Ep. 7: The 1949 St. Louis Exorcism - The True Story That Inspired The Exorcist

Send us Fan MailBefore The Exorcist terrified the world, a quiet thirteen-year-old boy in St. Louis endured something no prayer could stop. In 1949, priests recorded weeks of violent phenomena—scratches carved into flesh, voices that mocked the sacred, a hospital wing sealed in fear. Was it possession… or the unraveling of grief and faith colliding?Join Bria, Zach, and Lyndsay as Veil of Echoes steps inside the case that inspired one of horror’s greatest legends. From the Maryland home where it began to the Jesuit diaries that tried to contain it, this is the story of the 1949 St. Louis Exorcism—where belief met something that answered back.⚠️ Content Warning: This episode contains descriptions of alleged demonic possession, physical torment, and religious themes. Listener discretion is advised.🕯️ Listen now—if you dare.Show Notes / Sources CitedTaylor, Troy. The Devil Came to St. Louis. Whitechapel Press, 2019.Bishop, Raymond J. Diary of the 1949 Exorcism. Jesuit Archives & Research Center, Saint Louis University.Allen, Thomas B. Possessed: The True Story of an Exorcism. Doubleday, 1993.“Priest Frees Boy Reported Held in Devil’s Grip.” The Washington Post, Aug 20 1949.Blatty, William Peter. The Exorcist. Harper & Row, 1971.Friedkin, William, director. The Exorcist. Warner Bros., 1973.United Press International Archives. “Catholic Priests Free Boy Reported Possessed.” 1949.St. Louis Post-Dispatch. “The Real Exorcism That Inspired The Exorcist.” Oct 1999.Nickell, Joe. “The Exorcism of Roland Doe.” Skeptical Inquirer, vol. 23 no. 5, 1999.Saint Louis University News. “Legends and Lore: The St. Louis Exorcism.” slu.edu, accessed 2025.The Alexian Brothers Hospital Oral History Collection, St. Louis Historical Society Archives✨ Step through the veil with us…🔮 Follow on TikTok & Instagram: @VeilOfEchoesPodcast👻 Share your stories: [email protected]🕯️ New episodes drop every Monday (True Crime) & Friday (Paranormal) — where true crime meets the supernatural.