Scapeghosts: When Criminals Blame Ghosts

 



Sometimes criminals can't help blaming an unseen force. Here's some examples of scapeghosts being the target of criminal defense cases. 




An Asheville mother took a hatched to her two children and killed them, then turned it on herself. She survived the self-attack and was hospitalized. Her mental condition had her blaming a ghost for the deed.

This is actually not that uncommon. Ghosts and possession have been blame for many murders including killing one's children during exorcisms and killing others, believing they are the devil.

Schizophrenia and drugs can be blamed on some cases, as well as criminals hoping to get off and those who lack understanding of the natural world with superstitious tendencies. Let's look at some such cases - 


This Florida man killed his wife and 5 kids. He hoped that they would execute him expediently so he could be buried with his family. He said he would have killed himself, but he wouldn't go to heaven. 

His defense? Her mother had the devil in her and made him do it. 



Wisconsin man beat up his wife and then told the police that a ghost did it. 




college kid got into trouble for breaking into a museum and a church. He left behind a note stating, "Poltergeist everywhere... Need better security." 


In an unbelievably heinous crime, a couple killed their infant and said that all injuries were caused by a spirit haunting their home.

A former police officer blamed a ghost in the basement for a theft he committed. 

Apparently, the ghost is a burglar and he didn't know what he was hiding down there....



The stepdaughter of Morgan Freeman was stabbed by her boyfriend in a supposed attempt at exorcism. When police arrived, the man was still viciously attacking her dead body and screaming to let out the demons in the name of Christ.

Then, there was the infamous "Slender Man Stabbing." Two 12-year-old girls lured their friend into the woods and stabbed her 19 times to supposedly appease the "Slender Man," a fictional spirit of the forest who has it in for kids. 

I coined a term years ago called "scapeghosts." This is a situation in which a family focuses on a ghost as the reason for someone acting up, bad family dynamics, or in a dysfunctional desire to bring the family together. 

It is not uncommon for people to be having difficulties, runs of bad luck, and such and believe that ghosts are the ones instigating it, demons, spirit attachments, and recently dead relatives. 

I like to say it and it's true, if ghosts could mess with us and our world with any amount of ability and accuracy, we'd all be screwed. Every single deceased parent would lament their child's decisions, or every spawned lover would be on the attack. 

Luckily, most ghost excuse cases are innocent and even humorous but some, like these above, are chilling. 


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