In a post on Historic Mysteries, Lauren Dillon dives into the mysterious murder of faith healer Benny Evangelista and his family. Known as the Detroit Occult Murder of 1929,
As a young man, Benny claimed to receive visions from God. Ostracized from his family, Benny went to Detroit, where he married, started a family, and began working as a self-proclaimed mystical healer and spiritual leader. Evangelista charged $10 for performing dances, chants, and the occasional animal sacrifice. He also sold herbs, hexes, and spiritual remedies. He charged a nickel to see his basement altar space.
Many came to Benny for help, and many left feeling scammed. In July 1929, Evangelista was found beheaded. His head had been placed on the floor, surrounded by framed photos of one of his deceased children. Evangelista’s wife and four children had also been killed. A bloody fingerprint and bloody footprints were found, but no one was ever charged with a crime. Local families told police they didn’t know the family at all.
Police alternately suspected the involvement of the Black Hand, an Italian criminal society; Evangelista’s business associates; and a former friend of Evangelista who had killed his own children in a similar way years before. The case remains unsolved.
Can you figure out what happened? What happens next?
