A new Netflix documentary titled The Devil on Trial will explore the unimaginable and historic Arne Johnson case. For the first and only time ever, the United States legal system witnessed the defendant’s counsel use demonic possession as defense during a murder trial. Several filmmakers have previously documented the unusual case – one such popular work being The Conjuring 3.
Commonly referred to as “The Devil Made Me Do It” case, Arne Cheyenne Johnson’s trial first made headlines in 1981. Johnson, then 19, claimed he committed a brutal murder in Connecticut while under the influence of demonic forces. Renowned demonologists and paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren, now an essential part of popular culture and the horror genre, were also linked to the case.
The upcoming documentary comprises first-hand accounts of the happenings and premieres on the streaming service this Tuesday, October 17, 2023.
The Devil on Trial: Was Arne Johnson guilty?
Tudum reported that Netflix’s The Devil on Trial will revisit the infamous Arne Johnson case from 1981. The occurrence recently resurfaced decades later following the release of Conjuring 3: The Devil Made Me Do It. The documentary chronicles the unusual court case, unprecedented defense, and Johnson’s murder conviction.
According to AP, Johnson fatally stabbed his 40-year-old landlord Alan Bono in Connecticut on February 16, 1981. Police arrested him the following day. However, the killer claimed that he committed the crime under the influence of demonic forces. The court case became the first and only ever instance when demonic possession was used as defense during a murder trial.
The 19-year-old stood trial in late October 1981. During pre-trial hearings, he reportedly told the court that demons possessed him after he performed the exorcism of a 12-year-old boy. The defendant alleged that the devil’s spell made him commit Bono’s murder.
Oxygen reported that the defense put the Devil on trial. His attorney Martin Minnella told sources that the Warrens gave them the idea for the unprecedented demonic possession defense. However, the judge presiding over the trial rejected the unusual argument following which Minnella focused on self-defense, instead of bringing religion to the court.
On November 24 of that same year, a jury deliberated for 15 hours over three days before finding Arne Johnson guilty of first-degree manslaughter. Following the verdict, a judge sentenced him to 10 to 20 years in prison.
The inmate married Debbie Glatzel in 1984 and served time in prison as a model inmate. He also received a high school degree, among other educational certificates, and was released five years later in 1986 on good behavior.
