Is The Devil on Trial a true story? Who is Arne Cheyenne Johnson, did he kill Alan Bono - was he possessed

Netflix documentary The Devil on Trial explores the case of Arne Johnson who used demonic possession as a legal defence

Netflix true crime documentary The Devil on Trial is based on an unprecedented American legal case which inspired the 2021 horror sequel The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It.

The horror documentary follows the incredible 1980s murder case in which a teenager was accused of killing his landlord but used a defence never employed in US criminal history - he alleged that he was the victim of a possession.

The Devil on Trial is part of a wave of spooky releases ahead of Halloween, including Sister Death, The Fall of the House of Usher, and The Exorcist: Believer, but is unique in that this film is a true story.

This is the true story of Arne Johnson, what happened to him, and where he is now, 40 years on from his alleged possession.

Is The Devil on Trial a true story?

The Devil on Trial is an upcoming Netflix feature-length documentary which follows the true crime case of the only US trial to feature demonic possession as a legal defence for murder.

The documentary is a true story, though the facts of the case are heavily contested today as they were during the trial. Also known as The Devil Made Me Do It trial, the 1981 case inspired the third The Conjuring film.

The Devil on Trial uses firsthand accounts from the murder and the trial that followed as well as contemporary recordings of the alleged possession that it was argued caused the murder to take place.

Who is Arne Johnson?

Arne Johnson was 19 years old when he stood trial for the murder of his landlord, the 40 year old Alan Bono in Connecticut. 

On 16 February 1981, Johnson got into an altercation with Bono after the landlord got drunk - Johnson began growling like an animal and pulled out a five inch knife with which he stabbed Bono to death.

Johnson was found two miles from the scene of the killing and was arrested for murder. However, at his trial, Johnson claimed that he had been demonically possessed when he killed Bono and was therefore innocent of murder as he had not been in control.

Demonologist couple Ed and Lorraine Warren, who had previously investigated the Amityville haunting, became involved in the case. The couple had been involved in an exorcism of an eight year old boy, David Glatzel, where Johnson had also been present.

Johnson reportedly taunted a demon at David’s exorcism, and the Warren’s believed that when David was exorcised, the demon fled his body and entered Johnson’s. It was several months after this event that Bono was killed. 

Where is Arne Johnson now?

Johnson’s defence failed in his 1981 court case as the judge ruled that a case of demonic possession could never be proven and was therefore inadmissible as a valid defence. 

Johnson was convicted of the murder and sentenced to 10-20 years in prison, though we was released after serving five years.

He was reportedly a model prisoner during his sentence and since earned his high school diploma and married his partner, Debbie, who supported him throughout his trial and backed up the possession defence. The couple have two children together. The Warrens also later claimed that Johnson was no longer demonically possessed.

Johnson has gone on to appear in documentaries about the case and been involved with film adaptations, including The Conjuring 3. He also features in The Devil on Trial, the latest project about the case.

When is The Devil on Trial on Netflix?

The Devil on Trial will be released on Netflix on Tuesday 17 October. The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It, which is also inspired by the Arne Johnson case, is available to stream on Netflix now.