7 Terrifying Facts About 'The Deliverance' True Story: The Unbelievable Case That Shocked Police And Social Workers

The 2024 Netflix horror film *The Deliverance*, directed by Lee Daniels and starring Andra Day, is not a work of pure fiction. The movie, which debuted to significant buzz, is directly inspired by one of the most documented and controversial cases of alleged demonic possession in modern American history: the harrowing ordeal of Latoya Ammons and her family in Gary, Indiana, from 2011 to 2012. This true story, often dubbed the "Gary Demon House" case, is unique because it was officially corroborated by multiple government agencies, including the Department of Child Services (DCS) and the local police department, lending a terrifying layer of authority to the family’s claims of poltergeist activity, levitation, and possession. The film fictionalizes the events, changing the family name to the Jacksons and the location to Pittsburgh, but the core narrative of a mother fighting a demonic force for the soul of her child remains chillingly faithful to Latoya Ammons’ public accounts. As of December 21, 2025, the case continues to be a focal point for paranormal investigators and skeptics alike, standing as a landmark example of alleged supernatural phenomena that crossed the line from private belief into official police and social work reports.

The Ammons Haunting: A Timeline of the Gary Demon House

The true story of *The Deliverance* centers on Latoya Ammons and her family, who moved into a small, unassuming rental home on Carolina Street in Gary, Indiana, in November 2011. The events that unfolded over the next few months became a national sensation, earning the property the moniker "The House of 200 Demons." Here is a profile of the key figures and a timeline of the most critical events in the Latoya Ammons case:

• Latoya Ammons: The single mother at the center of the case, who claimed she and her three children were terrorized by a demonic presence shortly after moving into the home.
• Rosa Campbell: Latoya’s mother, who also lived in the house and was a primary witness to the escalating phenomena.
• The Children: Latoya’s three children, aged 7, 9, and 12, who were the primary targets of the alleged possession, exhibiting violent and unusual behavior.
• Rev. Michael Maginot: A Catholic priest from the Diocese of Gary who was called in to perform multiple exorcisms on Latoya Ammons, including a solemn "major exorcism" in Latin.
• Gary Police Captain Charles Austin: A 36-year veteran of the Gary Police Department who initially approached the case with skepticism but later stated he believed the family was genuinely affected by a demonic force, citing his own witnessed events.
• Marisa Kwiatkowski: The *Indianapolis Star* journalist whose 2014 article, "The Exorcisms of Latoya Ammons," brought the case to international prominence.
• Zak Bagans: The host of *Ghost Adventures* who purchased the house in 2014 and later demolished it in 2016 after filming a documentary titled *Demon House*.

The family’s ordeal began with simple, classic poltergeist activity—a swarm of black flies in the winter, strange footsteps, and doors opening and closing. However, the activity quickly escalated into something far more sinister, focusing its attention on the children and Latoya herself.

The Unbelievable Phenomena Corroborated by Police and DCS

What sets the Ammons case apart from typical ghost stories is the official documentation provided by independent, government-affiliated witnesses. When the children began exhibiting increasingly disturbing behavior, the Department of Child Services (DCS) was called in, alongside the Gary Police Department.

The Children’s Disturbing Manifestations

The DCS reports, which were later made public, detailed some of the most shocking events. One of the most frequently cited incidents involved Latoya’s 12-year-old daughter. A visit to the family doctor resulted in the girl allegedly being thrown backward into a wall by an unseen force. Another terrifying account involved Latoya’s 9-year-old son, who reportedly walked backward up a wall to the ceiling in the presence of a Department of Child Services case manager and a hospital nurse. This phenomenon, which seemed to defy gravity, was officially documented in the DCS report.

Police and Social Worker Corroboration

The involvement of law enforcement and social workers added an unprecedented level of credibility to the Ammons family’s claims. Gary Police Captain Charles Austin, who was a key figure in the investigation, initially believed the family was fabricating the story. However, after interviewing the family and witnessing phenomena himself, he became convinced that something genuinely paranormal was occurring.

Captain Austin, along with other officers, reported hearing strange noises, seeing objects move, and experiencing cold spots in the house. His official police report, which was an anomaly for a law enforcement document, concluded that he believed the family was being plagued by "demonic possession."

The Exorcism, The Skepticism, and The House's Final Fate

The confluence of police, medical, and social services reports led the family to seek help from the Catholic Church. This step introduced the next key entity into the true story of *The Deliverance*: Rev. Michael Maginot.

The Intervention of Father Maginot

Rev. Michael Maginot, a priest in the Diocese of Gary, was granted permission by Bishop Dale Melczek to perform an exorcism on Latoya Ammons. He conducted several rites, including the church’s most solemn and powerful ritual—a major exorcism performed in Latin.

According to the priest, during these rites, Latoya would convulse, and her voice would change. He believed the multiple exorcisms were successful in driving the entity from the family, which finally allowed them to leave the house and find peace. The Ammons family moved out of the Carolina Street house in late 2012.

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The Enduring Skepticism and Controversy

Despite the compelling accounts from multiple professionals, the Ammons case remains a magnet for skepticism. Critics and paranormal debunkers, such as investigator Joe Nickell, suggested that the phenomena could be explained by mass hysteria, psychological issues, or even a deliberate fabrication by Latoya Ammons to escape a difficult housing situation.

The DCS investigation itself was not without controversy. While the reports documented the strange phenomena, they also noted that the children were at least partially neglected, as Latoya had not been sending them to school regularly—a detail that fueled the debate over whether the mother was emotionally unstable or genuinely a victim of a supernatural attack.

The Demolition of the Demon House

The saga of the Gary Demon House concluded with its destruction. In 2014, paranormal investigator and television personality Zak Bagans purchased the home for $35,000. He used the property to film his 2018 documentary, *Demon House*.

Bagans claimed the house was the most paranormally active location he had ever investigated. In a dramatic move to prevent further exploitation or harm, he had the house completely demolished in 2016. This decisive action ensured that no one else would ever live in the structure, bringing a definitive end to the physical location of the Ammons family’s terrifying true story that inspired *The Deliverance*.

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