ST. LOUIS – A bizarre chapter in St. Louis history came to a close on this date 76 years ago, when a teenage boy believed to be possessed of demonic forces was reportedly freed, following weeks of exorcism rituals performed by Jesuit priests.

On April 18, 1949, a 14-year-old boy known by the pseudonyms of “Robbie” and “Roland Doe” reportedly awoke free from possession after experiencing a vision of St. Michael the Archangel, a revered figure in Catholic tradition.

The real-life case later inspired the 1971 novel and 1973 film “The Exorcist,” and it remains one of the most documented accounts of alleged demonic possession in modern history.

As described in Joe Sonderman’s 2024 book, “This Day in St. Louis History,” the exorcism involved “horrifying and violent afflictions” and a range of unexplained forces. Priests kept detailed records of the boy’s case that were recovered in 1978, nearly three decades after the exorcism concluded.

According to 2019 report from Saint Louis University, a team of Jesuit priests spent weeks performing the Catholic rite of exorcism, a spiritual cleansing process used only in rare cases to expel what the Church believes are evil spirts.

The boy, who lived near Washington D.C., began exhibiting strange behavior shortly after the death of his aunt, who had introduced him to a Ouija board. His family initially turned to medical professionals, but his strange behavior persisted.

According to St. Louis University and other accounts, the boy experienced a series of alarming events, such as undefinable scratches on his body, speaking in unknown languages and reacting violently to religious objects.

As disturbing symptoms escalated, the boy’s family turned to a local clergy, which recommended more intensive spiritual intervention. This led them to Jesuit priests in St. Louis, where the Church ultimately agreed to conduct an exorcism, a practice reserved for the most extreme cases.

After the ritual concluded, the boy was said to have returned to a normal life.

The boy’s identity remained a mystery for decades until December 2021, when the Skeptical Inquirer reported his name as Ronald Edwin Hunkeler. He reportedly died in 2020 after living a quiet and private life.