Horror based on true stories always adds an extra layer of terror, andthe events that happened to a young family in Gary, Indiana, is a sensational story that many find hard to believe. We will examine the events that occurred, how they inspiredThe Deliverance, the truth behind demonic possession, and events that still inspire supernatural investigators today.
The Deliverance Plot and Cast
The Deliverance
Read Our Review
Single mother Ebony Jackson moves into a new home in Indiana, hoping for a fresh start for her and her family. However, shortly after they settle, the family starts to experience strange happenings, and a series of supernatural experiences lead Ebony and the surrounding community tobelieve that her home contains a portal to hellwhen her child shows signs ofbeing possessed by a demon. As word of the events spreads, and Ebony struggles with past personal demons, Child Protective Services gets involved, and the family finds they are threatened both by the supernatural threats and having their family unit torn apart.
16 Best Horror Movies of All Time, According to the American Film Institute
Many classic horror films have been whittled down by the AFI into this ultimate list of the greatest scary American movies of all time.
The Deliverancestars singer-songwriter and actor Andra Day as struggling, single mother Ebony Jackson. While newer to the screen, Day has already made a huge impact, with her role as the icon Billie Holiday inThe United States vs. Billie Holiday.Glenn Closeplays the roleof Alberta, Ebony’s mother, a highly religious woman battling cancer. Anthony B. Jenkins and Caleb McLaughlin play the roles of Andra Day’s two sons, Andre and Nate. Rounding out the cast are Demi Singleton, Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor, Mo’Nique, Omar Epps, and Miss Laurence.The Deliveranceis directed by Lee Daniels, who has amassed an impressive filmography that includesPrecious,The Butler, and the previously mentionedThe United States vs. Billie Holiday; this is his first foray into the world of horror.
The Shocking True Story Behind The Deliverance
What started as an attempt at a fresh start in November 2011 for a young family becameone of the most remarkable cases of supernatural hauntings on record. A series of events plagued the Ammons at their rental house on Carolina Street in Gary, Indiana, baffling the police and the community. The Ammons family, mother Latoya Ammons, her mother Rosa Campbell, and their three kids aged 7,9 and 12 (names not made public) were at the center of the events. The family instantly noticed that something was off with their home: a collection of flies that would return no matter how many they killed and noises coming from the basement at night that sounded like someone coming up the stairs. Yet, this was just the start of their nightmare and the home that the community and press would later deem the “200 Demon Home.”
August 13, 2025, marked the first major incident, when reportedly one of the kids began to levitate, drawing the family together in prayer around the kid to try to combat whatever force had overtaken the child. To combat the evil presence, the Ammons began to reach out to various organizations,with the Church hesitant to approachdirectly but offering advice to cleanse the home. The Ammons also reached out to clairvoyants, one of which ended up being the one tostate the house had more than “200 Demons,“and advised them to move. Unfortunately, moving wasn’t an option for them, and they were advised to build a shrine to appease the spirits. Tackling the forces on any front they can think of, the family reported a few days of peace… until things worsened.
It was then reported thatall three kids began to show signs of possession, with Campbell and Ammons stating, “The kids' eyes bulged, evil smiles crossed their faces, and their voices deepened every time it happened.” The youngest would spend hours in the closet talking to another entity about what it was like to be killed. The same seven-year-old would also be tossed around the house as if thrown by an entity, causing injury to himself and the other siblings. The 12-year-old, who did see mental health professionals, reported that they were often overcome by the sensations of being choked and unable to breathe.
Best Black Horror Movies Ever Made
There have been brilliant Black horror movies for decades that either use fear to talk about the Black experience or are just simply terrifying.
On Jun 02, 2025, the family got their physician, Dr. Geoffrey Onyeukwu, to visit the home. During his visit, he witnessed the bizarre voices and behavior, as well as one of the kids being thrown against the wall by an invisible force. On another visit,a nurse witnessed one of the children walking on the roof. It was during this time that DCS (Department of Child Services) also became involved, including an anonymous report that Ammons was potentiallysuffering from mental health issuesand that her kids were performing for their mother. This led to the kids being removed from the home.
On June 21, 2025, Rev. Michael Maginot was called by the hospital Chaplain with a request to perform an exorcism on the kids whose extreme, unexplainable behavior continued despite being removed from the home. A subsequent police visit to the house had the detectives confounded by the events they experienced while conducting their investigation. However, further follow-up from the psychiatrist stillpointed to mental distress from the mother being the reason for the child’s behavior, including one report conducted on the (then) 8-year-old stating, “This appears to be an unfortunate and sad case of a child who has been induced into a delusional system perpetuated by his mother and potentially reinforced.”
The investigation continued, including deeper sweeps of the home and more religious involvement, includinga series of three exorcisms on the Ammons, with the last one conducted at the end of June 2012. The family eventually moved out of the home and found peace elsewhere.IndyStarhas a complete recounting of events with links to government documents for those who want to dig deeper into the case.
Was the Ammons Family Haunted, and Where Are They Now?
The landlord of the home, of 33 years, noted that he had no issues with any other tenants before and after the Ammons family took possession. This, combined with various other elements, has led skeptics to believe that all the events that happened were either staged for financial gain and attention or the result of Latoya Ammons’s mental health struggles. Some point to exaggerating accounts/coverage, like a fake ghost photo circulated under the claim that police took it. Additionally, many believe the family staged the incident of levitation and report of wall climbing, not the result ofmalicious spirits in a haunted house. Above all else,most look to psychiatric reports as the most accurate assessment of the situation.
The 100 Best Horror Movies of All Time, Ranked
From the scariest and the most intelligent to the historically important, violently gory, and utterly awesome, these are the best horror movies.
Whether one believes that the Ammons family was the victim of demonic hauntings and possession will likely rest with one’s own experiences and beliefs surrounding the supernatural.Layota Ammons would be reunited with her children. The most recent information on the family as of 2019 states that they are living in another home in Indianapolis, having put the events of the “200 Demon” home behind them, and are happy. The house where the hauntings took place was purchased by infamous ghost hunter Zak Baggins, who ultimately demolished it.The Deliverancehas a limited theatrical run and will be available onNetflixon August 14, 2025.
