On May 31, 2014, in the woods of David's Park in Waukesha, Wisconsin, two twelve-year-old girls did the unthinkable. They lured their best friend, twelve-year-old Payton Leutner, into the trees under the pretense of playing hide-and-seek… then stabbed her 19 times with a kitchen knife. Their motive? To become “proxies” for Slender Man — a fictional internet horror character they discovered through creepypasta.

What started as an innocent sleepover spiraled into one of the most chilling true crime cases of the 21st century. In this episode of Red Flags and Body Bags, we unpack the full story: the months of secret planning, the girls’ terrifying obsession with the online myth, the brutal attack, the disturbing interrogation tapes, the psychological red flags that were missed, the trials, and the long-term impact on everyone involved.

We also examine the bigger questions this case still raises more than a decade later — how powerful online fiction can be on young, vulnerable minds and where the line between internet lore and real-world violence gets blurred.

If you love deep-dive true crime with a focus on the warning signs, this one is for you.

Mental Health Resources (available to anyone, anywhere in the US):
• 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline → Call or text 988 (24/7, free & confidential)
• Crisis Text Line → Text HOME to 741741

If you or someone you know is struggling, these national resources are here for you anytime.

What do you think — how much blame does the internet deserve in a case like this? Drop your thoughts in the comments or leave a review.

#SlenderMan #SlenderManStabbing #WaukeshaStabbing #Creepypasta #TrueCrimePodcast #RedFlagsAndBodyBags