The True Story Behind The Exorcist. In January 1949, a 13-year-old boy in Washington, D.C., began exhibiting disturbing behavior that left his parents baffled and terrifiedHe was calm and normal during the day, but at night, he would suddenly erupt into screaming fits and other wild outbursts. Meanwhile, he would enter a trance-like state, make sounds in a guttural voice, and break out in scratches and red lines all over his...