What did Arne Cheyenne Johnson do?
Arne Cheyenne Johnson killed his landlord, Alan Bono, during a party on the 16th of February 1981. It became known as the “Devil Made Me Do It” case and was the first known court case in the United States where the defence sought to prove innocence based upon claims of demonic possession.
What happened during the trial?
Johnson’s defence lawyer argued in court that his client was indeed possessed and sought the help of The Glatzel family, who testified that their son David had been possessed by a demon, and once this demon had left his body, it had taken up residence in Arne’s body. Several months later, Johnson committed the murder, which landed him on trial.
However, the judge in the case ruled that such a defence could never be proven and wasn’t feasible in a court of law. Johnson was convicted of first-degree manslaughter for the murder on the 24th of November 1981, in Brookfield, Connecticut. However, he only served 5 years of a 10-to-20-year sentence. The trial became a media sensation around the world.
Where is Arne Cheyenne Johnson now?
Arne Cheyenne Johnson married Debbie Glatzel while in prison and after his release from prison in 1986, the couple went on to have 2 children together.
In 2019, Lorraine Warren, the paranormal investigator who helped with the case, revealed that Johnson was working for a landscaper, but other details about his life now have largely remained unknown.
Johnson was involved in the making of The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It, which told the story of the murder and the subsequent trial. He also appeared in the Netflix documentary film, The Devil On Trial,which was released in 2023.
Read more: The Devil on Trial Movie Review
What do you think of Arne Cheyenne Johnson’s case? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
Demonic possession is dangerous.