When Evil Took The Stand
In February of 1981, a small Connecticut town became the stage for one of the strangest trials in American legal history. A young man named Arne Cheyenne Johnson stood accused of murdering his landlord. His defense was unlike anything the courts had ever heard. He claimed he wasn’t responsible for the killing because he had been possessed by a demon.
It was a story that had begun months earlier, Ed and Lorraine Warren were called to help a family tormented by a dark presence. The case would bring them closer to the edge of faith and madness, not only testing their beliefs but the limits of law itself.
The Glatzel Family and The Exorcism Of David
The ordeal began in the summer of 1980, when Debbie Glatzel and her boyfriend Arne, moved into a rental property owned by Alan Bono. Debbie’s young brother, David, just eleven years old began reporting terrifying visions. A man with burned skin, hooves and black eyes that spoke to him in Latin. Soon, David’s behavior changed, he would hiss, growl and speak in voices that were not his own.
The family turned to their church for help, eventually the Warrens were called in. Lorraine would later say she felt a presence of “something inhuman,” the moment she stepped inside. Over the following weeks, the boy’s torment intensified. He suffered violent fits and claimed the demon had promised to take someone else’s soul if forced out.
During several of the unofficial exorcisms, attended by priests, the family and the Warrens, Arne allegedly challenged the demon. He screamed, “Take me instead.” According to those present, the change was immediate. David began to show signs of improvement while Arne became distant, short-tempered and unpredictable.
The Murder Of Alan Bono
On February 16, 1981, Arne joined Debbie at her workplace, a kennel owned by Bono is Brookefield, Connecticut. That afternoon an argument broke out. Witnesses describe Arne as glassy-eyed and silent before lunging at Bono with a knife. Wielding it wildly, he stabbed Bono multiple times. When it was over, Bono lay dying and Arne wandered into the woods in a daze.
When police found him, Arne didn’t remember the attack. Lorraine told investigators soon after that “possession” was to blame. That the demonic force that once haunted David had transferred itself to Arne. The media dubbed it “The Devil Made Me Do It” case and the courtroom became a battleground between forensics and the supernatural.
The Trial: When Supernatural Met Courtroom
The trial of Arne Cheynne Johnson began in October 1981, drawing national attention before the gavel ever struck. Defense attorney Martin Minnella attempted something unprecedented in American legal history. He argued that Arne was not guilty by reason of demonic possession.
Minnella cited the exorcism of David Glatzel, the Warren’s testimony and Arne’s sudden change in behavior following the rite. He insisted that the killing was not done by the young man but by the entity that had attached itself to him.
The court, however, was unmoved. Judge Robert Callahan swiftly rejected the defense ruling that the supernatural had no business in a court of law. Without the possession argument, Minnella was forced to pivot, settling on a plea of self defense.
The jury deliberated for fifteen hours. Ultimately, Arne was convicted of first degree manslaughter, not murder. A lesser charge some attribute to the shadow of possession that hung over the trial, whether the court acknowledged it or not. He was sentenced to 10-20 years and served just over five.
What Became Of Arne and The Warren’s Legacy
Arne was released for good behavior. He married Debbie Glatzel who had stood by him through the trial. She never wavered in her belief that Arne had been under the influence of something demonic. They lived quietly for decades, avoiding interviews and refusing to be drawn into the media cycle that continued to orbit the case.
The Warrens, however, did not shy away from discussing what they had witnessed. Lorraine called it one of the most dangerous cases they ever faced, insisting that Arne’s possession was both real and catastrophic. The case became the center of Gerald Brittle’s book The Devil In Connecticut, though years later the Glatzel family would fracture over the story. Some claimed exploitation while others affirmed every word.
Yet the most unsettling detail remains this: after the exorcism of David his violent episodes ceased. He grew up, married Debbie and lived a quiet life, far removed from the horror of his childhood. Arne, on the other hand, walked directly into the tragedy the demon had promised.
Whether you believe in possession or psychological collapse, the chain of events is undeniable. Something moved through that family in 1980 and somebody paid the price.
Closing Transition
The Brookfield case left the Warrens shaken, not by spirits but by how far the living world was willing to deny them. They had seen a family torn apart, a young man changed forever and a courtroom left stunned. Evil doesn’t end when the verdict is read.
In time, the Warrens would face a haunting far more personal. One that forced them back into the shadows of a family curse. Faith, doubt and death converged into one final confrontation. That case would be the foundation for the film, The Conjuring: Last Rites (2025).