"The Devil made me do it." It's a phrase that has become a cultural punchline, but for one man in 1981, it was the center of a legal defense that stunned the nation. Arne Cheyenne Johnson claimed he was possessed by a demon when he stabbed his landlord to death, and his case became the first and only time "demonic possession" has been officially used as a defense in a U.S. murder trial. But was he truly under the influence of evil forces, or was this the most shocking alibi in legal history?

In this episode, we investigate the true story behind "The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It" and Netflix's documentary "The Devil on Trial" [citation:3][citation:4]. Johnson, a 19-year-old from Connecticut, was living with his girlfriend Debbie Glatzel when he fatally stabbed Alan Bono [citation:9]. His defense argued that he had been possessed during a failed exorcism of Debbie's 11-year-old brother, David, which was conducted by the infamous paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren [citation:3]. While the Warrens insisted Johnson was innocent because a demon had jumped into him and taken control [citation:6], the defense of demonic possession was ultimately rejected by Judge Robert Callahan [citation:4][citation:9]. Johnson was found guilty of first-degree manslaughter and sentenced to 10 to 20 years in prison, serving just five years [citation:9].

But this episode also explores the deeper spiritual question behind the phrase: is it ever biblical to blame the devil for our sins? Scripture makes it clear that while Satan tempts us, we are responsible for our actions. From Eve's deflection in the Garden to the Bible's teaching in Ezekiel 18, God holds each person accountable for their own choices [citation:13][citation:10]. This is a story of a real murder, a bizarre legal defense, and the enduring question of who is truly to blame when we fall into sin.

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