Top 10 Terrifying Real Life Exorcism Stories

Vintage tales of exorcism, like any very old story or folk tale, can become difficult to verify. The case of George Lukins can be traced back to the mid-1700s, with newspapers like the Bristol Gazette describing Lukins as “The Yatton Daemoniac.” Lukins lived in the U.K.’s Somerset County, and was, by all accounts, a well-liked and God-fearing man. Yet, villagers in Somerset’s Yatton Township also described George Lukins as prone to loud and fearful fits. Attention from local doctors did not help, and the tailor eventually fell under the care of Methodist clergymen. The priests prayed over Lukins during a violent and boisterous exorcism. The end results were a success, and Lukins was quoted as saying, “Blessed Jesus!” upon emerging from his trance.

Not every exorcism, or attempted exorcism, is always performed with good intentions. The case of Kristy Bamu is an unfortunate example of this, a tragic and senseless murder that took place back in 2010. This wasn’t a dramatized exorcism sequence like the ones often found in the movies. Instead, Bamu was killed by his brother, Magalie Bamu, and another East Londoner named Eric Bikubi. Kristy was held down in a tub against his will on Christmas day, the victim of a botched “exorcism” attempt that resulted in the teenager’s death by drowning.

The harrowing story of Sister Maricica Cornici was known by another name: The Tanacu Exorcism. It took place at a Romanian parish in 2005, with conflicting reports describing whether Sister Maricica Cornici was mentally ill, or possessed by demons. The exorcism rite, by all accounts, was fairly extreme and consisted of Cornici being bound, gagged, and affixed to a cross. Father Daniel Corogeanu and his assistants kept Cornici in the church for three days, after which the sister’s health deteriorated to the point where an ambulance was needed. An autopsy report described Cornici as dehydrated and exhausted, while coroner Dan Gheorghiu asserted that it was the excessive administration of adrenaline in the ambulance that eventually led to Maricica's demise.

It’s interesting to note that stories of exorcism don’t always take place decades in the past. In fact, there are a number of intriguing tales that have occurred relatively recently. The Ammons Haunting is one such tale, an alleged case of demonic possession that occurred in Gary, Indiana back in 2011. The Ammons Family reported a variety of incidents that they surmised were supernatural in nature. These included hearing voices, and noises and feeling as if they were being physically accosted by unknown forces. The incidents troubled the Ammons so much that three exorcisms were performed, although skeptics have countered that the entire idea of demonic attacks on the family was either imagined or a hoax.

The Lutheran theologian Johann Blumhardt espoused to a “Kingdom Now” form of religious thought, one that focused on actively promoting God’s teachings on earth. To this end, Blumhardt publicized the exorcism of a young girl named Gottliebin Dittus in a book that was published back in 1850. The tale of “Blumhardt’s Battle” galvanized his clergy, who believed that Johann had triumphed over not only devils that were dwelling within Gottliebin, but other spirits, as well. Specifically, Blumhardt claimed that a murderous widow who had committed infanticide also lurked within Gottliebin’s soul, and it was the power of Jesus that allowed victory during this rite of exorcism.

The story of Michael Taylor didn’t end with his exorcism back in 1974. However, attending clergymen from the Catholic, Anglican, and Methodist faiths claimed to have cast out at least forty demons from a violent and disturbed Taylor. The all-night ceremony wasn’t completely successful, however, and the holy men claimed that Taylor was still a dwelling place for demons. Later, at home, Taylor murdered his wife Christine in an absolutely brutal fashion. He was found to be insane at the time of the murder by a court and spent a combined four years at Broadmoor Hospital and Bradford Regional Medical Center before being released.

Did Clara Germana Cele make a deal with the devil? Some say yes, asserting that the teenage satanic pact resulted in Clara opening her soul up to the demonic invasion. Cele allegedly divulged this information to a priest during confession, while nuns at Clara’s South African church claimed to witness strange behavior from the young girl. Speaking in tongues and acting out in a violent manner only seemed to scratch the surface of Clara’s dark behavior. Accounts allege that the exorcism rite took place in 1906, and possessed all of the expected, dramatic moments. Levitation, spitting, and a physical assault against one of the priests were attributed to the possessed Clara, although the young girl did allegedly emerge from the ordeal demon-free.

How many exorcisms should it take before one should say, “enough is enough?” One? Ten? How about sixty-seven? This was how many exorcisms were attempted on Anneliese Michel only a year prior to the young woman’s death in 1976. The West German woman suffered from legitimate issues, such as epilepsy and depression, issues that became worse during the time leading up to her exorcisms. Michel’s parents were actually convicted of negligent homicide, thanks to their enabling of Michel’s lack of food and nutrition during this time. Anneliese's very real death, due to dehydration and malnourishment, stood in stark contrast to her alleged demonic possession. A possession that was later retracted by church authorities.

Does an exorcism only need to last a single night? Not if you’re Anna Ecklund. This young woman’s name was actually Emma Schmidt, and the story of her exorcism was one of the most well-documented of the day. Time magazine even discussed her multi-month exorcism, although actual details of Schmidt’s early life in the late 1800s are fuzzy and debated, at best. It’s thought that Anna/Emma began to show signs of acting out as a young teenager, potentially in reaction to a troubled home life. An initial exorcism in 1912 would be followed by more viscerally violent rites in 1928. These rights reportedly resulted in physical changes and reactions from Ecklund/Schmidt, including a dramatic weight loss, due to a lack of eating.

The name “Roland Doe,” like that of Anna Ecklund, was a pseudonym, intended to protect the identity of its young victim. The young boy was said to have been possessed by demons and underwent multiple exorcisms by Catholic clergymen during the 1940s. The story of Doe’s alleged possession and claims of paranormal activity have been heavily debated, with investigators denying that anything supernatural took place. Still, stories of the physically violent Doe exorcism would go on to inspire the most famous fictional example of the rite: William Peter Blatty’s “The Exorcist.”