy District Attorney Ted Szczupakiewicz said, quoting Anissa Weier in her interview with police. "This is not kill or be killed. It's not, I have to act. This is, as Assistant District Attorney Osborne said, a want. The only reason she didn't comply was for a need to protect self and family. It's not true. It's simply not true."
The state's argument circles around the deal Morgan Geyser made with Slender Man. After she allegedly stabbed Payton Leutner, Geyser and Weier began their trip to Slender Mansion. Along the way, Geyser told Weier she made a deal with Slender Man.
Anissa Weier told police, "[Geyser] said, oh there was one thing I forgot to tell you. I kind of, sort of made a deal with Slender that if we didn't kill [Leutner] that he would or could kill our families and everything we love. I didn't want this to happen so that's why I did this."
The state says she can't be motivated by a fear of Slender Man after the fact. But McMahon says the fear was established long before that.
"Kids in a shared delusion don't share with outsiders," McMahon said. "It's like Fight Club. The first rule of Fight Club, you don't talk about Fight Club. When you're in the control of an internet demon, who can read your mind no matter where his eyeless face is, you don't tell people. Because what will happen? The internet Wiki tells you what will happen. You will die."
If the jury does not reach a verdict Friday, they will continue deliberations on Saturday.
