The Exorcism of Roland Doe

In the spring of 1949, a 14-year-old boy known by the pseudonym “Roland Doe” underwent a series of exorcisms that would become the basis for William Peter Blatty’s novel and the film “The Exorcist.” The case, documented in contemporary records, involved phenomena that convinced the attending priests they were battling a genuine demonic entity.

Background

The boy who would become known as Roland Doe was a 14-year-old living in Cottage City, Maryland, a suburb of Washington, D.C. He was an only child, somewhat isolated, and had been close to his Aunt Harriet, a Spiritualist who had introduced him to the Ouija board.

When Aunt Harriet died in January 1949, strange events began. The family heard scratching sounds in the walls, similar to rodents but following them from room to room. Objects moved on their own. The bed shook while the boy slept.

The Phenomena

The initial phenomena escalated rapidly. Furniture moved without explanation. Religious objects were thrown across rooms. The boy began exhibiting physical symptoms—scratches appearing on his body, some forming words or symbols.

His behavior changed dramatically. He became aggressive, especially toward religious figures and symbols. He spoke in a voice unlike his own, sometimes in languages he had never learned. His strength increased abnormally; it took multiple adults to restrain him.

The family’s Lutheran minister witnessed some phenomena and concluded that the boy might be possessed. He referred them to Catholic authorities, believing that the Catholic Church’s tradition of exorcism might be necessary.

The Exorcisms

The initial attempts at exorcism took place in the Washington, D.C. area. Father E. Albert Hughes performed a ritual exorcism, during which the boy allegedly worked free of his restraints and attacked the priest with a bedspring, slashing his arm from shoulder to wrist.

The family then traveled to St. Louis, where relatives lived, hoping for help from the Jesuits at Saint Louis University. Father William Bowdern, assisted by Father Walter Halloran and others, undertook a prolonged series of exorcism sessions.

The Jesuits maintained a detailed diary of the exorcism. Over several weeks, they documented shaking beds, flying objects, and the boy’s violent resistance. Words appeared on his skin—scratched from within, according to witnesses. The boy spoke in Latin, a language he did not know.

The Climax

On April 18, 1949, during what proved to be the final exorcism session, the boy suddenly announced in a clear voice that was not his own: “Satan! Satan! I am Saint Michael, and I command you, Satan, and the other evil spirits, to leave the body in the name of Dominus. Immediately!”

The boy then went into violent convulsions before suddenly becoming peaceful. He asked where he was and what had happened. He had no memory of the preceding weeks. The attending priests believed the possession had ended.

Aftermath

Roland Doe recovered fully and went on to live a normal life. He married, had children, and worked for NASA. He never spoke publicly about the experience and was protected by anonymity throughout his life.

Father Halloran, one of the exorcists, spoke about the case in later years. He confirmed that he had witnessed phenomena he could not explain through natural means, though he was careful not to make definitive claims about demonic involvement.

Legacy

The case inspired William Peter Blatty’s 1971 novel “The Exorcist” and William Friedkin’s 1973 film adaptation. Blatty learned of the case while a student at Georgetown University and spent years researching it.

The exorcism diary, maintained by the Jesuits, remains in Church archives. It provides detailed, contemporary documentation of the phenomena reported, though interpretations of what it describes vary widely.

Assessment

The Roland Doe case remains controversial. Skeptics have suggested that the boy suffered from mental illness, that the priests’ expectations influenced their observations, or that the phenomena have mundane explanations that were overlooked.

Believers point to the multiple witnesses, the documented phenomena, and the boy’s sudden and complete recovery as evidence of genuine supernatural intervention.

Whether demonic possession or psychological crisis, the exorcism of Roland Doe became one of the most influential supernatural cases of the twentieth century, shaping popular understanding of exorcism and demonic possession for generations.