'St. Louis Exorcist Case' inspires horror film classic

Dubbed the "St. Louis Exorcist Case", the events in the life of 13 year-old Douglas Deen eventually led to the making of the horror movie classic, The Exorcist. William Peer Blatty's best-selling novel tells of a young girl possessed by demons and the priests who battled to release her through exorcism.

A resident of a Washington, D.C. suburb, Deen, spent time in St. Louis, MO with relatives. One in particular was his "Aunt Tillie." Actively involved in Spiritualism, Aunt Tillie introduced her young nephew to the Ouija board as an avenue of communication with the deceased. Deen's parents felt this had a direct impact on the evidence of demon possession which revealed itself in January 1949 through horrifying noises, shaking furniture, and eventually physical attacks of skin brandings, scratches and seizures, on the teen himself.

His parents sought assistance from two Jesuit priests, Rev. William S. Bowdern, S.J., and Rev. Raymond Bishop, S.J. Each kept written diaries of their efforts to exorcise the demons. These manuscripts, which became to source of Blatty's research, detailed the unimaginable pain Deen suffered.

Three months after the attacks began Father Bowdern was again executing the exorcism rituals. Dean suddenly interrupted Bowdern, declaring, "I am Michael the Archangel," and ordered the demon to depart. The teen's body went through violent spasms, became still, then said, "He's gone." Never again was Deen plagued by this unimaginable horror. True demon possession or not, the St. Louis Exorcist Case is one that serves to warn the curious of the dangers of playing with the demons of the spirit world. Obviously, they don't play fair.