Netflix Delivering Documentary About Real Incident That Inspired The Conjuring 3

Part of what has made The Conjuring franchise so compelling is that audiences know that not only are the characters Ed and Lorraine Warren based on real people, but also that the events of the movies are inspired by actual events, with the upcoming documentary from Netflix The Devil on Trial diving into the inspiration for The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It. In 1981, Arne Cheyenne Johnson claimed that he had become possessed by a supernatural presence which caused him to kill his landlord Alan Bono, a defense which was officially argued in trial. The Devil on Trial is expected to debut on the streamer on October 17th.

Netflix describes the new documentary, “The Devil on Trial explores the first — and only — time ‘demonic possession’ has officially been used as a defense in a U.S. murder trial. Including firsthand accounts of alleged devil possession and a shocking murder, this extraordinary story forces reflection on our fear of the unknown.”

The involvement of the Warrens and the nature of the case resulted in a massive media blitz, but despite the efforts of the defense team, the judge didn’t allow the defense team to claim possession, due to a lack of scientific evidence. The defense team claimed that Johnson acted in self-defense and, while convicted of first-degree manslaughter, he would go on to serve just five years of his 10-to-20-year sentence.

While it was the murder itself that drew the most attention, reports claim that otherworldly experiences started to unfold in Brookfield, Connecticut starting in 1980. The young brother of Johnson’s girlfriend had reportedly been seeing figures in his home, with the boy claiming to have been seeing a beast that threatened to steal his soul. The young boy also began showing signs of mysterious injuries and bruises, ultimately resulting in Ed and Lorraine Warren getting involved to help the family.

The boy would eventually be the subject of multiple exorcisms, with Johnson himself taking part in the final exorcism. During this ritual, Johnson antagonized the supernatural presences and goaded them into leaving the boy to enter his own body, which saw the boy’s troubles stop. It was only weeks later that Bono was killed, with some claiming it was the spirits who had overtaken Johnson that were to blame.

The Devil on Trial is scheduled to hit Netflix on October 17th.

Are you looking forward to the documentary? Let us know in the comments below or contact Patrick Cavanaugh directly on Twitter to talk all things Star Wars and horror!