Thanks - there are just so many theories. This is just such a strange situation. The thing I cannot understand is that these two girls simply do not fit the "profile" of other cases.
- background of habitual violence? Apparently not
- crime history? No
- acting out at school? No
- victims of abuse? Apparently not
- previous antisocial behavior? Apparently not
I'm not sure that they really knew each other prior to 6th Grade - they seem to have attended different elementary schools. (MG and PL were at the same one). So they probably became "bus friends". It's not clear if they hung out together at school.
AW and MG seem to have had a common interest that PL does not have (that can be seen), the interest in the horror genre and CreepyPasta. Someone claiming to be MG teases PL via her Google+ account for being "mainstream" about PL's liking of Katy Perry. It's not had to imagine developing tension between PL and MG as the latter becomes obsessed with Slender Man - especially if she ever discussed with MG the notion of killing someone to become a proxy. I'm going to stick my neck out here and suggest that this did happen, and it made PL very uncomfortable, to the point of her telling MG to knock it off or else... and at some point MG sees this as a choice to be made: PL or Slender Man.
AW - as I said in an earlier post - was doubtless happy to have a friend with a similar interest - Slender Man. It may be that this was, however, the ONLY shared interest they had, and thus formed the underpinning of a friendship that was particularly important to AW.
In the criminal complaint AW, mentions the need to kill someone to become a proxy BEFORE she discusses the plan that MG brings to her: that they should become proxies by killing PL. I think its reasonable to say that AW and MG had discussed this PRIOR to planning to kill anyone. There is no evidence that suggests that any plan to kill anyone specific existed before MG makes the suggestion and names PL. Now the "plan" is born.
They discussed their plan on the bus (an unnecessary risk) using code words for safety. To me, this suggests a compelling (perhaps even addictive) thrill in their conspiracy due to its taboo nature. It also demonstrates they knew that what they were discussing was "wrong". It gave them an exclusive bond that COULD NOT be shared... although I think PL - who had known MG for years - knew something was going on. I think this bond was super-important for AW, who allegedly came up with so many plans that MG could not keep up with them.
Up to this point, nothing really untoward has happened: they've got a macabre secret "plan" to kill PL, but at the same time don't have any apparent enmity with PL (who after all did agree to come to the slumber party). What the plan ACTUALLY means to each girl is probably not the same. To AW its about acceptance and friendship. In the shot time they'd known each other, AW had even given MG the pet name "Kitty", which I imagine was one that only she used (MG kind of says this in the complaint). For MG, the goal is all about Slender Man. But she is possibly psychopathic AND also mentally ill. Without the latter, perhaps the psychopathy would not have become obvious. Most psychopaths are perfectly functional, but become dangerous if their environment provides that stimulus.
I don't know that AW thought the attack would ever actually happen. If she had, her duty would have been to do something about it, but this would have almost certainly been the end of her friendship with MG. So she avoided thinking about it until it was too late - and once PL was aware that they had a knife and she was in danger, AW must have known that even if they hadn't stabbed her, PL would have certainly reported what they had done.
One can only assume that AW must have been incredibly lonely and desperate for close companionship to have been a part of this. No doubt this and her home circumstances will feature large in her defense trying to explain how an intelligent and "normal" girl could have gone so far astray.
