The Crucifixion

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[screaming]

[man chanting]

[woman speaking in Romanian]

[woman] She was possessed

and died during an exorcism.

It happened four days ago, but

they're being arrested and charged now.

- For murder.

- Why murder?

Because the autopsy report

said it was a homicide.

Really, Nic, a possessed nun story?

She was tied to a cross for three

days, given no food or water.

They crucified her.

She was only 23.

Actually, I managed to speak to

the priest's lawyer this morning

and he said he could set

up an interview for me.

Rule number one:
editors assign stories.

Good journalists find

them. You taught me that.

- We both know why you're doing this.

- It's a good story.

No, it's another chance for

you to nail faith to the wall,

and it's not gonna bring your mother back.

We're talking about a priest who murdered

a young woman in the name of religion.

People deserve to know about that.

For a journalist, you

don't sound too objective.

Okay, Uncle Phil, you want

both sides of the story?

How about is this a

madman who murdered a nun

or a holy man who lost

a fight with a demon?

- Come on.

- [tapping desk]

Let me find out.

Please?

All right, you got your shot.

- But you're checking in with me.

- Thanks, Phil.

Mmm. You have your mother's

persistence, I'll give you that.

[man] Ms. Rawlins.

[indistinct chatter]

[indistinct voices speaking Romanian]

[guard speaks Romanian]

[priest] The doctor had good intentions,

but you can't take the devil

out of people with pills.

God and I both know where the truth lies.

But you're the one in jail.

Perhaps he feels I'm

needed behind these walls,

where many have lost their faith

or have none to comfort them.

How do you feel about not

getting the Church's support?

I expected it.

They never liked how I was

doing things, but that's okay.

I was never doing it for them.

I was doing it for God and my congregation.

So why do you think she was

possessed in the first place?

She told me about a

sexual experience she had.

She had given herself to a boy in Germany.

It got her to question her

faith, making her a target.

I'm sure his seduction was

influenced by the devil.

You know, demons are everywhere,

waiting for their opportunity.

They're saying you crucified her.

Only because we had to

put her on the cross.

No!

[shouting in Romanian]

[priest] The demon knew our intent

and had become incredibly

violent against Adelina.

[Adelina shouting in Romanian]

[continues chanting]

[breath rasping]

[chanting]

[priest] So we took

Adelina into the church.

We wanted her to feel as close

to God as we could get her.

[continues chanting]

[priest] It took a while to get the

name of the demon possessing her,

- but we finally did.

- [shouts in Romanian]

Agares! Agares!

I knew I was dealing with

an incredibly powerful demon

because it could use the

name of God and Mother Mary.

Lesser demons can't.

It was at the end of the third day

when I could finally feel

the demon starting to give up.

[breathing deeply]

[women muttering chants]

- [holy water sizzles]

- [gasps]

- [sizzling]

- [groans]

- [door slams]

- [gasps]

[speaking Romanian]

[priest] The moment I looked into her eyes,

I knew the exorcism was over.

The demon had seen the conflict

between the bishop and myself,

and that destroyed everything

I had done up to that moment.

And it wasn't worried anymore.

She'd be alive today

if he hadn't interfered.

So what happened?

She was worn out, vulnerable.

The demon took her life

on the way to the hospital.

If I only had a little more

time, she would have been saved.

I understand an exorcist

needs years of experience

in order to recognize and

deal with the possessed.

But you haven't had any.

And neither did Moses,

but with God's strength

he parted the Red Sea.

I quit my studies because following

the strict rules of the Church

wouldn't allow me to help

those who needed it most.

Thanks. That's all I need.

God told me you were here to help.

Because she was so unresponsive, she

was given a high dose of adrenaline

when the ambulance arrived.

The autopsy was to determine if perhaps

- that was the cause of death.

- So how did she die?

Well, basically, her larynx had

collapsed, cutting off the air supply.

Because she was dehydrated?

It might have been some

factor, but not usually.

In most cases, it's strangulation

that causes a collapsed larynx.

She was choked?

There were no bruise marks.

When I dissected the neck area,

actually I thought she might have had

some sort of oral or pharyngeal cancer,

which, in some cases,

could impinge on the larynx.

But the tissue samples and the

biopsies came back inconclusive,

as I thought they might.

Why was that?

'Cause I'd never seen anything like it.

I hope you've got a strong stomach.

So if you don't know what this is,

how can you ever have a

conclusive cause of death?

If we have enough contributing factors,

we can make an educated guess.

And in this case, what that

girl endured for three days

definitely contributed to her death.

The photos tell us that much.

How's it going? Did you

get to speak to the priest?

Father Dumitru, yeah. He's adamant

the only reason the nun died

is 'cause Bishop Gornik prevented

him from completing the exorcism.

But the coroner I met

with thinks it's murder.

It's her funeral today, so I'm heading

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