Hosting Evil

In 2014, Zak Bagans, host of Discovery Channels, Ghost Adventures, purchased a small one-story home in Gary, Indiana. So that he could make a documentary. The lore came from when the house made national attention as being dubbed the "Portal to Hell" when its tenants, years prior, claimed demons were taking up residence alongside them.Some believe the story was fabricated while others, including a 37-year veteran of the Gary Police Department, believed it. The events that unfolded led to one of the most unusual cases that Department of Children's Services had ever handled, but this story ends with Zak's documentary.It begins with a single mother and her three children. This is the possession of the Ammons family.

Christmas in 1700 England was a true site to behold. Bows of holly and ivy wrapped around street lamps and entryways, aroma of mid-winter feast, including jolly cakes. Roasted duck and rich gravies filled the air while the distance sound of carers could be heard at every turn. Performers in lavish costumes would take to the streets to celebrate the birth of their Lord and Savior.But when one such performer was violently struck by a supernatural force causing bizarre and frightening behaviors, many were divided on if this was a case of a melodramatic actor or did something evil enter him that day, causing an 18 year battle with the devil. This is the possession of George Lukins.Resources: A Narrative on the Extraordinary Case of George Lukins, of Yatton, Somersetshire by Gale Ecco

On July 1st, 1909, a New York Times article's headline read: "SAYS DEAD ARTIST'S SPIRIT OBSESSES HIM; Goldsmith Suddenly Takes Up Painting and Carries on Robert Swain Gifford's Work. HEARS A STRANGE VOICE Strains of Weird Music, Too, Come to Him as He Visits Scenes Familiar to the Artist." A man claimed he was possessed and compelled to carry on the work.This dead man. Was Robert Swain Gifford and the man possessed was Fredric Thompson.This is the Possession of Frederic Thompson.SourcesHyslop, J.H. (1919). Contact with the Other World. New York: The Century Co.Tymn, M. (2015). ‘Thompson Gifford Case’. Psi Encyclopedia. London: The Society for Psychical Research. .

One day, a doctor in training finds that the spirit of the man he dissected that day has followed him home and things are only worse when he realized the spirit has entered the body of his medium wife. Rather than be afraid, he takes another approach. He helps the spirit to realize it's no longer a living being. T his was only the beginning, but for the next 30 years, this husband, wife duo would help extract spirits from those who were tormented by the unseen.This is the case of Anna and Dr. Carl WicklandSources: Wickland, Carl. Thirty Years Among the DeadWickland, Carl. The Gateway of Understanding"Biography of Carl A. and Anna M. Wickland." Academy For Spiritual and Consciousness Studies, Inc. https://ascsi.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Wickland.pdf

On October 3rd, 1869, a young boy was exercised at a chapel in the orphanage where he resided. However, he wasn't your typical orphan as he had a family who loved him, but could no longer care for him after they claimed he became possessed by the devil.  His behaviors, including twisting his limbs in various directions and violent outbursts, was the catalyst for the family to relinquish him while he awaited exorcism.But one of the most striking things about this case is that it wasn't just one child from this family who was under spiritual attack and sent to an orphanage. It was two. This is the possession of the Burner Brothers Theobald & Joseph.Resources:True Ghost Stories: Real Demonic Possessions and Exorcisms by Zachary Knowles.www.dailystrange.com

Schools all across the globe share many similarities between them, such as hardworking, yet underpaid teachers and students constantly distracted by their cell phones. But there's one similarity that only a small handful of schools can say they share with one another: instances where students would mysteriously fall under demonic influence while in class. The events that unfolded at three schools drew national media attention while scholars considered one of those to be the most bizarre chapter in the history of American education. This is the mass possessions at the Elsa Perea Flores School,  Dr. EP Lekhela High School, and the Miami Aerospace Academy.

This episode is a continuation of the possession of Loudun. Make sure you listen to Part 1 before you continue. This is episode is focused on Jeanne des Anges, Ursuline nun at the center of the havoc of the Possession of Loudun. Sources: The Devils of Loudun- Urbain Grandier and the Possessed Nuns of Loudun by Bad Ideas"Loudun Possessions" Occult World"Looking Back: The possessions at Loudun" by Craig E StephensonAutobiography of Jeanne des Anges (French Translation: https://archive.org/details/soeurjeannedesan00jean)

Situated in the picturesque countryside of Earling Iowa is a Franciscan convent. The warm breeze of a bright summer day in 1928 is in stark contrast to the dark soul-stirring phenomenon occurring just beyond the convent walls. Inside, a disturbed woman displays such bone-chilling behaviors that the nuns caring for her are left terrified.This case quickly became a national sensation, and the attending Father emerges as America's most famous exorcist to date. The pseudonym Anna Ecklund was given in an attempt at anonymity, but by the time the exorcism was over, most of the country already knew who she was. This is the possession of Emma Schmidt.Resources:“Begone Satan” by Carl Vogel.

In 1634, a small French convent of nuns is struck by mass hysteria when visions of ghostly men are seen on the property. But chaos enues when one nun suggests that the one causing the drama is none other than a handsome local priest who has made a pact with the devil. Hysteria leads to public exorcisms in a notorious witch hunt and trial that would shake the world of Catholic France and become known as the most famous case of its kind. This is the possession of Loudun. Sources: The Devils of Loudun- Urbain Grandier and the Possessed Nuns of Loudun by Bad Ideas"Loudun Possessions" Occult World"Looking Back: The possessions at Loudun" by Craig E Stephenson

*Warning: this episode contains graphic and violent content.*In the early morning hours of October 6th, 1974, a chill was felt in the air of Ossett a small, sleepy town in Yorkshire, England, but it wasn't because it was a cool, crisp fall day. It was because an unspeakable act had just occurred. A devoted wife and loving mother to five children was violently murdered alongside the family dog in her home.The manner in which she was killed was so evil, it left the town in a state of shock and terror. The killer was quickly identified and detained in a psychiatric hospital to await trial. Who was the killer? None other than her husband and his defense: you guessed it. This is the possession of Michael Taylor.Resources:"Real Demonic Possessions and Exorcisms" by Zachery Knowles. Wikipedia: Michael Taylor (British Killer)The Terrifying Exorcism of Michael Taylor: The Ossett "Exorcist" Murder (YouTube).

During the summer of 1980, a young Connecticut couple moved into a rented home to start a new life together, but their presence unknowingly releases a demon that will haunt not only them, but their loved ones. Initially, the demon possesses a young boy in the family before turning on the young man who attempts to challenge it.Even with the help of famous demonographers Ed and Lorraine Warren, a murder and trial will soon follow. This salacious story would even develop into a motion picture. This is the possession of a Arne Cheyenne Johnson.

In 1978, Warren Zevon released the song Werewolves of London that included the lyrics: "You hear him howling around your kitchen door, you better not let him in, little old lady got mutilated last night, werewolves of London again." The song was inspired by the 1935 movie of the same name. Little did anyone know that the popular hit song would be released just as a small town in London was in the midst of dealing with its very own real life werewolf and things were coming to a head. This is the possession of Bill Ramsey, the Southend werewolf of London.Resources:Seekers of the Supernatural Presents Conversations with Ed and Lorraine Warren: True Haunting of Bill Ramsey the Werewolf by Taffy Sealyham. True Ghost Stories: Real Demonic Possessions and Exorcisms by Zachary Knowles.

Some movies leave a lasting impression on its viewers, and the Exorcist, released in 1973, was no exception. But it wasn't just the vile and shocking nature of the scenes that made this movie so historic. It was the fact that the tormented young girl depicted in the movie was based on an actual person. With Hollywood having turned this tale into a cult classic, most assume that the movie is far worse than what could have transpired in real life. However, this couldn't be farther from the truth. The real life case had chilling claims of supernatural phenomena, malevolent spirits, and witnesses to corroborate it all. One final plot twist? Unlike in the movie, it wasn't a girl who had these experiences, but a boy.This is the possession of Ronald Hunkeler.Sources“Exorcism Exposé” https://www.slu.edu/universitas/archive/2014/exorcism.php“The Entire Case History of Robbie Mannheim: The Real-life Story that Inspired “The Exorcist” Movie”https://diabolicalconfusions.wordpress.com/2011/02/16/the-story-of-r-the-real-life-story-that-inspired-the-exorcist/Unknown Bishop’s Diary Account of the St. Louis Exorcismhttps://fox4kc.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/16/2020/10/Bishop-Diary-Of-Stl-Exorcism.pdf

On July 1, 1976 a 23 year old woman died in her family home. Riddled with facial wounds, broken teeth and weighing only 68 pounds, the official cause of death as stated in her autopsy report was malnutrition and dehydration. However, many believed, as did the woman when she was alive, that something more sinister was at play. The facts surrounding this case: extreme religion, bizarre behavior, an ominous death, and a criminal trial would thrust the world of demonic possession into the spotlight so much so that many years later the movie “The Exorcism of Emily Rose” would be based on the real life ordeal. This is the possession of Annaliese Michel. Resources:"Anneliese Michel: A true story of a case of demonic possession Germany - 1976" by Fr. Jose Antonio Fortea and Lawrence E.U. LeBlanc."Satan's Schoolgirl: Tortured to Death With Exorcism" by Bizzarepedia. To contact us email: hostingevilpodcast@gmail.com