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​Judge delays "Slender Man" stabbing case

According to the criminal complaint, the girls wanted to kill their friend as an act of devotion to an Internet horror character called Slenderman
Alleged "Slenderman" stabbing shows downside of going viral 02:12

WAUKESHA, Wis. - A Wisconsin judge has suspended the case involving two 13-year-old girls accused of trying to kill a classmate while an appeals court decides whether to review the case's placement in adult court.

The two girls are charged with attempted first-degree intentional homicide in Waukesha County. Investigators allege they stabbed Payton Leutner 19 times in an effort to appease the online fictional character Slender Man.

Defense attorneys have appealed Judge Michael Bohren's decision to keep the girls in adult court, where convictions could carry longer incarceration.

The Journal Sentinel reports that Bohren removed the girls' October trial date from his calendar and delayed hearing pre-trial motions.

The Associated Press hasn't identified the girls because the case could return to juvenile court, where proceedings are closed.

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