The two 13-year-old girls are accused of stabbing a classmate with the intent of murdering her. According to the prosecutor, the girls planned the deed as a tribute to the fictional Slender Man, a paranormal creature who has supposedly been in existence for centuries. The girls found Slender Man on a Web site and decided to kill their friend to show devotion to the figure. Despite multiple stab wounds, the victim managed to crawl out of the woods where she had been abandoned. She was taken to a hospital and survived.
Was this crime an intentional murder (a homicide)? Should the two girls be charged as adults?