When “The Exorcist” came out in 1973, it rattled the world. There were so many things happening in the movie that people hadn’t seen on screen before. A young girl cursing, spewing pea soup, urinating on the floor, and other horrific things were too much for people to handle. Commercials and trailers for the movie were filled with people running out of the movie theatre. They were vomiting, having seizures, and even dying. Yes, there are nine deaths tied to the movie…according to legend.
But did you know that “The Exorcist” was inspired by actual events? It’s true. Well, maybe. Sort of.
Inspired by Real Events
Before it was a movie, “The Exorcist” was a book that came out in 1971 written by William Peter Blatty. The inspiration came about over two decades prior. Blatty was a student at Georgetown University in 1949 when The Washington Post had published an article about an exorcism on a 14-year old boy. That newspaper clipping would inspire him to write his infamous book.
The boy was from the nearby town of Mount Ranier, Maryland. According to Blatty, the case simply gave him the idea and nothing more. After its publication, “The Exorcist” was on the New York Times Bestseller list for fifty-seven weeks. Seventeen of those weeks were at the number one spot. With success like that, it was a guarantee to become a movie.
The Life of Roland Doe
That 14-year old boy is known as Roland Doe. He was from a family with the last name of Hunkeler. He is also known as Robbie Manheim, as well as R. It is also noted that he was living in Cottage City, Maryland with his family. His former classmate, Dr. Alvin Kagey, described him as not athletic, quiet, unpopular, and very studious. Rumor has it that Roland’s mother and grandmother were overbearing, and his father was distant, if not completely absent. Roland’s family was unremarkable and typical with nothing to hide.
Roland’s aunt, Tilly, was a spiritualist and had an interest in the afterlife and what happens after we die. She had a particular interest in the Ouija board and taught Roland how to use one in 1948. From there, the trouble started.
Mysterious Occurrences
After Roland learned how to use a Ouija board from Aunt Tilly (also called Aunt Harriet), his family started noticing strange things happening in their home. They heard muffled voices talking, objects moved without anyone touching them. There were sounds of footsteps that sounded like groups of people were walking through the house.
Dr. Kagey, Roland’s classmate, said that one day at the house, the chair Roland was sitting in started to shake and then threw Roland across the room. Roland also started hearing scratching sounds coming from the floors and the walls of his room. Water also dripped from the pipes and walls.
The family was certain that the Ouija board used by Roland and Aunt Tilly unlocked something evil. After the family confronted Aunt Tilly, she mysteriously passed away.
Going Through Grief
It’s evident that Roland was close with his Aunt Tilly and took her death hard. After she passed, Roland became withdrawn and started acting erratically. He would randomly scream and shout without provocation. Not long after, welts, scratches, and bruises started showing up on his body.
Desperate for answers, Roland’s family took him to several doctors and psychiatrists in an effort to find out what was wrong. But no answers could be found. His family eventually consulted the Catholic Church, even though they were Protestants.
The First Exorcism Attempt
Roland was examined by two priests; Father Bober and Father Hughes. During their examination, they noted that Roland would not take his eyes off their Bibles. According to the two priests, this was a sign of possession. When asked for his name, Roland responded, “Ego legionibus”, which means “I am legions” in Latin.
On Father Hughes’ recommendation, Roland was moved to a Jesuit hospital near Washington, DC. Roland’s outbursts only continued to get worse. They got worse to the point where Roland had to be restrained in his bed. Father Hughes’ then attempted an exorcism on Roland, which lasted for three nights. Roland managed to break through his restraints. He cut Father Hughes’ arm open from his wrist to the inside of his elbow with a mattress spring.
After his injury, Father Hughes was done. I can’t say I blame him. The priest was convinced that Roland now belonged to evil at this point.
Trying to Find Peace
Roland’s family took him back home, hoping that maybe they could find another way to treat him. However, nothing improved. Later, Roland’s mother was shocked to find the word, “Louis”, branded on his skin. They soon relocated to St. Louis, Missouri, hoping for a new start. But, it didn’t work. The family ran out of medical options once more. They also feared being social outcasts. Once, again, they turned to the Church.
There, Roland was examined by Father Bowdern and Father Bishop. They came to the conclusion that Roland was in a state of possession. They proceeded to try an exorcism. Father Bowdern wasn’t feeling confident with his abilities to drive out the demon. So, he enlisted the help of several priests like Father Halloran and Father Bishop. They mainly assisted with subduing Roland while Bowdern went through the rite of exorcism. According to one of the priests, Roland had the strength of a full-grown man. During the exorcism, Roland cursed, threatened the priest with violence, propositioned them for sexual favors, and spat at them.
This exorcism lasted for three weeks. Father Bowdern kept detailed journals about the incidents with Roland. These journal entries are in the 1991 book, “Possessed: The True Story of an Exorcism” by Thomas B. Allen. Father Bishop also had a diary. But it was burned by Father Halloran, one of the other priests working on the case.
Channeling an Archangel
On Father Bowdern’s recommendation, Roland went back to the hospital. This time, the hospital was the Alexian Brother Hospital in South St. Louis. Sadly, his family didn’t know that Roland was mainly kept in solitary confinement. Who knows how much this affected Roland’s psyche.
Father Bowdern finally decided to try to baptize Roland, in hopes of strengthening his connection to the church. After much resisting, Roland was baptized. He even accepted a communion wafer. Then, Roland started acting as if he was the Archangel Michael. Roland was saying, “Satan, I am Michael and I command you to leave this boy now.” After that, Roland’s soul was freed. He lived the rest of his life in anonymity. According to the priests, he never remembered what happened to him.
Disappearing from History
As mentioned, Roland forgot about his experiences and lived the rest of his life out of the spotlight. According to a few sources, many of the priests involved with the case passed away from mysterious circumstances. Author Thomas B. Allen interviewed Father Halloran for the book, Possessed. He seems to be one of the more outspoken priests to tell his story of the events. He has also commented on the accuracy of the book and movie, “The Exorcist.”
Father Halloran confirmed that there were multiple weird events that happened during Roland’s exorcism. These events include objects moving by themselves and his bed trembling. He also confirmed that words formed on the boy’s skin, but he couldn’t make out any words specifically.
We will never truly know what happened to Roland, as there are so many different versions of the story. Of course, skeptics say that this was actually a case of mental illness, not demonic possession.
According to legend, Roland’s original hospital room at Alexian Brother Hospital was sealed up. The Hunkeler home is now a popular tourist spot in St. Louis, Missouri.
Inconsistencies to Note
I do want to take a moment to note that there were inconsistencies in the story as I was researching. Some newspaper articles had Roland’s age as 12, or even 13 years old. Other sources said he lived in Cottage City, Maryland. But, then there are sources that claim Mount Rainier, Maryland. The final exorcism took supposedly place in Maryland. Yet, it’s more evident that it likely happened in Missouri. Some rumors say that Roland didn’t use the Ouija board until his Aunt died, and he was trying to contact her. There are multiple variations to this story, and it’s up to you to determine whether or not you believe it.
Finally, cases of possession are exceptionally rare. In my experience, folks who are seeking an exorcism need mental help. Meaning, they need a doctor, not a priest. Thankfully, the Catholic Church has a rigorous process to get an exorcism that includes a full medical workup to rule out any and all explanations.
Sources
http://storytimewithamirul.blogspot.com/2014/04/who-are-those-people.html
https://maps.roadtrippers.com/us/bel-nor-mo/points-of-interest/house-that-inspired-the-exorcist