When an author associates his or her story with true events, it immediately sparks our interest. But with this interest comes a certain expectation. In this case the author is Monte Plaisance and his book is entitled “The House on Judith Street”. It was recently reviewed by HorrorPalace.com. You can read the review here.
The Real Horror Stories of Ralph Sarchie, The NYPD Cop-Turned-Demonologist
Despite sounding like a plot lifted from a comic book in the vein of “Preacher” or “Hellblazer,” Ralph Sarchie is an ex-NYPD police officer who began demonology in his spare time. His spiritual service, which is completely free of charge, is looked upon by his family as a calling. Sarchie fell victim to a serious illness when he was just 10 months old, only to come through the other side. His mother saw this as divine intervention and believes her son was left alive for a reason. Sarchie first glimpse of the world of demonology followed after he read a book in 1990 entitled “Satan’s Harvest,” a book that covered the case of demonic possessions as reported by journalists in the Boston Herald.
When Sarchie was still an NYPD officer, he would conduct his demonology practices in his spare time. A book published in 2001 entitled “Beware the Night” by Sarchie and Lisa Lillier Cool details cases that Sarchie investigated. One such case was called “The Halloween Horror,” which told the story of Dominick and Gabby Villanova who were having problems with a demon. Gabby reported seeing a woman appear in a cloud of white smoke, who only she could see. It wasn’t look before the demon bean to communicate via Gabby and told the story of a woman who was murdered and as a result, her fiancé was falsely accused of her murder. Gabby reported seeing the ghost of her father during the following days, as does her five-year-old son.
As well as the possession, other reports included noises occurring in the basement, books flying off shelves as well as mysterious messages being written on the mirror. A more disturbing motive of the demon was its attempts to rape Dominick and Gabby’s daughter, Luciana. Sarchie and his partner Joe attend and confirm that they are sharing the environment with one of the most dangerous demons known, and used the power of Jesus Christ to banish it.
Despite how far-fetched the story seems, Sarchie explains that the cloud appeared as demons like to give themselves away. He also explains that the reason that only Gabby could see the demon was because of the demon’s intent to cause confusion and panic. And while there are inconsistencies with the story told by the demon when it possessed Gabby, Sarchie explains this is because demons often mix fact with fiction to lure in their victims.
Of all the explanations given, it is very rare for a more rational explanation to be given. As far as Sarchie is concerned, all his cases have been genuine, despite other rational that could include a person’s mental illness or even a hoax.
Whether you believe Sarchie’s cases to be the genuine real horror stories, or just a figment of his imagination, he has garnered enough interest for his life as demonologist to be portrayed on film. “Deliver Us From Evil” is directed by Scott Derrickson, stars Olivia Munn, and focuses on Sarchie as he combats demonic possessions around the city.