A girl of 14 charged with attempting to murder a classmate in an act of devotion to Slender Man, a fictional horror character, has pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity. Her lawyers will apparently argue that her belief in and dedication to Slender Man are indications of mental illness. Investigators say Morgan and Anissa told them they hoped to impress the shadowy figure and become his “proxies” by committing murder. Slender Man was invented by Eric Knudsen in 2009 in an online competition, and has been the subject of horror stories and doctored images that show his narrow, suited frame roaming the wilderness or hovering near children. Police say that Morgan and Anissa told them they discovered the character on Creepypasta, a forum where users share dark and frightening stories.

Source: National Post August 22, 2016 12:56 UTC