Slenderman: Online Obsession, Mental Illness, and the Violent Crime of Two Midwestern Girls

This book brings to life one of the most disturbing cases of the Slenderman internet phenomenon, highlighting the issue of childhood mental health, law enforcement, the judicial system, and how two young teens got caught up in the entire system.

Slenderman is an online creation from the internet site Creepypasta, where users upload their own myths, tales, and dark stories. One of those stories is the story of Slenderman, a dark figure who demands a sacrifice. Morgan, one of the main protagonists in the book and one of the saddest individuals, is suffering from early onset schizophrenia, and with one of her only friends and fellow outcast, Anissa, decides to sacrifice another friend to Slenderman so the entity would not kill her family.

This book is the first book-length study of the case and includes a number of interviews from law enforcement, mental health experts, and others. It also includes a deep review of Morgan’s writings that was submitted as evidence in her insanity defense. The entire work is one that shows a deeply troubled world and one in which mental health issues in young people are largely ignored until it is too late. This should serve as a wake-up call.