Forensic Occultism: The Spooky and Not-So-Spooky Side of Crime
A Survey of Modern Forensic Occultism
Abstract
Forensic occultism is a necessary field of forensic science. This is proven by the many cases of occult crime, both modern and historic, and the significant amount of people who ascribe to religion and varying belief systems. It equips law enforcement with more robust investigation techniques and methods and contributes to research. Though it poses many benefits to forensic science, it has several challenges needing to be addressed. The first challenge is error and unreliability of forensic evidence. This challenge can be addressed through more thorough investigation of evidence used in a given trial and scrutinizing science experts base their opinions on. The second challenge is the precariousness of forensic occultism. As it is not recognized by some experts, it is not as legitimized as other fields in forensic science. This can be alleviated through more vigorous research. The most critical challenge that needs to be addressed is defining the term forensic occultism. There is no agreed upon definition for this term and as a result, creates ambiguity in the field. More research is required in order to better establish the field of forensic occultism.
Introduction
Do you believe in ghosts? According to the Pew Research Center, 1 in 5 Americans have seen or been in the presence of a ghost (Lipka, 2015) and two-thirds (68%) believe angels and demons are active in our world (Heimlich, 2014). Despite non-religious ideals increasing in the United States (Pew Research Center, 2019), majority of Americans still believe in some kind of supernatural world or elements. About 70.6% of US citizens are Christian, 5.9% are a non-Christian faith (Jewish, Muslim, Buddhist, Hindu, Other), about 22.8% are unaffiliated, and about 15.8% are “nothing in particular” (Pew Research Center, 2020). Corresponding to these statistics, a whopping 76.5% of people believe in a religion that has a spiritual world and/or belief in the supernatural such as Heaven, Hell, Purgatory, Nirvana, God, gods/goddess, jinn, the Devil, demons, ghosts, and evil spirits.
Consequently, the paranormal has a greater impact on the field of forensic science than one might realize. Though it is not as prevalently ascribed to the occult, occult crimes occur to this day. In Missouri in December 2020 a four-year-old girl was beaten to death after neighbors tried to exorcise a demon from her (CTV News, 2020). In the Ngäbe-Buglé indigenous community of Panama in January 2020, seven people were found dead after a series of rituals were performed (BBC News, 2020). In Milwaukee, Wisconsin, dating back to 2003, an eight-year-old boy with autism, Terrance Cottrell, was killed during a prayer service when church members tried to heal him from spirits (Flock, 2003). These cases and statistics highlight one of the many reasons why forensic occultism benefits the field of forensic science. It provides and refines occult crime scene investigation techniques, contributes to occult crime research, and provides data on signs and symptoms characterizing occult crimes. However, similar to other fields in forensic science, forensic occultism faces issues of legitimacy and agreed upon evidentiary methods.
Defining Forensic Occultism
Forensic occultisms definition starts with defining the occult. In Nile Green’s article, the occult is defined as a “bicultural and trans cultural channel of religious creativity and connectivity” (p. 383. 2015). This definition suggests that the occult is a cultural phenomenon where those who ascribe to the religion follow an innovative and unique system of beliefs. However, this definition is not agreeable with other uses of the term. According to Florida International University Libraries, the word occult comes from the Latin term occultus, meaning “hidden, secret, or unknown,” creating the term occult which is referred to as knowledge that must be hidden, or knowledge meant for certain people. Despite this definition, when the term occult is used today, especially in the field of forensic science, it is associated with paganism, satanism, and other new age religions. In an article written by Kenneth Lanning[1], occult is used interchangeably with satanic and ritualistic (1989). However, in a different definition, the term occult is used interchangeably with Satanic and alternative belief system, though noting this does not “imply they are the same thing.” Additionally, this definition states occult does not denote evil or Satanic (Crews, 2015, p. 4).
With the definitions listed above, let’s define the term “occult.” Occult is associated with the hidden or unknown (Florida International University Libraries Editor) and non-traditional belief systems (Green, 2015, p. 383.) (Crews, 2015, p. 4), induces connectivity, creating an interconnected, global community (Green, 2015, p. 383), and does not necessitate evil nor satanic (Crews, 2015, p. 4). Taking this into consideration, a proper definition of occult is the global community of individuals who practice or believe in non-traditional supernatural practices and seek hidden or unknow knowledge. However, this is not all-encompassing. When discussing the term ‘forensic occultism,’ the definition faintly changes. Occultism, in terms of forensics, is not limited to alternative belief systems or non-traditional practices. Rather it envelopes all groups and practices associated with the supernatural or otherworldly, including traditional and non-traditional beliefs. According to the American Academy of Forensic Sciences, forensics denotes relating to or used in the court of law. With these definitions ‘forensic occultism’ can be defined as
Though forensic occultism is a newly emerging label, the field is historic. One of the most notable instances of forensic occultism was the Salem Witch Trials. In Massachusetts between 1692 and 1693, more than 200 people were accused of practicing witchcraft, with at least 20 executed (Blumberg, 2007, p. 1). Several women were interrogated after being accused of being witches. During the questioning Tituba, a Caribbean, slave confessed to serving the Devil (Blumberg, 2007, p. 1-2). In this series of trials, though biased and poorly executed, the law was applied to the supernatural through investigations and legal trial.
Another historic trial was the Werewolf trials in various areas of Europe. Similar to the Witch Trials of Salem, those accused of being werewolves were thought to be working with the devil. Thiess of Kaltenbrun, the Livonian werewolf, was tried for witchcraft and being an associate of the Devil. Though he admitted to once being a werewolf, he specified that it was only to go to Hell and fight for humanity in wolf form (Ginzburg and Lincoln, 2020, p. 14). In the case of the werewolf trials, those accused were taken to court where they gave testimony and received sentencing.
In 1897, jurors convicted Edward Shue of first-degree murder for killing his wife. No initial suspicions arose around the circumstances of the death of Zona Shue, Shue’s wife, until a ghost appeared to Zona’s mother. This ghost was the spirit of Zona, and for four nights appeared at the foot of her bed to tell her facts about her own murder. She recounted a history of physical abuse from Edward and said her neck was broken at the top, proving this by turning her head 180 degrees. With this ghastly encounter, Mary Heaster, Zona’s mother, convinced a local prosecutor to reopen the case. Upon reinvestigation, it was discovered that Edward had a history of violence, with his 2nd wife also dying mysteriously. A more through autopsy was performed on Zona which resulted in the discovery of a contused esophagus, fracture of the first and second cervical vertebrae, and bruising consistent with finger marks on her neck. Edward was then tried for first-degree murder where Heaster gave her testimony, including the instances of Zona’s ghost appearing to her. It took the jury only one hour and ten minutes to find Edward guilty of murdering his wife (Rodgers, 2017). This is one of the only occurrences where testimony from a ghost was admissible in court as evidence.
Forensic occultism is not limited to only supernatural occurrences. An iconic case of forensic occultism was the Jonestown Massacre. After assassinating a congressman, 900 followers of Jim Jones killed themselves with cyanide (Barker, 1986, p. 330). The Fundamentalist Church of Jesus of Christ of Latter-Day Saints is another infamous cult led by several men, one being Warren Jeffs. Texas seized over 1,000 acres of land and took over 400 children into state custody after allegations of sexual abuse. Jeffs was later sentenced to serve at least 45 years in prison (Johnson, 2018). This list of cults goes on, including but not limited to The Church of Scientology, The Westboro Baptist Church, Heaven’s Gate, Raelian, Aum Shinrikyo, Branch Davidians, Heaven’s Gate, the Family International, and the Klu Klux Klan (Abromaitye, 2020) (Alternative Considerations of Jonestown and Peoples Temple Editors, 2013) (O’Hare, 2020) (Church of Scientology).
It is important to note the purpose of this paper is not to explain why some admitted to being supernatural or to prove the existence of the supernatural. Rather it is meant to address supernatural phenomenon and belief and religion in regard to the law and forensics. These few cases mentioned above are minute compared to the number of actual occurrences of forensic occultism. In Saudi Arabia, the religious police have a specialized Anti-Witchcraft Unit, aggressively prosecuting those accused (Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice). New Orleans has laws regulating fortunetelling (Municode Library), San Francisco has laws requiring permits for necromancy, fortunetelling, or other practices related to psychic powers (American Legal Publishing Corporation), and in Maryland, many municipalities require permits for fortunetelling (Maryland Code Local Government Division). Despite one’s belief in the realness of the supernatural, it reaches far and wide and is seen in everyday life. Forensic occultism is critical to the field of forensic science.
The Benefit of Forensic Occultism
Forensic occultism presents two critical benefits to the field of forensic science. The first is contributing to research. Research is scientific knowledge one can trust and enhances not only the academic community- but humankind (SAGE Publications). It is an important aspect of any community or society. Forensic occultism generally contributes topic specific research on occult crime, one of the most thoroughly researched topics being ‘black’ occults, specifically Satanism. A reference book was completed by the Michigan State Police, denoting signs and symptoms of black occult crime. Clues to occult crime include candle or candle drippings, non-discernable alphabet, mockery of Christian symbols (i.e. inverted cross), use of animal parts, animal mutilation, bowls of powder or colored salt, robes- especially black or red, and occult books such as ‘magik rituals,’ etc. (Michigan State Police, 1988).
Other signs to keep in mind are wax drippings on victims, branding iron or burn marks, human or animal feces on or consumed by victims, and bloodletting (Michigan State Police, 1988). This reference book also includes information on some occult practices and beliefs. This information is indispensable to crime scene investigations and forensic science; however, it was compiled more than 30 years ago. More current research on forensic occultism considers different definitions for terms. For example, the term occult in the reference book by the Michigan State Police was indicated as specifically being evil or Satanic. As cited earlier, occult does not necessarily mean evil or satanic, but this is included in the definition.
Current laws regarding forensic occultism are vague and outdated, for example, one needs a permit to practice necromancy in San Francisco (City and County of San Francisco) and fortunetelling in Maryland is illegal (Maryland Code Local Government Division.) These laws do not regulate the extent of how one might act on their belief, such as mass killings, sexual deviance or abuse, and animal mutilation and abuse. With more research forensic occultism can further inform law more holistically. The older articles written on forensic occultism typically refer only to satanic or ‘black’ cult crime. Newer research shows forensic occultism is not limited to Satanism and other ‘black’ cults but includes all religions and belief systems. Many modern cults such as NXIVM, the Church of Scientology, and Raelism have no links to Satanism but to major religions such as Christianity or no religion at all. More research into to this would likely inform new laws and policies in regard to religions and crime.
The second benefit is establishing methods and techniques for investigating occult crime. As mentioned above, identifying signs and symptoms of occult crime is crucial to forensic occultism investigations. This allows investigative techniques and methods to be established. For example, there a several crimes more often associated with occults. These are trespassing, vandalism, theft, arson, animal sacrifice, suicide, kidnapping, murder, human sacrifice, and ritualistic abuse. Satanic tourism and legend tripping are important terms for investigators to understand. Satanic tourism is activities at geographic sites linked to tragic events and speculated to be associated with the supernatural. Legend tripping is where people visit allegedly haunted locations, generally associated with folklore (Crews, 2015, p. 20). These activities can lead to panic in communities and to crime, rumor of crime, or previously occurring crime being linked to the paranormal or supernatural. This unique information contributes to investigative techniques and allows investigators to be successful in identifying and properly investigating occult crime.
Error and the Unreliability of Evidence
The occurrence of error and the unreliability of forensic evidence is a common challenge in the field of forensic science. The goal of forensic evidence is to link a single person or object to a crime scene, but forensic analyses do not always meet this goal. In order to achieve the unique relation of evidence to a person or object, experts tend to manipulate, lie about, or “fudge” results (Harmon, Budowle, Langenburg, Houck, Kelly, Saks, Koehler, 2006, p. 607). This is especially scene in the case of Annie Dookhan. In an effort to boost her career, she engaged in dry-labbing, filing false test results, mixing drug samples, and “eyeballing” samples rather than testing them. Over the course of her nine-year career, she tested only a third of the 60,000 samples that met her desk. As a result, Dookhan was sentenced to three years in prison and over 20,000 drug convictions were dropped (Esquire, 2020).
Dry-labbing and intentional error are not the only challenges forensic evidence might face. Another challenge is assuming the reliability of evidence. Courts tend to allow forensic evidence and expert testimony on the assumption of its reliability. Garret and Neufeld examined cases of individuals who were wrongfully convicted and later exonerated in relation to instances of invalid forensic testimony. Out of 65 microscopic hair comparison analyses, 38% involved invalid testimony; 3 of 11 DNA testimonies were invalid while the other 8 contained errors; and 57 of 100 serology analyses involved invalid testimony (Garret and Neufeld, 2009, p. 47, 35, 63, 67). Another example of unreliability of forensic evidence is the use of bite mark analysis. According to Garret and Neufeld, there is little to no evidence of the “scientific certainty” of bite marks and conclusions one may draw for their analysis, yet six cases of those examined involved bite mark comparison (2009, p. 68-69).
Though this is a significant challenge, there are ways to alleviate it. According to The, courts should challenge the robustness of evidence and assess its reliability (2015, p. 2). There are many criteria used to examine the reliability of evidence and expert testimony. One should take into consideration the extent and quality of research an expert bases an opinion on, whether an opinion relies on an inference, and the extent to which data has been reviewed by others in the field (Lord Thomas of Cwmgiedd, 2015, p. 2-3).
Unestablished and Unrecognized
Though the history of forensic occultism is extensive, the field is precarious at best. Some experts in the field of forensic science do not recognize it as a legitimate field. And within the field, experts disagree on varying topics. Some criminal justice professionals linked suicide, kidnapping, murder, human sacrifice, and ritualistic abuse to occult crime, but others disagreed with such a link. Though those who disagree believe these crimes happen, many attribute the occult factor to rumors or fiction rather than real life because the lack of physical evidence (Crews, 2015, p. 16). Another topic experts disagree over is the extent of occult crime. Some believe it is widespread and requires more resources in order to be addressed while others suggest occult crime is often perceived but, in reality is infrequently committed (Howenstein, Chan, Kobrin, Villere, Olson-Raymer, 2015, p. 1). Furthermore, experts do not agree on standardized categories of occult crimes (Perlmutter, 2016). Another challenge is the lack of critical examination of forensic occultism (Crews, 2015, p. 2). Many articles about forensic occultism were written decades ago and are few in number. With the advancement of new technologies and modern practices, there is no doubt that occult crime also advanced. New research and literature are direly needed to continue progressing the field of forensic science.
Finally, what some may refer to as the most daunting challenge in this field, is the definition of the term ‘forensic occultism.’ As mentioned above, the definition used in this paper is the application of the law to crimes associated with an individual’s or group’s religious or belief systems. The significant challenge is there is no established definition for forensic occultism. Each article reviewed in this paper used a different definition for the term. Some included traditional religions such as Abrahamic religions, Hinduism, and Buddhism, some did not include Abrahamic religions but did include Eastern religions, some only included Pagan or New Age practices, and others included only evil (dark, black, malicious, or Satanic) religions. Even in investigating crime, crimes associated with Christianity were not defined as occult crime, but tribal religions were. For example, though the case of Terrance Cottrell fits the definition of forensic occultism, it was not defined as such. So, what is the definition? It is crucial for experts to agree on a holistic and conclusive definition for forensic occultism.
Conclusion
According to research, 76.5% of people ascribe to a religion with belief in the supernatural. The significance of religion has a powerful impact on forensic science and is notable through the many cases of religious crime. Yet forensic occultism is an unestablished and unrecognized field. More robust and scrutinized research would aid it in becoming recognized by experts. Defining forensic occultism is one of the challenges of the field. As experts do not agree on one explanation of the term, there is a lack of holism and consequently, a challenge of legitimacy. Another challenge in the field is error and unreliability of forensic evidence and testimony. In the cases of those exonerated, there were over 109 occurrences of invalid or inaccurate forensic testimony. Another example of the unreliability of forensics science is dry-labbing. This is especially seen in the case of Annie Dookhan who admitted to dry-labbing over 20,000 tests.
Assuming reliability is a challenge faced by all fields of forensic science, including forensic occultism. Courts generally allow forensic evidence and testimony on the assumption that it is accurate and reliable. But this is not correct. For example, bite mark evidence poses little to no scientific certainty yet is admissible in court. It is important to challenge the robustness of evidence and the science it is based on.
68% of people in the United States believe demons and angels are active in this world and one in five Americans have seen or been in the presence of a ghost. Despite what science might say about the supernatural, more than two-thirds of the United States believe in some type of spiritual world. Because of this, one must presume that crimes related to religious practices and beliefs occur. It is time to take forensic occultism more seriously and establish it on the already robust foundation.
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[1] *Kenneth V. Lanning was a supervisory special agent, behavioral scientist, instructor, and researcher at FBI Academy Quantico, VA 22135.