In 2021, the third installment of “The Conjuring” franchise, titled “The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It,” continued the tradition of drawing inspiration from true stories of malevolent forces. This time, the film was based on a real murder case where the defendant claimed that the devil had compelled their actions. Now, an upcoming Netflix documentary delves into the chilling true story behind the film, set to premiere this Halloween.

“Netflix’s The Devil on Trial” is scheduled to make its debut on October 17, 2023. The official trailer for the documentary provides a glimpse into the unnerving events that unfolded.

“The Devil on Trial” investigates the unprecedented use of “demonic possession” as a defense in a murder trial, marking the first and only instance of such a defense in a US courtroom. The documentary features firsthand accounts of alleged demonic possession and a shocking murder, inviting viewers to contemplate the boundaries of our fear of the unknown.

The case that serves as the centerpiece of this documentary was one of the most sensational murder trials of the 1980s. Arne Cheyenne Johnson, the accused, fatally stabbed an acquaintance with a five-inch folding knife. What made this trial particularly shocking was Johnson’s defense: he pleaded not guilty by reason of demonic possession, claiming that “the Devil made me do it.”

The unsettling story had its origins months earlier when David, the eleven-year-old brother of Johnson’s girlfriend, encountered a spectral figure looming at the foot of his bed. Subsequently, he displayed classic signs of demonic possession, including speaking in Latin, levitating, and enduring beatings inflicted by an invisible entity. After a team of Catholic priests failed to exorcise the demon, paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren took up the case. The Warrens, known for their battles against supernatural forces around the world, faced one of their most formidable challenges with the Connecticut Devil, which would ultimately prove to be one of their deadliest encounters.

Christopher Holt directs this upcoming feature documentary, which promises to shed light on the haunting events and the bizarre legal defense that rocked the 1980s. “The Devil on Trial” invites viewers to delve into the realm of the unexplained and the horrifying, where the line between reality and the supernatural becomes dangerously blurred.