Indiana 'exorcism house' is demolished
INDIANAPOLIS — The Indiana home where a mother who said she was possessed by demons lived, has been demolished.
Zak Bagans, host and executive producer of Ghost Adventures on the Travel Channel, had the purported Gary, Ind., “demon house” destroyed two weeks ago. The demolition was filmed for a documentary Bagans plans to release later this year.
“Something was inside that house that had the ability to do things that I have never seen before — things that others carrying the highest forms of credibility couldn’t explain either,” he said via email. “There was something there that was very dark yet highly intelligent and powerful.”
Bagans bought the house in 2014, shortly after The Indianapolis Star published an article about Latoya Ammons’ claim that she and her three children had been possessed by demons. Ammons’ tale spurred an Indiana Department of Child Services intervention, police investigation and a series of exorcisms that a priest claimed were the first authorized by the bishop of the Catholic Church’s Diocese of Gary.
Exorcism priest signs movie deal
The story chronicled Ammons’ description of strange occurrences involving her and her three children — and the government’s response. The article went viral, with dozens of movie producers and countless TV shows clamoring for interviews.
Bagans interviewed numerous police officials, a former Department of Child Services worker and others for his documentary. He would not say whether he interviewed Ammons or her family.
The home is where Ammons and her mother, Rosa Campbell, said many of the strange things happened — including big black flies swarming the screened-in porch in December, the sound of the steady clump of footsteps climbing the basement stairs and the creak of the door opening between the basement and kitchen when no one was there.
They also reported that Campbell's granddaughter was seen levitating above the bed, unconscious. Ammons and several others surrounded the girl, praying, they said. Eventually, Campbell said, her granddaughter descended onto the bed. The girl woke up with no memory of what happened, Campbell said.
Alleged demon home sells for $35,000
Bagans said his reason for destroying the home will be presented in the documentary. He said his goal is to launch the documentary at a major film festival this year.
When interviewed two years ago, Ammons was surprised at the fervor her claims generated.
"I figured ... that I would get uproar from ... my hometown, but I never imagined that it would go viral," said Ammons in 2014.
The police captain who investigated Ammons' claims was initially skeptical, but he came a believer. He said he wouldn't go back to the house unless he was required to investigate.
"Why go where evil possibly is there? You have no idea what you may run into," said Capt. Charles Austin of the Gary police department in 2014.
Psychologists who evaluated Ammons and her children characterized Ammons' fixation on demons as being part of a "delusional system."
Follow Marisa Kwiatkowski on Twitter: @IndyMarisaK