Possession, Murder, and the Courtroom: The Haunting Legacy of Arne Cheyenne Johnson

The First Murder in Brookfield's History

On February 16, 1981, Brookfield, Connecticut, witnessed its first recorded homicide in 193 years. Nineteen-year-old Arne Cheyenne Johnson fatally stabbed his landlord, Alan Bono, during a heated altercation. The incident occurred after a day of drinking, culminating in Johnson attacking Bono with a five-inch pocket knife, inflicting multiple wounds, primarily to the chest and stomach. Johnson was apprehended two miles from the crime scene, claiming no recollection of the event.

The Unprecedented Defense: Demonic Possession

In a move that shocked the nation, Johnson's defense attorney, Martin Minnella, announced that his client would plead not guilty by reason of demonic possession. This marked the first time in U.S. legal history that such a defense was proposed in a murder trial. Minnella sought to substantiate the claim by involving experts from Europe and threatened to subpoena priests involved in prior exorcisms related to the case. ...Read More

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