If you’re a horror lover like me, I’m sure you have heard of “The Devil Made Me Do It” case, which was the first time the defense of demonic possession was used in the courtroom for a murder case. Especially being a student in Connecticut, where this case took place, it was interesting to compare the story that was portrayed in The Conjuring 3 to the new Netflix documentary about the case, called The Devil on Trial. If you don’t know what the case is, I’ll give you a little background!
case background
In Brookfield, CT in 1981, a 40-year-old landlord named Alan Bono was murdered after being stabbed in the chest with a pocket nice. The killer was Arne Cheyenne Johnson, who at the time was 19 years old and renting out an apartment next to Bono. Johnson was arrested soon after the murder but pleaded not guilty… based on the claim he was possessed by the devil during the time of the murder. The case already had the attention of famous demonologists and paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren who were well known for their role in the haunting of the Amityville house. In the end, Johnson was convicted of the murder but only served five years out of a 10 to 20-year sentence.
As I mentioned before, this case was first portrayed in The Conjuring 3: The Devil Told Me to Do It and most recently in 2023, Netflix came out with The Devil on Trial interviewing the family members involved and Arne Cheyenne Johnson himself.
comparison
The movie and the documentary start out in pretty much the same way: with the story of David Glatzel. David (11 years old in 1980) is the younger brother of Debbie Glatzel who was Arne Cheyenne Johnson’s fiancΓ©e. While the movie is a fictional adaptation based on true events, Netflix was able to interview David Glatzel himself about this horrific time in his life. In 1980, one year before the murder, David Glatzel awoke in a scared manner as he claimed to be having visions of an awful beast. These visions continued to occur and this was the time when Johnson moved into the family’s home. While the parents did what they could by calling in a St. Joseph’s Catholic Church priest to bless their home, nothing changed. The possession of David Glatzel continued until Ed and Lorraine Warren were called. Netlix’s documentary does a much better job than the movie adaptation at explaining what was happening to David at the time and even includes real audio clips the family had recorded when David was possessed. And yes, they are frightening to listen to. At this point, you may be asking how Johnson was able to claim possession if David was the one who was visited frequently by a demon. Well, here’s the answer…
As the possession of David Glatzel got worse, a decision to hold an exorcism was made. During an exorcism, a priest or higher being in the church attempts to release the demon from the individual, but in severe possession cases they can be dangerous and result in death. In David’s case, the exorcism was extreme. During this, Johnson did something you are NEVER supposed to do during an exorcism β he invited the demon to possess himself rather than David. This was explained/shown in both the movie and the documentary. After, everything seemed normal for a while as David was released from possession of the demon, but eventually the demon showed that it had indeed possessed Arne Cheyenne Johnson which led to the murder of Bono. This is pretty much where the realistic story stops in The Conjuring 3, as the movie continues to follow Johnson in prison and eventually leads to the uncovering of secret witchcraft. However, Netflix was able to shine a different light on the whole sequence of events.
Possession?
One of the Glatzel brothers, Carl Glatzel, appears in the documentary towards the end, where he shares his perspective and states that he thinks the whole thing was fabricated. Carl Glatzel talks about how he found evidence that the boys’ mother would give them Sominex, a sleep aid “medicine” without any of them knowing. He believes this drugging had long-term effects that would explain David’s symptoms, and that he was never possessed by a demon at all. Also, he pushes claims that Ed and Lorraine Warren would tell the family what symptoms to look for, and soon after this, David would present with these symptoms. Also, he goes on to say how much publicity Ed and Lorraine Warren got from this case, while the family barely saw any of the profit. This was interesting because I’ve never heard this side of the case before, but it is important to hear all the sides and come up with the most accurate conclusions. If you ask me, I don’t think it’s out of the realm to stick with the story of demonic possession, but I would encourage you to watch for yourself and think about it!