The platform at the red N continues to delight fans of miscellaneous facts and of true crimes. After
The Lucie Blackman affair
, The Nurse,
Mindhunter
And DahmerA new documentary arrives to make us shiver with fear!
Using reconstructions and of amateur videos, The Devil as an alibi directed by Chris Holt (“The Hillside Strangler“) returns to a judicial affair which marked the history of American justice. The reason ? It was the first time a person tried to prove his innocence of a crime by pleading “demonic possession”.
Did you know ? This story is also the source of inspiration for the last film in the saga Conjuringreleased in 2021.
A double demonic possession
©Netflix
We are in the 1980s. David Glatzel, a little boy, would have been possessed by a demon. Terrified and very worried about David, his family decided to call on Ed And Lorraine Warrentwo specialists in occult and paranormal sciences. But after having exorcised several times David, the demon would have taken up residence in Arne’s body, the boyfriend of David’s sister, Debbie Glatzel.
©Netflix
Indeed, Debbie and Arne, who were carrying out work on their apartment, had recently been staying in the family home. The demon would therefore not have left the building and would have found another prey to terrorize. But this time, it will not be limited to spasms and to convulsions : he will go much further by doing commit the irreparable to Arne.
A barbaric homicide
Several months later, a tragedy took place. On February 16, 1981, Arne decided not to go to work. He then decides to join Debbie at the kennel where she worked in Brookfield.
At lunch time, Alan BonoDebbie’s employer but also the owner of the apartment in which the couple was staying, invites his colleagues to eat in a bar. Completely drunk, Bono threatens Mary, Debbie’s little cousin then aged 9. Arne, very angry, asks Alan to leave the little girl alone. But even before Alan reacted, Arne repeatedly stabbed his owner.
Did you know ? This crime is the whole first homicide in Brookflied history.
“The Devil made me do it!”
Demonic possession as a defense
On October 28, 1981, Arne’s trial began. Also known as “trial of the demon“, it is the first court case known in the United States in which the defense sought to prove his innocence by pleading “demonic possession”. Indeed, Arne, accused of murdering Alan by the court, denies any personal responsibility. THE Warrenbut also other specialists from around the world, are called to testifytrying to provide in every possible way proof of his non-responsibility.
©Netflix
On November 24, 1981, Arne was convicted of first degree manslaughter. Sure enough, the judge ruled that such a defense could never be factually proven. Sentenced to 10 to 20 years in prison, he will only serve five years for good behavior. He will be released from prison at the age of 24 and will be reunited with Debbie.
Years later, the controversy…
In 2006, David and his older brother Carl filed a complaint against the publisher of the book The devil in Connecticut, co-edited by Gerald Brittle and Lorraine Warren. According to Carl’s claims, this story was actually a vast deception set up by the Warrens, promising David’s family money And media coverage. Arne and Debbie, for their part, argued that the possession was realand that their family had filed a complaint to obtain damages.
LR