We all know that actual events often inspire many movies and stories. What ‘true events’ and ‘real life events’ mean is left to the one telling the story. So, who inspired the most horrifying movie of all time, The Exorcist?

The Horror Is Sometimes Real In Movies

Lately, it has been on my mind just how many movies, TV shows, and other pop culture references are based on events that happened in reality. Especially when it comes to horror and mystery movies.

I have touched on films and the stories behind movies like Scream, Annabelle, and The Exorcism of Emily Rose, and even The Exorcist was based on a true story.

However, in reality, this teenage girl Regan was a teenage boy named Ronald Hunkeler, later referred to due to privacy and name suppression due to his age. He became known as Robbie Mannheim, better known as Roland Doe.

Let’s Start At The Beginning Of The Real Exorcist

Travel back in time with me to the decade of the 1940s, where we meet a German-American family who has just moved into the suburbs of Washington DC with their Ronald.

Ronald was introduced to the world of spirituality, Ouija boards, and seances by his Aunt Harriet, whom he was very close to, and the pair used to spend a lot of time together. Ronald’s favourite family member was Aunt Harriet, the only one he felt understood him.

In 1948, Aunt Harriet sadly passed away. It left thirteen-year-old Ronald vulnerable. He started to get depressed as he was grieving deeply from the loss. In early January 1949, months after Harriet’s death, Ronald began to experience some strange occurrences.

It included scratching noises from the walls and across his floor and water dripping from the pipes and walls. What scared him the most was that his mattress would also move and levitate.

The Fright Of What The Paranormal Can Do

His family was frightened and unsure of what to do, as in most cases and even more commonly in today’s world. The parents consulted everyone they knew, from doctors to psychiatrists and even their minister. Nobody could seem to give this family any answers or not the answers they wanted to hear.

One Catholic priest, after seeking approval from his superiors, was brave enough to try and perform an exorcism on Ronald in late February of 1949. The priest’s name was Father E. Albert Hughes.

During the exorcism, the priest strapped Ronald to the bed but had to stop halfway through as Ronald had broken free, and using a mattress spring he had managed to break off, he slashed across the shoulders of the priest.

A few days later, scratches appeared on Ronald, and one set of scratches spelled out the word “Louis.” The family, who had relatives living in St. Louis, felt this was a sign. So, they packed up and headed to St. Louis, hoping the family there had a way they could save Ronald as the Hunkelers would do anything to get their son they loved back.

Is It a Coincidence Or The Real Deal?

Another exorcism occurred in St. Louis, resulting in random scratches on Ronald and his mattress moving violently. Similar actions had happened with the first exorcism that failed in Maryland.

Ronald’s various exorcisms always led to him with scratches. Sometimes, these were all over the place, and other times, just like the word “Louis,” he had a random “10” and a “pitchfork” scratched onto his body.

In March 1949, the exorcisms moved to another level, which had Ronald urinating on his bed and shouting and cursing the priests. After this, his parents were at their wit’s ends and had just had enough, so they felt it was time to commit Ronald to the Alexian Brothers Hospital in St. Louis for more severe treatment.

It would be Easter Monday, April 18th, 1949, that Ronald and his family will never forget as a day of miracles and the day Ronald would be saved. That day, he awoke with terrible seizures and started shouting and cursing the priests, telling them that Satan would always be with him.

The True Horror Of Exorcisms On Humans

The priests laid several holy relics, crucifixes, and rosary beads on Ronald’s body and continued to pray over him non-stop. They shouted, telling Satan that St. Michael would battle him for Ronald’s soul.

At 10.45 pm, Ronald’s eyes closed, and the priests felt he had moved on and died. He awoke seven minutes later, saying, “He’s gone.” He then recounted a vision he had of St. Michael and Satan on the battlefield and St. Michael slaying Satan.

After this, Ronald lived an everyday and happy life. He moved to the East Coast, changed his name to Robbie Mannheim, and married and had one son named Michael after St. Michael. The one who saved him and delivered him from evil.

The story, though, would have been forgotten, but in 1971, an author, William Peter Blatty, came across the unofficial diaries of two priests who helped save Ronald.

He titled it The Exorcist. It stayed on the top-selling charts for fifty-four weeks before being optioned and made into the hit film of the same name in 1973. The budget was twelve million dollars to make, which was surpassed quite quickly, with the box office recording 441.3 million dollars.

When A Life Event Becomes The Greatest Horror Of All Time

The story doesn’t finish there, though, as in 1993, another author named Thomas B. Allen wrote a book called Possessed, which featured heavily on Halloran’s stories.

Also, Thomas claimed that he had tracked down and found the true identity of Roland Doe, yet he never revealed the “name” in his story. It left Robbie Mannheim to live his peaceful, quiet life as who wants to be reminded of the worst time in their lives. Definitely not me!

I hope he got some money for his story. I would be highly offended by people cashing majorly on my story and not giving me a cent, even if I want to live a quiet, non-assuming life.

Paula