Summary

• The Devil on Trial simplifies David Glatzel's initial demonic experiences, omitting details about physical encounters with a malevolent entity.
• The documentary skips over David's early demonic behaviors, such as inexplicable injuries and reciting ages in strange voices.
• The Warrens believed David was possessed by 42 demons, not just "the devil," which the documentary overlooks.

The Glatzel family shares their experiences with demonic possession in Netflix’s The Devil on Trial, but the documentary omits some details from the true story. The Devil on Trial tells the tale of David Glatzel, who was allegedly possessed by a demon when he was 11 years old. The situation only became more tragic for the Glatzel family when the demon that possessed David took an interest in David's brother-in-law, Arne Johnson, which Johnson claims led him to commit murder. David’s possession became famous both for the involvement of Ed and Lorraine Warren, as well as Johnson’s assertion that “the devil made [him] do it” at his murder trial.

Since Glatzel and Johnson’s demonic possession in 1980, the Glatzel case has become well-known in the media, inspiring several retellings of the true story, including The Conjuring 3. However, The Devil on Trial takes a nonfiction approach to the subject and sees the family recounting their experiences. Despite its documentary format, however, The Devil on Trial doesn’t include every detail behind the true story of the Glatzel family.

6 The Devil On Trial Simplifies David Glatzel’s Initial Demonic Experiences

Although The Devil on Trial gives an of the events leading up to 11-year-old David's demonic possession, it greatly simplifies his experiences. David was first exposed to evil forces while helping his family clean his sister Debbie’s new house. The Devil on Trial states that David felt a dark presence while sweeping a bedroom and immediately wanted to leave the house. After this, David continued to have visions leading up to his possession. While this of David’s experience is technically true, it is a major simplification of what allegedly happened.

David didn’t merely sense a dark entity in Debbie’s house. Allegedly, the presence was attached to a physical entity. While in the house, David encountered an apparition of an old man, who told him that harm would come to the Glatzel family if they continued renting the house (via Radio Times). Initially, the family thought that David was making this story up to get out of cleaning, but after the encounter, David continued having visions and strange experiences surrounding this man, eventually leading to his possession. The Devil on Trial’s version of David’s experience might technically be true, but its oversimplification of the event makes it seem less threatening.

5 The Devil On Trial Doesn’t Go Into Detail About David Glatzel’s Early Demonic Behavior

While The Devil on Trial discusses David's demonic experiences, one part of the story it glosses over is the behavior he exhibited that led the family to call paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren. The documentary asserts that David had been displaying strange behavior, but it doesn’t go into specifics beyond some recordings. In real life, David apparently suffered from inexplicable injuries and night terrors. He also displayed hostile behaviors like kicking, biting, and swearing. Instead of recounting these strange behaviors, The Devil on Trial skips straight to David’s exorcism.

4 The Warrens Thought David Glatzel Was Possessed By Multiple Demons

The Devil on Trial portrays David as having been possessed by “the devil,” but this isn’t the full story. Rather, Ed and Lorraine Warren believed that David had been possessed by multiple demons — a whopping 42 to be exact. The Conjuring 3 also left out the other 41 demons allegedly possessing David. Including this detail likely would have made the story more convoluted and less credible, so this exclusion makes sense. Still, it leaves out a huge aspect of what made David's experience so unnerving.

3 David Glatzel Underwent Multiple Exorcisms Before Arne Johnson’s Possession

The Devil on Trial documents the key points of David's possession from demonic encounter to exorcism, but it leaves out prior attempts to rid David of his demons. In the Netflix documentary, the Glatzel family only discusses the exorcism attempt in which Arne Johnson challenged David’s demon to take him on instead, leading to Johnnson's alleged possession. However, contrary to what the documentary portrays, this exorcism was not the first attempt at fixing David’s possession (via Global News).

In reality, prior to this final, major exorcism, David underwent several smaller exorcisms, during which he allegedly levitated and even exhibited precognition according to Lorraine Warren. It makes sense that The Devil on Trial chose to leave out these prior exorcism attempts, as they weren’t as pertinent to the story as the last successful exorcism. However, the fact that the family experienced these initial exorcism attempts explains why Johnson became desperate enough to challenge David’s demon.

2 Arne Johnson Displayed Odd Behavior Prior To Alan Bono’s Murder

After David's possession is remedied in The Devil on Trial, the Netflix documentary moves on to the murder Johnson committed, supposedly under the influence of the Devil — but it doesn't discuss his behavior leading up to the killing. In the days before Alan Bono’s murder, Johnson apparently exhibited behaviors similar to David’s, including trances, hallucinations, and growling. However, similar to David's early experiences, Johnson's behaviors prior to the murder are glossed over by The Devil on Trial. Instead, the documentary focuses on Johnson's experience of the murder itself. This is a strange detail for the documentary to leave out, as Johnson's prior behavior makes his possession seem more credible.

1 David & Carl Glatzel Jr. Sued The Warrens After ‘The Devil Made Me Do It’ Case

Though The Devil on Trial discusses some of the opposing opinions held about Ed and Lorraine Warren by of the Glatzel family, it leaves out the fact that two actually took legal action against them. After the Glatzels’ experiences with possession, author Gerald Brittle was commissioned to write a book called The Devil in Connecticut about the events, which was published in 1983. In 2007, David and his brother Carl sued the Warrens and Brittle over the republication of The Devil in Connecticut, alleging claims of privacy violation, libel, and incurred emotional distress.

It makes sense that The Devil on Trial omits this development, as it contradicts the largely positive image it paints of the Warrens. Additionally, doing so simplifies the story that The Devil on Trial is trying to tell: a recounting of the possessions and murder trial the Glatzels went through. The Netflix documentary implies that the Glatzel family is divided on their opinions of the media portrayal of their case, but it doesn't go into detail about this. Excluding David and Carl's eventual lawsuit from The Devil on Trial seems like a missed opportunity to add nuance to the Glatzel family’s experiences.

Source: Radio Times, Global News