In November 2011, Latoya Ammons moved her three young children into a quiet rental on Carolina Street in Gary, Indiana, hoping for a fresh start. Instead, they walked into what many call the most documented case of demonic possession in modern history: the infamous Demon House.

Black flies swarmed the porch in freezing winter. Footsteps climbed empty stairs at midnight. Children levitated, walked backward up walls in front of horrified witnesses, spoke in guttural voices no child should have, and convulsed with unnatural strength. A 9-year-old boy described his own murder to an unseen entity. Objects moved on their own. Shadows watched. And Latoya herself felt something ancient and malevolent coil inside her—weakness, shaking, heat from within—while the house slammed doors and dripped impossible oil in response.

Police investigated. DCS took emergency custody. A priest performed multiple exorcisms—three major rites authorized by the Diocese of Gary, including one in Latin—while estimating over 200 demons tormented the family. Officers guarded the rituals. Equipment failed. Photos captured silhouettes that weren’t there. Even skeptics became believers.

This is the true story behind the “Demon House” that Zak Bagans bought, filmed, and demolished for his 2018 documentary—the chilling real events that inspired Netflix’s The Deliverance and countless true horror discussions.

From black mold theories to full demonic infestation, we dive deep into the documented terror: witness statements, police reports, priest accounts, and the family’s fight to reclaim their lives. Listener discretion advised, this episode contains disturbing accounts of possession, child trauma, exorcisms, and unexplainable phenomena that may unsettle even the bravest souls.

If you love true crime with a paranormal twist, real exorcism stories, haunted house investigations, demonic possession cases, or the scariest true horror from Gary Indiana, this episode of Chasing the Dark will keep you up long after it ends.

Subscribe now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts so you never miss an episode as we chase the shadows others fear to face. Follow @ChasingtheDark21 on social media for updates, behind-the-scenes, and community chills.

Sweet dreams… or whatever’s left of them.

Sources :

• ​ Primary: “The Exorcisms of Latoya Ammons” by Marisa Kwiatkowski, Indianapolis Star (IndyStar), January 25, 2014 (updated/republished 2023–2025) – the original investigative article that went viral and sparked the case’s fame.
• ​ Additional: Wikipedia “Ammons haunting case” (cross-referenced with primary sources); All That’s Interesting overview; US Ghost Adventures summary; IndyStar follow-ups on Zak Bagans’ Demon House (2018 documentary); Netflix The Deliverance inspiration

A knock at the door.

An eight-year-old girl runs to answer, excited to see Santa Claus.

What followed was gunfire, terror, and a deliberately set inferno that claimed nine lives and scarred survivors forever.

This is the true story of Bruce Jeffrey Pardo, a man unraveling in silence and the night he turned a family’s most sacred tradition into annihilation.

We walk through the planning, the attack, the chaos, the aftermath, and the lingering echoes that still haunt Knollcrest Drive seventeen years later.

Warning: This episode contains detailed accounts of mass murder, arson, gunshot injuries, and profound trauma. Listener discretion is strongly advised.

Sources & Further Reading

• ​ Los Angeles Times archives (2008–2009)
• ​ ABC News & NBC Los Angeles coverage
• ​ Covina Police Department & Los Angeles County Sheriff reports
• ​ Survivor interviews (including Katrina Yuzefpolsky)
• ​ “Homicide for the Holidays” coverage
• ​ Psychological insights on family annihilators (Kris Mohandie)