The Possession of Robbie Mannheim

Note: This entry covers additional details about the 1949 Maryland exorcism case, focusing on aspects not covered in the Roland Doe entry. The subject has been identified by various pseudonyms over the years.

The Investigation Begins

In January 1949, unusual phenomena began occurring in a home in Mount Rainier, Maryland. The family initially heard scratching sounds behind the walls and attributed them to mice. Pest control found no evidence of rodents.

The scratching noises followed a specific pattern - three scratches at a time - and seemed to center on wherever the teenage boy in the family happened to be. Objects began moving on their own:

• A picture of Christ reportedly shook on the wall
• A heavy dresser moved across the room
• A chair in which the boy sat would tip and slide
• His bed would shake violently at night

The Lutheran Attempt

The family first sought help from their Lutheran minister, Reverend Luther Miles Schulze. He allowed the boy to spend a night at his home for observation.

Reverend Schulze witnessed:

• The boy’s bed vibrating
• An armchair in which the boy sat slide across the floor and tip over
• Scratching sounds that seemed to come from the boy’s mattress

Schulze was convinced something supernatural was occurring but felt unable to help using Lutheran methods and suggested the family contact the Catholic Church.

Catholic Investigation

Father E. Albert Hughes of St. James Catholic Church initially investigated the case. He attempted to perform an exorcism, but during the ritual, the boy allegedly:

• Broke free from his restraints
• Grabbed a bedspring that had come loose from the mattress
• Slashed Father Hughes’ arm from shoulder to wrist

Father Hughes required over 100 stitches and was unable to continue. The family was referred to Jesuit priests in St. Louis.

The St. Louis Exorcisms

The boy was taken to St. Louis, where a team led by Father William Bowdern, with assistance from Father Walter Halloran and Father Raymond Bishop, performed a series of exorcisms over several weeks.

Father Bishop kept a detailed diary of the proceedings, running to 26 pages. According to this diary:

• Words appeared scratched on the boy’s body, including “HELL” and “EVIL”
• The boy spoke in a guttural voice in Latin, a language he had never studied
• He showed knowledge of events he could not have known
• Objects in the room moved or flew through the air
• The temperature in the room would drop dramatically
• A bottle of holy water was flung across the room
• The boy’s body reportedly levitated above the bed

The Final Exorcism

On April 18, 1949 (Holy Monday), during an exorcism session at a hospital where the boy was being observed, witnesses reported hearing a loud noise described as “like a gunshot” throughout the building.

The boy reportedly sat up and calmly said, “He is gone.” His demeanor changed immediately - he was calm, lucid, and confused about where he was.

The boy apparently retained no memory of the events that had occurred during his possession. He went on to live a normal life, married, and had children. He reportedly never spoke publicly about the case.

Documentation and Verification

Father Bishop’s diary was preserved and has been studied by researchers. The diary provides contemporaneous documentation of the exorcism sessions and the phenomena witnessed.

Multiple witnesses - including priests, hospital staff, and family members - provided consistent accounts of supernatural phenomena. However, skeptics have noted that some details grew more elaborate in later retellings.

The Exorcist Connection

William Peter Blatty, a student at Georgetown University, heard about the case from a professor who knew Father Bowdern. Blatty was fascinated by the story and later used it as the basis for his 1971 novel “The Exorcist.”

The 1973 film adaptation became one of the most successful and influential horror films ever made, bringing the concept of demonic possession into mainstream American consciousness.

The Boy’s True Identity

For decades, the boy’s identity was protected. He has been referred to by various pseudonyms including Roland Doe, Robbie Mannheim, and others. Investigative journalists have claimed to have identified him, but he has never confirmed or denied these claims publicly.

Those who have tracked his life report he lived normally in the St. Louis area, worked a regular job, and raised a family with no recurrence of the phenomena from his teenage years.