INFAMOUS: The Devil On Trial — The Warren Files Dilemma

Written By Alexandra Kern

Before The Conjuring Universe, there were the real stories — and the real consequences.

In 1974, the quiet town of Amityville became ground zero for one of the most infamous hauntings in the world. Six members of the DeFeo family were murdered inside their home, and when the Lutz family moved in, they claimed something inhuman remained. Voices whispered. Walls bled. Crosses turned upside down. The Warrens arrived with faith and cameras, determined to prove evil was real. But behind the fame that followed came something else — suspicion, profit, and a growing question about where belief ended and justice began.

Seven years later, another case would push them to the edge. In 1981, 19-year-old Arne Johnson stabbed his landlord to death — and claimed he was possessed by a demon that had once plagued an eleven-year-old boy. It became the first U.S. murder trial to argue demonic possession as a defense. And for the first time in American history… The Devil stood trial.

The Warrens stood by Arne, risking their credibility — and perhaps their conscience — to defend what they called the Devil’s truth. The Church refused to sanction the exorcism. The court refused to acknowledge the supernatural. And the world was left wondering whether the Warrens were fighting for salvation… or selling it.

From the haunted rooms of Amityville to the chaos of Brookfield, this episode exposes not just the stories that made the Warrens famous — but the ones that made them infamous. The moral questions, the contradictions, and the thin line between conviction and corruption.

Episode Source Material

Official Reports & News Coverage

Amityville & DeFeo Murders

  • “Six in Family Found Slain in Bedrooms in L.I. Home.” New York Times, November 14, 1974.

  • “Neighbors Recall DeFeos as ‘Nice, Normal Family.’” New York Times, November 15, 1974.

  • “L.I. Slayings Suspect Had Used Drugs.” New York Times, November 16, 1974.

  • Carter, A.J., Susan Soper, Dallas Gatewood, and Sam Washington. “DeFeo Son Is Accused.” Newsday, November 15, 1974.

  • Incantalupo, Tom, and Sam Washington. “A Quiet Drink Turns Into an Invitation to Disaster.” Newsday, November 14, 1974.

  • ———. “Six in Amityville Family Slain, Each in Bed, 1 Bullet in Back.” Newsday, November 14, 1974.

  • Smith, Don. “Cop Quotes DeFeo: ‘I… Couldn’t Stop.’” Newsday, September 24, 1975.

  • ———. “DeFeo Charges Police Beat Him Into Confessing.” Newsday, September 27, 1975.

  • ———. “Cop: DeFeo Altered Story.” Newsday, October 22, 1975.

  • ———. “Family Clash Is Cited in DeFeo Trial.” Newsday, October 15, 1975.

  • ———. “Attack Mounted on DeFeo’s Insanity Plea.” Newsday, October 25, 1975.

  • Smith, Don, and Sam Washington. “DeFeo a Heroin User, Cop Testifies.” Newsday, October 18, 1975.

  • ———. “‘I Left the Room in Awe of the Horror.’” Newsday, October 23, 1975.

  • ———. “Doctor: DeFeo Knew It Was Wrong.” Newsday, November 13, 1975.

  • ———. “I Killed a Dozen Others, DeFeo Says.” Newsday, November 7, 1975.

  • ———. “Cellmate Says DeFeo Had Insanity Plan.” Newsday, November 11, 1975.

  • ———. “DeFeo Defended as Psychotic Killer.” Newsday, November 19, 1975.

  • ———. “DeFeo Guilty of Family Murder.” Newsday, November 22, 1975.

The Devil Made Me Do It Case

  • Associated Press. “Man Released Early in ‘Demon Murder Case.’” Hartford Courant, January 23, 1986.

  • Brozek, Diane. “Teen-ager Charged in ‘Possession’ Case.” Hartford Courant, March 20, 1981.

  • Clendinen, Dudley. “Defendant in Murder Puts the Devil on Trial.” New York Times, March 23, 1981.

  • Harris, John. “Bizarre Happenings Surround Killing in Brookfield.” Hartford Courant, February 27, 1981.

  • ———. “Exorcism, Demons’ Role Argued.” Hartford Courant, March 15, 1981.

  • ———. “Critics Bedevil Demonologist, Attorney in Slaying Case.” Hartford Courant, June 22, 1981.

  • ———. “Judge Bars Demonic Possession Defense.” Hartford Courant, October 29, 1981.

  • ———. “‘Demon’ Murder Case Sent to Danbury Jury.” Hartford Courant, November 21, 1981.

  • ———. “Johnson Guilty in Demons Case.” Hartford Courant, November 25, 1981.

  • Healion, James. “A Judge Wednesday Threw Out the ‘Demon Defense.’” United Press International, October 28, 1981.

  • ———. “Judge Robert J. Callahan Thursday Refused to Reconsider His Decision.” United Press International, October 29, 1981.

  • ———. “A Barmaid Testified Thursday That Murder Suspect Arne Cheyenne Johnson …” United Press International, November 5, 1981.

  • ———. “The Murder Trial of Arne Cheyenne Johnson in Danbury.” United Press International, November 13, 1981.

  • Putcamp, Luise. “Supernatural Episodes Form Prelude to Killing.” Buffalo Evening News, July 30, 1981.

  • ———. “Suspect’s Alibi: He Was Possessed.” Buffalo Evening News, August 5, 1981.

  • United Press International. “‘Demon Slayer’ Gets 10-to-20 Year Sentence.” United Press International, December 18, 1981.

  • Walzer, E.B. “Appeal Dropped in ‘Demon’ Case.” Reporter Dispatch, March 19, 1982.

Books & Written Accounts

  • Anson, Jay. The Amityville Horror. New York: Prentice-Hall, 1977.

  • Osuna, Rick. The Night the DeFeos Died: Reinvestigating the Amityville Murders. New York: AuthorHouse, 2002.

  • Sullivan, Gerard, and Harvey Aronson. High Hopes: The Amityville Murders. New York: Coward, McCann & Geoghegan, 1981.

  • Stark, Thomas M. Horrific Homicides: A Judge Looks Back at the Amityville Horror Murders and Other Infamous Long Island Crimes. New York: Archway Publishing, 2021.

Legal Documents & Case References

  • Carl Glatzel Jr. et al v. Gerald Brittle et al. 2010. DBCV-08-4008461-S (Connecticut Superior Court, Judicial District of Danbury, October 25).

Articles & Analysis

  • “Amityville: The Horror of It All.” Skeptical Inquirer 27, no. 1 (January/February 2003).

  • “The True Twisted Story of Amityville Horror.” Topic.com.

  • “The Warren Case Files: Fact or Fiction?” Criminal Element.

  • “Haunted Houses: What Keeps the Legends Alive.” Psychology Today, December 2016.

  • “My Amityville Horror: A Haunting Documentary.” New York Times, March 10, 2013.

  • “Amityville Prisoner Says Movie Money Tainted Defense.” New York Times, June 25, 1992.

  • “Warner Bros. Settles $900M Lawsuit Over The Conjuring Franchise.” Hollywood Reporter, December 13, 2017.

  • Christoffersen, John. “Suit vs. Psychic Says Demon Murder Was a Hoax.” Record-Journal, October 10, 2007.

  • Pionzio, Melissa. “‘Factual’ Exorcism Book Evokes Past Pain.” Hartford Courant, October 14, 2007.

  • Stagis, Julie. “Killer’s Defense: He Was Possessed.” Hartford Courant, April 22, 2014.

  • Gallup. “Religion.” Accessed May 10, 2023.

  • United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Exorcism. Accessed May 8, 2023.

Warrens & Judith Penney Sources

  • Harvey, Austin. “Inside the Allegations of Ed and Lorraine Warren’s Abuse.” All That’s Interesting, October 23, 2024 (updated February 12, 2025).

  • “War Over ‘The Conjuring’: The Disturbing Claims Behind a Billion-Dollar Franchise.” Hollywood Reporter, December 13, 2017.

  • “Real-Life ‘Conjuring’ Couple, Ed and Lorraine Warren, Allegedly Had Secret Underaged Lover.” Newsweek.

Documentaries & Video Sources

Alexandra Kern https://Darklyspeakingpodcast.com
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