Book cover - Amazon.com

This is the story of a true haunting. It was the first ever filmed and televised by NBC in 1971. A young couple purchases a building that was built and occupied by a single family that refused to relinquish their hold, even after death. Investigated and verified by experts, this residence brought chaos to the lives of those who chose to reside there. - Opening of True Haunting by Edwin Becker

Background:

The Becker family moved into an old broken down home on the northwest side of Chicago in 1970.  They were expecting their first child and in need of a resicence. When Ed Becker first entered the house he met Myra Vedere, the elderly woman whose family built it in the 1900s. According to neighborhood talk, Myra's hot tempered brother brother Ben had died in the bathtub and his wife had died of suicide after being beaten by Ben. It should be noted that although the Vederes had built the home, Ed would technically be the first actual owner of the home. His plan was after purchasing the house he would put Myra in and assisted living facility. This did not go over well and Myra cursed Ed telling him he was mvoing into a house where "He was not wanted."

In need of a home for his wife and expected child, Ed ignored all of this and purchased the home.

Activity:

It didn't take long for things to start happening.

• The phone kept coming off the hook of its own volition.
• Cabinet doors opened and closed.
• Plates flew out of cabinets.
• Objects moved around.
• Sobbing and footsteps were heard.
• Ghostly body 'touching'.
• Tenants also reported phenomena.

Counter-action:

Desperate for relief from the supernatural torment, Marsha Becker sought out individuals reputed to possess the ability to perform exorcisms. Joseph DeLouise and Reverend William Derl-Davis of the Independent Spiritualist Church answered their plea for help. They agreed to perform an exorcism on the Becker’s home, allowing NBC to witness and film the ritual, with the condition that everyone present wear a protective cross. It has been reported that the crew was significantly spooked. They reported strange gusts of wind and ghostly sounds. The Reverend who performed the exorcism declared the whole situation was caused by, "An old woman who may have been gypped out of some money."

The Exorcism:

The exorcism ritual took place in the dining room, where an altar was set up with a Bible, a crucifix, blood, and wine. After a reading from the Bible and a short communion ceremony performed by the two men, Joseph DeLouise entered a deep trance. As a self-proclaimed spiritual medium, DeLouise claimed that this trance allowed him to communicate with nearby spirits.

During DeLouise’s trance, eerie events unfolded. A strong breeze blew through an open window, causing curtains to billow and Venetian blinds to tremble. Soon, a spirit began to speak through DeLouise, although the audio recording couldn’t capture the spirit’s words. Reverend William Derl-Davis explained that the spirit was that of an elderly woman desperately searching for a specific number or combination.

The revelation emerged that the Becker’s home had previously been occupied by an elderly woman who had died within its walls. While it couldn’t be definitively determined whether the lingering spirit was that of the former tenant, the news segment strongly suggested the connection.

After a series of prayers and discussions with the distressed spirit, the two ministers concluded the ritual by sprinkling salt throughout various parts of the house, both inside and outside. This symbolic act was intended to seal the house, preventing the spirit from returning. The news segment ended with the assertion that the house had been quiet since the exorcism.

The ritual continued as the spirit was shown that it could not cast a reflection, helping it understand its deceased state. Communion was offered to the spirit as part of the process.

Despite the initial sense of relief conveyed by the news segment, Edwin Becker later revealed that the exorcism marked only a partial resolution to their ordeal. In his 2011 book titled “True Haunting,” Becker detailed how their home remained haunted by multiple entities, and their family continued to endure terrifying experiences, living in constant fear. *

First Televised Exorcism! Recorded in Chicago, IL on NBC in 1971 with Carole Simpson interviewing the Becker family about their haunted home. Exorcism was completed by Joseph DeLouise and Rev. William Derl-Davis. Inspired the book "True Haunting" written by Edwin F. Becker and Paranormal Witness episode titled "The Tenants" which aired on the Syfy channel on 10/24/2012.

*Brian Meyers - https://medium.com/@brianjmyers/two-years-before-the-exorcist-a-real-life-exorcism-was-performed-on-television-638e467a0594