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This is Crime House. A demon set free by a child's toy. A girl who hears the voice of the devil anytime she prays. A priest who learns the true nature of evil. You might think exorcisms only happen in the movies. But let me tell you, they're very real. And they're more terrifying than anything you've seen on the big screen. Welcome to Twisted, a Crime House original. I'm Heidi Wong. Every Monday, I'll take you deep into the true stories behind horror's biggest legends. From vengeful ghosts to bloody slashers to alien encounters and more, these real life accounts are guaranteed to keep you up at night. But scary stories aren't any fun if you're telling them alone. If you've ever had a haunted moment or a twisted tale of your own, I want to hear about it. Drop it in the comments. The creepier, the better. Today I'm diving into one of the most popular subjects in horror exorcisms. From kids floating above beds to unnaturally bent limbs, to terrified priests throwing holy water, you might think you've seen it all. But today I'm taking you through three stories that inspired some of the world's most famous exorcism movies. And you're going to learn how terrifying demons can really be. In 1973, the Exorcist screamed into theaters, forever traumatizing an entire generation. This movie was so terrifying that people were actually running out of their seats, throwing up and passing out from what they saw on the screen. If you've never seen it or need a reminder, here's the story. A little girl uses a Ouija board to talk to a spirit called Captain Howdy. Turns out Captain Howdy isn't so nice after all. And he's no ghost. He's a demon. Which means there's only one way to get rid of him. You guessed it. An exorcism. In the end, the demon is expelled by a priest. But the only way for the priest to get rid of it is to let himself be possessed. And it kills him. Even today, the movie is still insanely creepy. I love to hear your thoughts on it. And the scariest part, it's based on a true story. As you'd expect, the real story behind the Exorcist is a really weird one. It's about a 13 year old boy whose name was kept secret for years. But in 2021, he was revealed as Ronald Hunkeler. To research this episode, I found a book called the True Story of an Exorcism. Let Me know in the comments if you've read it. It's so creepy. And just like in the movie, it all starts with a ouija board. In January 1949, 13 year old Ronald was living an ordinary life in a Maryland sub. He was an only child and didn't have many friends. One of the only people he was close to was his Aunt Matilda. Like a lot of fun aunts, Matilda was a bit eccentric. She was obsessed with the spirit world. And one day she brought Ronald a new toy. One that could introduce him to all kinds of friends. Friends from another realm. Yep. She brought over a Ouija board. For some reason, Ronald loved it. The Ouija board was like magic. He spent hours with it talking to all kinds of spirits. For a little while, it was nothing more than a fun, slightly spooky way to pass the time. But then things took a dark turn. On January 26, 1949, Aunt Matilda passed away. I'm not totally sure what happened to her, but Ronald took it really hard and he wasn't ready to let her go. He spent hours in his room with his Ouija board trying to reach Matilda. Ronald was grieving in pain, which opened him up to the spirit world in a whole new way. Inviting something dark, malevolent. And it wasn't long before it entered. Shortly after Matilda's death, Ronald was getting ready for bed when he heard something strange. It sounded like someone with squeaking shoes was walking around his room. The weirdest part, he told his parents and his grandma and no one else could hear it. I don't know about you, but I would be freaked out. But not Ronald. He found it comforting. Maybe he thought his aunt was visiting him from beyond the grave. This went on for six nights, until his mom and grandma decided to spend the night in Ronald's room to find out what was really going on. This time they heard it. Unlike Ronald, they did not enjoy this. The sound kept going until finally Ronald's mom cried out, Matilda, is that you? And then the squeaking stopped. Ronald's mom called out again, saying that if Matilda's spirit was here with him, that she should knock three times. The three of them suddenly felt a wave of pressure push through them. And then from under the bed, knock, knock, knock. Time for a happy family reunion, right? Wrong. Ronald's mom asked Matilda to keep knocking. She did. But this time the sound from under the bed was different. Like a huge claw was dragging across the floor. Then the beds started to shake. Ronald, his mom and his grandma were practically thrown onto the ground. And before they could Call out the spirit again. It stopped. Was it really Matilda? Was it something else? They couldn't be sure, but whoever this spirit was, it seemed to be attached to Ronald, and it wasn't letting go. The same scratching sound happened every night for the next three weeks. And it wasn't the only creepy thing happening to Ronald during that time. Objects around him started moving on their own. Fruit flying around the kitchen, a coat flung out of the closet. Even his desk at school seemed to slide around all by itself, almost like the guidepiece of a Ouija board. At which point is enough enough? Not only that, but Ronald started acting strange, too. He went from sweet and kind to moody and irritable. One night, his mom heard Ronald in his room screaming curse words she'd never heard him say before. Ronald's family knew something was wrong. They called a psychiatrist, just in case there was a rational explanation for what was happening to him. He went through all kinds of tests trying to find a medical reason for this. They couldn't, so they turned to religion for answers. Ronald's family was Lutheran, so the first person they called was a minister named Luther Mild Schultz. Well, before he jumped to any conclusions, he wanted to see the evidence for himself. And the spirit was happy to give it to him. Reverend Schultz spent several days with the Hunkler family, even spending the night when the sun was out. Ronald was so out of it, it was almost like he was a zombie. But when the evening came, all hell broke loose. Ronald would scream and writhe in his sleep. His bed would shake violently. Slash marks would tear up the sheets. And on the night of February 26, 1949, exactly one month after Aunt Matilda died, Reverend Schulz watched in terror as huge, deep cuts appeared across Ronald's body while the boy slept. Finally, he had to admit it was time for an exorcism. It's about time. As much as Reverend Schulz wanted to help, exorcisms weren't really performed in the Lutheran church. So Ronald's family turned to a Catholic priest who could perform the ritual, Father Albert Hughes. Father Hughes headed over to meet with Ronald, and he didn't need much convincing that Ronald needed to be exorcised. When he walked into the boy's room, Ronald started screaming at him, declaring that he was possessed by the devil. Not only that, but he said it in perfect Latin, which Ronald didn't speak. According to Father Hugh's research, this was a textbook sign that someone was possessed. So he set up an exorcism right away. But no amount of reading could prepare him for what came next. During the ritual, Ronald was strapped down to the bed, Although it's not clear if it was for his own safety or the priest's, at first, everything seemed to be going according to plan. Father Hughes knelt by the bed and did all the preliminary steps he was supposed to, from reading out the names of saints to the classic move of asking God to deliver Ronald from evil. But just as he was supposed to start the official exorcism prayer, something went wrong. At some point, Ronald slipped one of his hands from the restraints. Without anyone noticing, he managed to pry one of the springs from the mattress. And as Father Hughes focused on his prayers, Ronald attacked Father Hughes. Arm was slashed from his shoulder to his wrist. The wound from the spring was so bad, he ended up needing 100 stitches. And after that brush with the devil, he was out. I gotta say, I can't really blame him. I would have been out a long time ago. Finding someone else's help wasn't easy, though. Ronald's family ended up going all the way from Maryland to St. Louis, Missouri, to find someone who was willing to assist them. And this time, up to six priests took on the job. Two of the main ones were Walter Halloran and William Van Rooh. Over the next month or so, the priests performed multiple exorcisms on Ronald. Compared to what they went through, Father Hugh's exorcism was a walk in the park. The demon possessing Ronald screamed at them in Latin. He vomited and spared, spoke to them in a deep, unsettling voice. During one ceremony, he even broke Father Halloran's nose. But the priests refused to give up. And on April 18, 1949, they performed what ended up being Ronald's final exorcism. At this point, Ronald had been possessed for almost three months. And from what I can tell, they really pulled out all the stops for this one. Crucifixes, religious medals and pictures of Jesus. The works. Ronald screamed and twisted in his bed throughout the ceremony. Then all of a sudden, he just stopped, like nothing had happened. He just looked up at the priest and said, he's gone. And that was that. No mass of black smoke escaping his mouth. No big climax, no Hollywood ending. The rest of Ronald's life was just as ordinary. He went back home, lived a quiet life, and never spoke about what happened to him. Other people did share their accounts of the exorcisms, which is how the filmmakers behind the Exorcist learned about Ronald's story. Although Ronald's name was kept private for years until some reporters managed to figure out who he was. Ronald lived until he was 84, passing away in 2020 from a stroke. And it seems like he put all those years to good use. He had three kids and a successful 40 year career with NASA. But sadly, not every exorcism has a happy ending. And in our next story, you'll see exactly what can happen when one of these ceremonies goes very, very wrong. The holidays are right around the corner. The air is crisp and cozy, stylish layers have never felt more essential. That's why I'm loving quints this season. Their sweaters, outerwear and everyday essentials feel luxurious, look timeless and make holiday dressing and gifting so, so effortless. Quince has it all. $50 Mongolian cashmere sweaters. 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Quints.com twisted after the Exorcist movie Demonic possession became a popular topic in horror films. But the truth is, exorcisms don't always end well in the movies or in real life. And for this next story, I'm going to take you through the inspiration behind one of the most tragic horror movies out there, the Exorcism of Emily rose. Released in 2005. It's not your typical horror film. It's also a legal drama, but the person on trial isn't who you'd expect. He's a priest. He's been accused of negligent homicide after a girl named Emily Rose died during an exorcism he conducted. The whole case hinges on whether her life could have been saved if he'd helped her get medical treatment. Instead was a demon controlling her body? Or did she just have epilepsy? Was she really seeing melting, evil faces? Or was she experiencing delusions? In the end, it's not a demon who's found guilty. It's the priest. Although he gets away with basically a slap on the wrist. I was surprised to learn that the ending actually mirrors the real story. And what happened before that was far more tragic. In real life, Emily Rose was actually named Anneliese Michel. And to get the full picture, we have to go all the way back to her childhood. Anneliese was from a small town in Germany. Born in 1952. She grew up in a very religious community. Her parents were devout Catholics. And Anneliese followed in their footsteps. The older she got, the deeper Anneliese's faith became. Instead of chasing boys, she spent her nights praying for salvation. She even slept on the floor. As a way to atone for lost souls. Talk about dedication. Around this time, Anneliese also experienced health problems. When she was a teen, she started having seizures. By the time she was 17, she was taking medication for epilepsy. Things didn't get any easier for Anneliese. When she went to College in 1973. A nearby school in Germany. Her seizures kept getting worse. And then she started hearing voices. Anneliese believed they were evil spirits. Telling her that she was damned to hell. And it wasn't long until she was seeing demons. Faces everywhere she looked. The doctors tried prescribing her with more medicine. Including antipsychotics. None of it worked. With medicine failing her, Anneliese turned to her faith. At some point in 1973, the same year she started college. Anneliese and a family friend went on a religious pilgrimage To San Damiano, Italy. And during this trip, her suspicions seemed to be confirmed. Apparently, Anneliese refused to drink water from a holy spring. And couldn't look directly at images of Jesus. Instead of stayed away from churches. If she did try to enter a holy place. The ground burned beneath her like it was on fire. Which definitely seemed like signs of being possessed. And when Anneliese returned to school, things got even worse. For two days, she only communicated by barking like a dog. She started urinating on the floor and even licking it up. Then she stopped eating real food. Annaliese claimed that the demons inside her wouldn't allow her to do it. Instead, she ate spiders and coal. And allegedly bit the head off of a bird. While this was all going on. Anneliese started visiting a Catholic priest named Father Ernst Alt. After hearing about her problems, he agreed with her. Anneliese was definitely possessed. And he was happy to help her get rid of the demon inside her. Here's the thing. Father Alt wasn't exactly the best best person for Anneliese to go to. He claimed to be psychic and telepathic, which is how he knew Anneliese was possessed. And in late 1974, when Anneliese was 22, she had a complete breakdown. She switched between multiple personalities, claiming that there were demons inside her. These spirits supposedly included Adolf Hitler, Judas and even the devil himself. Things had reached a breaking point and Anneliese turned to Father Alt for help. On September 24, 1975, Father Alt and another priest named Father Arnold Renz. Performed their first full exorcism on Anneliese. Now this isn't the kind of thing they would just decide to do on their own. They had to get permission from a bishop and they did. But the bishop just took Father Alt at his word. When he said Anneliese was possessed. He had no idea what her mental state was really like. Or what the priests were about to put her through. Between September 1975 and July 1, 1976, they performed 67 exorcisms on Anneliese. Michelle, 67. These ceremonies went on for hours. During that time, Anneliese would scream at them. Sometimes speaking in Latin, which she did know how to speak. She was violent and a lot of times she had to be restrained to her bed. Anneliese was so frantic, she'd gnash at her teeth so hard they broke to pieces. Eventually, Anneliese refused to eat any food or drink water. Still, the priest came back day after day, spending hours trying to exorcise the demon out of her. And Anneliese's parents let them. By July 1, 1976, 23 year old Anneliese was basically just skin and bones. She weighed only 70 pounds. And that day, after almost a year of exorcisms, she died. An autopsy determined that she died from dehydration and malnutrition. The state of Anneliese's body was so shocking that the priest and Anneliese's parents were arrested and charged with negligent homicide. And just like in the exorcism of Emily Rose, if you ask me, their punishment was pretty light. Although all four were convicted, they were only sentenced to jail for six months. Which was reduced to three years probation. I don't really know what happened to them after they served their time. But I can tell you Annaliese's graveside has become basically a shrine. People still come from all over to pay their respects to her. But was she actually possessed by demons? Or was she a victim of lack of medical care? Let me know what you think. Whatever the truth is, one thing is like Emily Rose, her story is tragic and she didn't deserve to die. In today's first two stories, we mostly focused on the people who experienced an exorcism. But in this last one, I'm going to tell you the story of one of the few men in the United States who's authorized to perform them. And he was the inspiration for the 2011 movie the Right. The movie starts with a young seminary student named Michael Kovac who who's totally disillusioned with the Catholic Church and its teachings. But just before he renounces his oath and leaves the religion behind, he's convinced to fly to Rome and take a class on exorcisms. The hope is that this will make him believe once again. As part of the class, Michael is paired with a Welsh priest named Father Lucas, who claims to have conducted over 100 exorcisms. Michael watches him perform an exorcism on a young woman. But it doesn't work. Just like in the Exorcism of Emily Rose, the woman dies. And this is when things get really freaky. Suddenly, Father Lucas starts acting super strange. Soon the priest starts to think he's possessed and only Michael can save him. Sounds super creepy, right? Well, what if I told you that not only was this movie based on a true story, but that the real life protagonist of the story was a consultant on the set and made sure that the movie was true to his experience? That's right. So for our final story, I want to introduce you to Father gary Thomas. By 2005, 51 year old father Gary was getting bored. For 15 years, he'd been the parish priest of a church in Los Altos, California. He liked it, but he wanted to feel more connected to his faith. So on October 13, 2005, he took a sabbatical and left the US for the Vatican, the epicenter for all things Catholic. Father Gary enrolled in a few classes about general religious subjects, things like history and close readings of the Bible. But he was also there to take another class on how to become an exorcist. The year before, the Catholic Church had sent out messages to all 185American dioceses telling them that they had to appoint an exorcist. According to them, there had been a big uptick in reports of demonic possessions and the church needed more priests who knew the ancient exorcism rites. So the bishop in charge of Father Gary's parish chose him for the role. This is the big overlap with the movie because Father Gary definitely had his reservations. He certainly believed that people did evil or sinful things, but he didn't think that demons made them do it. However, Father Gary told himself that learning to perform exorcisms was just another way of helping people. So he figured, why not? So In October of 2005, Father Gary started the class called Exorcism and Prayers of Liberation. The goal of the course was pretty learn how to tell if the devil was present and how to cast him out. Father Gary studied and did his homework, but he still wasn't convinced. To him, the idea that the real biblical devil could possess a person felt old school, out of date, a part of. Father Gary wondered if there was any point point to these classes at all. But eventually he met a fellow priest who changed his mind. Father Daniel was also from the United States, and he told Father Gary that he'd seen the work of the devil firsthand. He told it like Father Daniel was working at a shrine in Italy. When a woman asked him if he believed in demonic possession, she said that she herself was being possessed and needed to confess in order to free herself. Father Daniel agreed to hear her confession, but as she spoke, she started changing. Her face started contorting. Then she started interrupting herself, growling out the Italian word for shut up over and over again. Father Daniel tried to talk through it and read her his blessing. But that's when things got even creepier. As he read the Bible out loud, the woman's face contorted again, and this time it was way more intense. Then her jaw unhinged itself, almost like a stiff snake. Father Daniel was terrified. But he didn't stop reciting the blessing, trying to keep his voice strong with conviction. He blessed her in the name of Jesus Christ. After she heard that, the woman sprinted out of the church. Father Daniel never saw her again. When Father Gary heard this story, he decided to finish the course. After four months of studying, Father Gary finally finished the exorcism class. The next step for him was to find a more seasoned exorcist to apprentice for. But reading about exorcisms and actually doing them were two very different things. And he was about to learn that the hard way. Father Gary's new tutor was Father Carmine De Felipes, who preached from the Basilica of San Lorenzo in Rome. People all over the city came to the basilica to be blessed and healed by Father Carmine. Some of the people claimed to be possessed Father Gary was skeptical. When these people came to Father Carmine, they just seemed to normal. Sure, there was some coughing, some yelling, but nothing felt truly evil. That is, until the nun arrived. Sister Janneke was brought to the basilica with another nun. She told Father Carmine Sister Janneke was possessed. When the exorcism started, Father Gary took his usual seat next to his tutor. Father Carmine placed his hand on the nun's forehead and recited prayers. When he did that, Sister Janica started to twitch and tap her head against the wall. As Father Carmine continued, the nun started using more force, slamming the back of her head against the wall. She did it so hard, the framed image of Jesus started to shake. But Father Carmine didn't stop. And as his voice rose, the nun started to scream. Though scream might not be the right word. What Father Gary heard didn't sound like a noise that a human, human voice could make. It was like an animal, a growl that came from somewhere deep inside her body. Sister Janika cursed at Father Carmine in a raspy, guttural voice. When the priest sprinkled holy water on her, she jumped out of her chair like he'd electrocuted her. Father Gary had never seen anything like this before. He was glued to his chair, unable to move. At one point, Sister Janeka started speaking in rapid Italian, and it was hard for Father Gary to understand her. Father Carmine turned to his apprentice and explained what she said. Janeka, or the demon inside her, was asking him who Father Gary was and why he was here. Father Gary's blood ran cold. Suddenly the prospect of demonic possession felt very, very real. He felt terrified that the demon knew who he was. I know I would be. The ritual continued for another 30 minutes. But to Father Gary, it felt like an eternity. Sister Janeka continued to growl and scream in that unnatural, terrifying way. By the time Father Carmine finished the exorcism, both he and Sister Janeka were covered in sweat. The nun slumped over in her chair like a rag doll, and Father Carmine had to slap her to wake her up. Father Carmine knew the demon wasn't fully gone. But for now, Sister Janneke was still safe. This was the proof that Father Gary needed. And now he was convinced what he had seen was the work of a demon. Sister Janica was brought back to Father Carmine multiple times after that. And she wasn't the only one. Father Carmine explained to Father Gary that some people have to be exorcised more than once. One person had been coming to the basilica to receive the ritual for three years, though these were way less intense than what Anneliese Michel had gone through in Germany. Father Gary learned that every possession was different because every demon was different. Within a month, he'd witnessed over 40 exorcisms. If this was the plot of a movie, right now is when I would be telling you about some crazy demonic twist. But in the real story, it's not that dramatic. Father Gary kept working with Father Carmine for several months, and eventually he returned to the States a totally changed man. He'd seen what the demonic world was like, and he felt like it was his holy duty to continue saving people from the embodiment of evil. After he took on his new role as the pastor of the Sacred Heart Parish in Saratoga, California, Father Gary conducted countless exorcisms. He even had a team of psychologists and medical experts who would work with him and make sure that the problem was actually demonic and not something else. But Father Gary was still, still definitely an anomaly. Not just in the Catholic Church, but in the broader world. It was and is still unusual for a priest to be trained as an exorcist. And in the US there are currently only about 175 of them, which isn't a lot. But considering there's almost 35,000 Catholic priests in the country overall, that's probably what got him on the radar of a young author named Matt Baglio, who wanted to write a book about Father Gary's experience. Experiences. With Father Gary's help, Baglio published a book called the the Making of a Modern Exorcist. It was a huge help during the research of this episode. If you haven't read it, you totally should. And as you probably guessed it, that book is what inspired the movie the Rite. And like I said before, Father Gary was a hugely helpful consultant on the depiction of exorcisms. So, no, the real Father Gary Thomas didn't have to exorcise his own tutor like the main character did in the movie movie. But he has seen some pretty bizarre things. To Father Gary. There's no question true evil does exist. Demons exist, and he's seen them up close and personal. Thanks so much for joining me on this episode of Twisted, a crime house original. I'd love to hear from you. What did you think about today's stories? Anything you're dying for me to COVID Leave a comment or review wherever you're tuning in. And be sure to follow Twisted Tales so we can keep building this community together. I'll be back next week with another unbelievable true story. Until then, stay curious and remember, there's no reason to fear the dark unless you try to hide from it.