Netflix has released the first trailer for its upcoming horror documentary The Devil on Trial, which tells the terrifying true story of the events portrayed in the film, The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It.
These events took place in 1981 and centered on Arne Cheyenne Johnson, who claimed that he had become possessed by a supernatural presence which caused him to kill his landlord Alan Bono with a five-inch folding knife. This defense was officially argued in a court trial and the Netflix documentary focuses on the actual events of this.
The synopsis reads: “The Devil on Trial explores the first — and only — time ‘demonic possession’ has officially been used as a defense in a US murder trial. Including firsthand accounts of alleged devil possession and a shocking murder, this extraordinary story forces reflection on our fear of the unknown.”
It was one of the most sensational murder trials of the 1980s as Johnson presented one of the most shocking legal defenses in history: not guilty by virtue of demonic possession. As the press put it, “the Devil made me do it.”
This whole thing started when Johnson’s girlfriend’s eleven-year-old brother, David, started showing signs of demonic possession. After a team of Catholic priests failed to drive the demon out, Ed and Lorraine Warren came in to help. Apparently, that demon ended up in Johnson.
The feature documentary was directed by Christopher Holt and Netflix will release it on October 17, 2023.