Episode 574: Ed and Lorraine Warren Part II - Make It Scary

Ed and Lorraine Warren introduced themselves as experienced demonologists and psychics, a claim bolstered by self-promotion and questioned methods. They engaged in various tactics to establish credibility and profit from the paranormal.

The Warrens portrayed themselves as experienced paranormal investigators and demonologists

The Warrens claimed to have investigated thousands of cases. Notably, Lorraine claimed to be a psychic and offered personal details such as someone's mother loving spaghetti to demonstrate her abilities. They took custody of the infamous Annabelle doll from a pair of girls, suggesting that the doll was a vessel for demonic energy. Later, they performed an exorcism on the doll and sprinkled holy water around, claiming that it could make an ethereal black cat appear and disappear, levitate, and terrorize their real cat.

They exaggerated their involvement in high-profile cases like Amityville, often becoming the voices that linked credibility to the stories. Moreover, it is mentioned that movies such as "The Conjuring 2" oversold the Warrens' involvement in the Enfield Poltergeist case, underscoring their penchant for exaggeration.

The Warrens leveraged their reputation and credentials to establish credibility, even when their methods were dubious

Marcus Parks and Henry Zebrowski discussed that the Warrens have been "grossly misrepresented by the movies of the Conjuring Universe," highlighting a disconnect between reality and their portrayed experiences. The Warrens were true believers in the paranormal, with Ed using methods such as religious provocation—invoking Jesus Christ and throwing holy water—to interact with entities.

Their methods often included assigning responsibility to people for the manifestations they experienced, as seen in their claim that recognizing entities could lead to possession, rather than focusing on the supernatural itself. Ed Warren, for instance, claimed to be immune to paranormal phenomena and had to perform "religious provocation" instead of direct engagement.

The Warrens were skilled at self-promotion and capitalizing on their notoriety

The Warrens adeptly commercialized their paranormal experiences. They arrived at the Glatzel household "riding high off Amityville" and identified a large dark mass next to a family member as a demon. Their skill in promoting themselves extended to founding the New England Society for Paranormal Research, disseminating materials to their fan club, and selling VHS tapes.

Their storytelling, woven into a consistent narrative across their ventures, exhibited a strategic approach to cultivating their public image. They even locked away Annabelle in the infamous "positively do not open" case after a year, adding to the mystique and narrative around the doll.

The Warrens portrayed themselves as religious warriors against evil, though their motives were primarily ...

The case of the Amityville haunting revolves around the experiences of the Lutz family in a house with a violent past and has spurred wide public fascination, encouraged by books, movies, and the involvement of paranormal investigators.

The Lutz family's experiences in the Amityville house were likely fabricated or exaggerated

George and Kathy Lutz, the new owners of the infamous Amityville house, claimed to be unfazed by the recent murders there, seeing an opportunity to buy the house cheaply. They reportedly used the DeFeo family's furniture when they moved in. Shortly after moving in, the Lutzes began to report strange occurrences and sought the media's attention. They claimed events began with a priest hearing a voice demand he "Get out," and continued with strange smells, flies in dead winter, and eerie substances coating the home.

Despite their initial denial, the Lutzes eventually admitted to striking a lucrative book and film deal. This, combined with their changing account, legal battles, and revelations from William Weber (Ronnie DeFeo's defense attorney) who claimed it was a hoax conceived over wine, casts serious doubt on their claims.

Although they profited from the Amityville franchise, it's suggested that any real experiences might have been grossly exaggerated. The Lutzes followed a narrative timeline that fell in line with known paranormal tropes, further fueling skepticism about their credibility.

The Warrens' involvement in the Amityville case was primarily for self-promotion

The Warrens, renowned paranormal investigators, became involved with the Amityville case for a brief period. Ed and Lorraine Warren presented themselves as experts, leveraging media attention and a supposed seance to bolster their reputation. Their claims to have found evidence of paranormal activity were later challenged and debunked, such as a ghost photograph that many believe was actually an assistant in the house.

The techniques used by the Warrens, such as high-level flash photography aimed at creating ambiguous effects, and Ed Warren's assertion of feeling stra ...

In the "Devil Made Me Do It" case, the Glatzel family suffered significant trauma, with young David Glatzel at the center experiencing what appeared to be demonic possession. The family's ordeal was further exacerbated by the involvement of paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren.

The Glatzel family, particularly young David Glatzel, experienced apparent demonic possession

In 1980, 11-year-old David Glatzel began to have visions of an evil old man and described violent encounters with a devilish figure with black eyes. Following worsening behaviors, his mother called their local priest to bless the house. However, when the entity seemed to grow angrier, the Warrens stepped in, suggesting David was in the oppression stage of possession. The Warrens’ dire warnings seemed to prelude David's behavior spiraling into violent rages, growling, cursing, and self-harming until three minor exorcisms were performed.

During these rituals, David reportedly growled, jerked, and turned blue, experiences which were documented by the Warrens. David's family and the Warrens ultimately believed that Arnie Johnson, David’s sister’s boyfriend, became possessed after calling for the devil to take him instead during an exorcism.

The "Devil Made Me Do It" defense used in the murder trial of Arne Johnson was ultimately rejected by the court

Arnie Johnson, motivated by possessiveness and rumored jealousy over Debbie's possible relationship with Alan Bono, claimed he had blacked out during Bono's murder due to demonic possession—a defense supported by the Warrens. Despite attempted legal maneuvers that included trying to prove the existence of demons and the deployment of the possessed by demons angle, the judge dismissed the not guilty by virtue of possession plea.

Johnson's actions were likely driven by personal factors, not possession, as hinted by his seeking help for a drinking problem and his admission of violence to the police. He was eventually convicted of manslaughter after the self-defense claim was not fully accepted by the court.

The Warrens' involvement in the case caused further trauma and turmoil for the Glatzel family

Throughout the ordeal, the Warrens were intimately involved. Their daily visits to document David's possession, suggestions of possession to Arnie Johnson, and dire predictions contributed to an atmosphere of fear and trauma. Carl Glatzel, David's brother, openly criticized the Warrens, accusing them of exacerbating David's mental health issues and coaching him to act possessed. He further criticized the Warrens for creating a spectacle for t ...