Good intel N2P.
The original book was inspired by true events in PG County. I recall quite a bit of diversity of opinion among priests in our PG parish, as to whether exorcism was real or not...
A local writer, Mark Opsasnick, did a tremendous amount of research about the true story that inspired
The Exorcist, interviewing people who knew the boy. It is lengthy, told in 5 parts, and can be read here:
http://www.strangemag.com/exorcistpage1.htmlOpsasnick concluded that the boy was
not possessed. But there was a key eyewitness who was never interviewed by Opsasnick. My uncle, who coincidentally knew Exorcist author, William Peter Blatty, met the altar boy who had come to the allegedly possessed boy's home, to help bring him to Georgetown Hospital. The altar boy was a big guy, and told my uncle that he saw items flying around on their own in the home's attic.
The allegedly possessed boy transferred to Gonzaga High School in DC and became a Catholic. The picture of the boy in this article is in one of my uncle's Gonzaga yearbooks. When the local priest involved in the exorcism died, the altar boy said that the formerly possessed boy attended the priest's funeral, where they recognized each other.
Another odd coincidence, I've known the owner of Dream Wizards, a game store in Rockville MD, for decades. Her late husband published
Strange Magazine, in which the above article appeared. The magazine was sold in that store. I told her about the altar boy.
