Demons
(added 2/14/2005)
Description:
A demon is a malevolent supernatural entity, typically considered an evil spirit or fallen angel. The term originates from the ancient Greek word daimon, which initially referred to a lesser deity or guiding spirit. Across mythology, religion, and the occult, these harmful entities are associated with temptation, possession, and misfortune.
King Paimon
History:
Outside of ancient mythology, encounters of demons have been documented heavily. While some have been debunked, some remain unsolved. One famous case being Anneliese Michel.
The Exorcism of Anneliese Michel (1976):
Anneliese Michel was a German woman who underwent 67 Catholic exorcism rites during the year before her death. She died of malnutrition, for which her parents and the priest who performed the exorcism were convicted of negligent homicide.
Anneliese Michel, May 1976
In 1975, Bishop Josef Stangl granted two priests, Father Ernst Alt and Father Arnold Renz, permission to perform the Rituale Romanum. Over a ten-month period, the priests conducted 67 exorcism sessions. During these rites, Anneliese exhibited extreme, erratic behaviors.
She claimed to be possessed by six entities, including Lucifer, Judas Iscariot, Nero, Cain, Adolf Hitler, and a disgraced local priest named Fleischmann. Witnesses reported she possessed extraordinary strength, growled, shrieked, bit her family members, tore off her clothes, ate insects, and urinated on the floor.
Due to constant and violent genuflecting during her sessions, her knees were severely fractured. Persuaded by the belief that fasting would cleanse her and drive out the demons, Anneliese completely stopped eating and drinking.
Anneliese died on July 1, 1976, while in her sleep. At the time of her death, she weighed only 68 pounds and suffered from severe dehydration. Her death triggered one of the most high-profile trials in post-war Germany.
The Arne Cheyenne Johnson Trial (1980):
Also known as the "Devil Made Me Do It" case, it is the first known court case in the United States in which the defense sought to prove innocence based upon the claim of demonic possession and denial of personal responsibility for the crime.
On February 16, 1981, Johnson called in sick to his job at Wright Tree Service and joined Debbie at the kennel where she worked, along with his sister Wanda and Debbie's nine-year-old cousin Mary. Bono, the couple's landlord and Debbie's employer at the kennel, bought the group lunch at a local bar and proceeded to drink heavily.
After lunch, the group returned to the kennel. Debbie then took the girls to get pizza but insisted they return quickly, anticipating trouble. When they returned, Bono, intoxicated at this point, became agitated.
Arne Cheyenne Johnson arriving at the Danbury Superior Court, c.1981
Everyone left the room at Debbie's urging, except Bono, who seized Mary and refused to let go. Johnson headed back to the apartment and ordered Bono to release Mary. Wanda recounted the following events to the police. Mary ran for the car as Debbie attempted to mitigate the situation by standing between the two men.
Wanda tried in vain to pull Johnson away. Johnson, growling like an animal, then drew a 5-inch pocket knife and stabbed Bono repeatedly. Bono died several hours later. According to Johnson's lawyer, Bono had suffered "four or five tremendous wounds,” mostly to his chest, and one that stretched from his stomach to the base of his heart.
Johnson was discovered 2 miles from the site of the killing. Sgt. Gordon Fairchild of the Brookfield Police Department, said he helped arrest Johnson on a charge of assault while Alan Bono was still being treated at the hospital. He said Johnson told him he did not mean to hurt anyone and was unable to remember anything.
While putting him into a police cruiser, Johnson said, “I need help because I’ve got a drinking problem,” Fairchild said. When Johnson was informed at police headquarters that Bono had died, Fairchild said the suspect became incoherent and then fell asleep for 20 to 25 minutes. On November 24, 1981, in Brookfield, Connecticut, Arne Cheyenne Johnson was convicted of first-degree manslaughter for the killing of his landlord, Alan Bono.
Result:
On November 24, 1981, in Brookfield, Connecticut, Arne Cheyenne Johnson was convicted of first-degree manslaughter for the killing of his landlord, Alan Bono.