Netflix has billed its new horror documentary, The Satan on Trial, as the primary and solely time demonic possession was used as a protection in a U.S. homicide trial. In that case, nonetheless, the decide dominated that it was not an appropriate protection, and that he wouldn’t allow any proof associated to possession.
The trial, which befell in 1981 in Brookfield, Conn., grew to become often called the “Satan Made Me Do It” case and drew nationwide consideration when 19-year-old defendant Arne Cheyenne Johnson tried to disclaim accountability for the killing of his landlord, Alan Bono, primarily based on claims of possession.
The Satan on Trial, out this month on Netflix, contains new audio recordings and pictures of the alleged possession, in addition to fictional reenactments and interviews with Johnson and his brothers-in-law: David, Alan, and Carl Glatzel.
“There are individuals who inform lies,” director Chris Holt told Netflix. “However I sat down with David and Arne and Alan and Carl, for hours on finish, and their tales by no means modified. I feel they have been telling me the reality — however it’s their interpretations of the reality relatively than it being a hardened reality. However they believed—and I believed—what they have been saying is truthful.”
Arne Johnson’s case
As soon as the decide threw out all proof associated to possession, the protection discovered it more and more troublesome to argue the case. Johnson’s sisters had been on the scene of the crime when it occurred, and so they had signed police statements saying that they’d seen Johnson stab Bono. (Bono was stabbed 4 instances.)
Nonetheless, to at the present time, Johnson maintains his innocence. “I’ve by no means damage anyone,” he says within the documentary. “By no means. And I stated, ‘There’s no means I did this. You bought the mistaken particular person.’” The detective who processed Johnson after the stabbing stated that he appeared not to have the ability to recall something concerning the killing.
Ultimately, Johnson shifted gears and pleaded self-defense, aiming for a manslaughter cost as a substitute of homicide within the first diploma. The jury would ultimately rule in his favor, charging him with manslaughter within the first diploma. He was sentenced to 10 to twenty years in a most safety jail.
“I believed within the story, I believed within the protection,” says Johnson’s legal professional, Martin Minnella, within the documentary. “And I additionally believed there most likely wasn’t one other lawyer within the state that may signify him with this protection.”
The place David Glatzel matches in the possession narrative
A lot of The Satan on Trial, nonetheless, focuses on one other character: David Glatzel, the youngest brother-in-law of Arne Johnson. (On the time of the killing, Arne had not but married David’s sister, Debbie, however was very shut with the household.)
Glatzel says that, in 1980, when he was 11, he was possessed by the satan, which he first encountered in Arne and Debbie’s new home. “It appeared just like the satan from a Halloween costume,” he says within the documentary. “His eyes have been black, stable black, similar to a piece of coal, and it scared me.”
This expertise would ultimately result in what David, Arne, Alan, and Carl characterised as full-scale demonic possession. The brothers’ mom, Judy, ultimately referred to as Ed and Lorraine Warren, paranormal investigators who have been made well-known by the Amityville Horror incident. Collectively, Judy and the Warrens secured an exorcism from the Catholic Church.
When it appeared that David was struggling throughout the exorcism, Arne intervened. “I yelled at this factor to the highest of my lungs,” he says within the documentary. “I stated, ‘Depart this little child alone. Take me on. I’m right here. Take me on.’ I felt this coldness come over me, ice chilly. Lorraine stated, ‘Oh my God, what did you do?’”
The Warrens and a lot of the Glatzel household consider that the entity that was supposedly possessing David then migrated into Arne. 5 months later, they are saying, it resurfaced, took over Arne’s physique, and killed Alan Bono.
The oldest Glatzel brother, Carl, disagrees. “The homicide of Alan Bono, I by no means even thought it was linked to David,” he says within the movie. “There’s nothing demonic on this. Arne was very possessive of Debbie. There was speculations and rumors that Debbie was having an affair with Arne Bono.”
How The Satan on Trial pertains to The Conjuring franchise
After the trial, Ed and Lorraine Warren employed an creator, Gerald Brittle, to jot down David and Arne’s story. “Ed stated, ‘Make it scary,’” Carl says within the movie. “And [Gerald] goes, ‘However I checked with the individuals, and so they stated this didn’t occur.’ Ed goes, ‘Make it scary. Folks come to us. They purchase scary.’”
That grew to become the 1983 ebook The Satan in Connecticut, which in flip was the inspiration for the 2021 movie The Conjuring: The Satan Made Me Do It. On the time, the Glatzel mother and father acquired $4,500 for promoting their story. The Warrens acquired greater than $81,000.
“Lorraine advised me I used to be going to be a wealthy little boy from having this ebook deal,” David says within the documentary. “And that was a lie. The Warrens made some huge cash off of us. If they will revenue off you, they may.”
The Satan on Trial‘s grim conclusion
In 1985, Arne Johnson and Debbie Glatzel acquired married in jail. Arne was launched a 12 months later, after having served 5 years, for good conduct. The pair stayed collectively till Debbie’s dying in 2021.
However the 4 Glatzel siblings are scattered and infrequently maintain in touch. After his mother and father’ dying, Carl was sorting by their belongings when he discovered a notice from his mom: “Effectively, the household had their medication tonight, and every little thing was good.” He believes that she had been drugging the remainder of the household with Sominex, a sleep assist, by placing it of their meals.
“However Sominex has long-lasting results on individuals,” Carl says. “Temper swings, weight achieve, and hallucinations. It is vitally attainable that my brother David has ingested sufficient of these things through the years, the place he did see issues. Or a minimum of he thought he noticed issues.”
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