The 1949 St. Louis Exorcism

In early 1949, a teenage boy in the suburbs of Washington, D.C., began experiencing phenomena that his family interpreted as demonic possession. The case eventually involved Lutheran ministers, Catholic priests, and multiple exorcisms before the boy was declared freed. The case later inspired William Peter Blatty’s novel “The Exorcist” and remains one of the most documented American possession cases.

The Beginning

The boy, known by the pseudonym “Robbie Mannheim” (later revealed as Ronald Hunkeler), was approximately fourteen years old when disturbances began in his family’s Cottage City, Maryland home in January 1949.

According to accounts, the phenomena started after the death of an aunt who had introduced the boy to the Ouija board. The family heard scratching sounds in the walls. Objects moved without apparent cause. The boy’s mattress shook while he lay on it.

The family consulted their Lutheran minister, who witnessed some phenomena and suggested Catholic assistance.

Escalation

As the family sought help, the phenomena reportedly intensified. Words appeared scratched into the boy’s skin. He spoke in languages he had never learned. His voice changed to deep, guttural tones. He exhibited violent outbursts and apparent superhuman strength.

A priest in Maryland attempted an exorcism that ended badly when the boy allegedly used a loose bedspring to slash the priest’s arm.

St. Louis

The family relocated to St. Louis, hoping a change of environment might help. Instead, the phenomena continued. Jesuit priests from St. Louis University became involved.

Father William Bowdern, Father Raymond Bishop, and other Jesuits conducted approximately thirty exorcism sessions over several weeks. Father Bishop kept a diary of the events.

The diary describes violent episodes, objects moving, words appearing on the boy’s body, and the boy speaking in voices and languages not his own. The sessions were difficult and dangerous, with priests injured multiple times.

Resolution

According to the priests’ accounts, the possession ended dramatically in mid-April 1949. The boy declared that the demon was departing, experienced a final violent convulsion, and then became calm. He reportedly saw a vision of Saint Michael the Archangel defeating the demon.

The boy recovered fully. He went on to live a normal life, married, had children, and worked for NASA. He rarely discussed his childhood experiences and died in 2020.

The Exorcist

William Peter Blatty learned of the case while a student at Georgetown University. His 1971 novel “The Exorcist” fictionalized and expanded the story, changing the possessed child to a girl and relocating events to Georgetown. The 1973 film became a cultural phenomenon.

Assessment

The 1949 St. Louis exorcism is documented primarily through the priests’ diary and later accounts. Skeptics have proposed that the boy may have been a disturbed adolescent engaging in trickery, rather than a genuine possession case.

The case cannot be definitively evaluated at this distance. What remains is a documented series of events that multiple witnesses believed to be supernatural, and which inspired one of the most influential horror works of the twentieth century.