Casefile True Crime - Case 128: Joan Vollmer

Episode Date: October 18, 2019

When 49-year-old Joan Vollmer begins acting strangely, her husband Ralph blames spiritual problems and turns to religion for answers. Rather than seeking help for Joan’s obvious mental health issues, Ralph consults with other members of the couple’s church, who believe they know the truth – that Joan has fallen victim to demonic possession. --- Episode narrated by the Anonymous Host Episode researched and written by Erin Munro  Creative Director: Milly Raso For all credits and sources please visit casefilepodcast.com/case-128-joan-vollmer

Our episodes deal with serious and often distressing incidents. If you feel at any time you need support, please contact your local crisis centre. For suggested phone numbers for confidential support, please see the show notes for this episode on your app or on our website. On Sunday, January 10, 1993, 54-year-old pig farmer Ralph Lulma and his 49-year-old wife Joan returned home from a week-long interstate trip. The couple, who lived in the Victorian country town of Antwerp, had driven four and a half hours west to attend a six-day religious convention in the South Australian capital of Adelaide.

Ralph, a devout and ardent Christian, had been eager to attend the event, and while Joan didn't share her husband's fervour, she attended church regularly and so agreed to accompany him. The vacation had passed without incident, but shortly after their arrival home, Joan started to behave oddly. She had difficulty concentrating on tasks, would frequently change outfits throughout the day, was restless, and struggled to fall asleep. According to Ralph, as time went on she also started making peculiar noises and adopting

different personas. On one occasion, she acted as though she were a sheep shearer, speaking in a tone and manner consistent with a farm hand. On another, she claimed to be a sex worker, while describing the activities she had participated in with supposed clients. It wasn't the first time Ralph had witnessed a Joan behaving this way. Two years earlier, she was hospitalized briefly for mental illness, but had made a fairly quick recovery and had been in good health ever since. Now, it appeared her symptoms were returning.

Over the course of the next two weeks, they seemed to worsen, particularly at night time. On the evening of Friday, January 22, Ralph returned home to find Joan waving her arms and dancing in their properties' paddocks. Deeply troubled by the way his wife's well-being had deteriorated, Ralph prayed to God for guidance. The Wimmerer The Wimmerer is a regional inland district in Victoria's West, predominantly characterized by dry, flat farmlands

and a 278-kilometer intermittent river that bears the same name. Passing through the region's unofficial capital city of Horsham, the river winds west and then continues north to Antwerp, a tiny outback town named after the Belgian home city of an early European settler. In the 1860s, two Protestant missionaries arrived in Antwerp and built a church and mission where they aimed to convert the local indigenous population. The mission was closed 40 years later due to low congregation numbers, and today stands as a tourist attraction.

Towards the end of the 20th century, Antwerp was home to just 63 inhabitants. It had a licensed general store, a rail siding, and a small station where residents could catch a bus to Horsham twice a week. The two-lane Dimboola Rainbow Road carved through the town's sprawling fields, which were dotted by scrubs and eucalyptus trees, and several disused grain silos stood out against the mostly natural landscape. Ralf and Joan Vollmer had moved to Antwerp in the late 1980s, purchasing one of the town's traditional farmsteads where they raised pigs. Born in Germany in 1938, right before the outbreak

of World War II, Ralf had emigrated to Australia with his family when he was a teenager. He had completed primary school in Germany, but the move interrupted his education, and he never enrolled in secondary school. His family moved to the Melbourne suburb of Caulfield, and his parents both worked in factory production. Eventually, they saved enough money from working overtime to afford a small rural property in Gippsland, a region in the states southeast. Ralf grew up to be a softly spoken man who found it difficult to trust others and mostly kept to himself, but when he did form friendships, they were extremely strong. He worked as a farmhand and performed odd jobs before meeting his first wife and settling down

in the Gippsland town of Yarum. The couple had two sons, but the marriage ended in the mid-1970s. Following the divorce, Ralf remained single until 1986 when he met and fell in love with Joan. Joan Lenora Taylor was a petite woman with short, wavy, light brown hair, who was typically described as shy, gentle, and loving. Her childhood and early adulthood were marred by sexual abuse, and she was later diagnosed with schizophrenia, resulting in several stints in mental health hospitals, which left her with a fear of psychiatric care. She struggled to make friends and maintain ongoing work, though she adored children and had been employed as a nanny for a time. As a young woman, she married and had a baby, but was left in a state of anxiety and blame

when her husband took his own life. Her life appeared to turn around in her early 40s when she met Ralf, who later compared their early relationship to a miracle. The new couple decided to start a fresh life together in an entirely different part of the state, settling on the Wimmera region and purchasing the farm in Antwerp in 1988. Their new home was a single story weatherboard farmhouse with a wide veranda that sat at the end of a 500-metre dirt driveway framed by several trees. The rear of the property backed onto the banks of the Wimmera River. Joan, an avid gardener, immediately set about planting a neat border of garden beds around the house and establishing a greenhouse. She also decorated her new home with vases,

porcelain ornaments, and cat figurines. The couple didn't involve themselves in the local community, but those who met Joan in town described her as friendly. Neither Ralf nor Joan had been religious when they met, but several years into their relationship they discovered their faith and became Christians. They married at Horsham's Salvation Army Church in 1989 and began attending Sunday Mass there. Ralf was a far more impassioned believer compared to his wife, spending his spare time listening to hymns and reading religious texts, while Joan preferred to watch television. She was content to be involved with the church, but in the words of one local minister, not to be fanatical about it. In contrast, Ralf was eager to learn as much as he

could about Christianity. For most of his life he had only attended church for weddings and funerals, but after converting he would constantly engage others on the topic, listening enthusiastically to those who claimed the deep knowledge of the Bible. In their home's kitchen he hung a plaque that read, Christ is the head of this house, the unseen guest at every meal, the silent listener to every conversation. Within two years of moving to Antwerp, Joan began exhibiting signs of a mental health crisis. In the spring of 1990, she suddenly became extremely restless, was unable to sleep, and struggled to concentrate on tasks or conversations, yet seemed oblivious that something was wrong. She also became fixated on her childhood, discussing it frequently in a childlike voice.

One day, she told Ralf that she had done a painting for him, only to reveal she had coded his car in house paint. From the beginning, Ralf suspected that dark forces were responsible for his wife's changes in behaviour. He noticed an expression in her eyes that terrified him, describing them as being bright red, almost glowing, almost like coals. When she was overcome with a fit of rage outside, a frightened Ralf locked himself in the house. He consulted Salvation Army captains at the church the couple attended, seeking guidance on the matter. Rejecting his suggestion there was, quote, an evil presence in Joan, the captains instead offered the couple marriage counselling. Displeased with this response, Ralf scheduled a doctor's appointment

for Joan at a medical clinic in the nearby town of Dimboola. The general practitioner concluded that Joan was suffering from mental illness and should be admitted as an involuntary patient to a psychiatric hospital. In late September, she was taken to Lakeside Mental Health Hospital in the regional city of Ballarat, a three-hour drive southeast from her home. Psychiatrists there diagnosed Joan with anxiety, depression, schizophrenia and hypomania, a mood disorder which can cause increased energy, difficulty concentrating, restlessness and irritability. She remained at the hospital for three weeks and by mid-October, her sleep pattern had improved, though it still wasn't back to normal. Upon release, doctors prescribed to

Joan an antipsychotic medication called dioridazine, which was then commonly used to treat schizophrenia. They instructed her to take it for 12 months, cautioning her that if she stopped, there was a strong possibility of relapse within the next two years. Nine days after Joan's release, she was still struggling with persistent restlessness, so she and Ralf made another doctor's appointment. Although Joan was coherent, the doctor noted she had difficulty remaining seated and expressed that the problem might have been the thiorridazine, as agitation was a side effect of the drug. Joan's dosage was halved and she was also

prescribed a second medication to help manage the restlessness. The doctor asked the couple to return in five days for a follow-up appointment, but she never saw them again. Joan's continued suffering convinced Ralf that the doctors were unable to help. He suggested to Joan that she submit to deliverance, a form of ministry similar to an exorcism, in which an individual is cleansed of evil spirits and demons. Joan refused, telling her husband, there's nothing wrong with me. Ralf then turned to his religious friends for advice and was instructed to pray to God to bind the spirits. He did so, and when Joan's health improved shortly after, Ralf attributed her recovery to his prayers, and she ceased taking

her medication. Seeing Joan's recovery increased Ralf's faith in God even further, and religion became the focal point of his life. One neighbour would later recall that while he could have a normal conversation with the Joan, it was impossible to talk to Ralf without the subject of religion being raised. In his quest to find a like-minded people, Ralf had become acquainted with a couple named John and Leanne Reichenbach, both aged 30, who had encouraged him to pray for Joan's recovery. The Reichenbachs resided on a remote farmstead in the town of Glenleigh, located roughly 28km west of Antwerp. They had met through their involvement in the Lutheran faith, with Leanne attending services in a town south of Portiam, and John's family

being well-regarded elders of another nearby church. They married, and by the early 1990s had four children. Over time, they found themselves increasingly drawn to charismatic Christianity, a fundamentalist movement that emphasises abilities believed to be bestowed by the Holy Spirit, such as speaking in tongues, performing miracles, and being able to heal the sick. During the early 1990s, the charismatic movement was on the rise throughout the Wimmera region, becoming increasingly popular with individuals who had previously practiced more conventional branches of Christianity. John and Leanne Reichenbach believed they had a divine calling to exercise demons and began performing deliverances. They also established their own prayer circle at

their home, with groups ranging from 6 to 25 people gathering there to sing hymns and study biblical passages. Soon, Ralph Volma was a regular attendee and developed a close friendship with the couple, considering them to be the only two truly spirit-filled people of their entire congregation. However, the Reichenbach's involvement with the charismatic movement led to clashes with their Lutheran minister. When he pointed out that some of their new beliefs contradicted the Bible's teachings, they would argue that the Lord had spoken to them personally. Their disagreements with the church's doctrine eventually led to them being excommunicated excommunicated from their congregation in late 1992.

In early January 1993, Ralph and Joan travelled to Adelaide to attend a six-day charismatic movement convention that the Reichenbachs had recommended to them. The week-long event was characterized by lots of singing, preaching, and people performing minor miracles such as healing and casting out demons. Throughout it all, Joan seemed moody and withdrawn, but the trip passed without any significant incidents. When the couple arrived back home on Sunday, January 10, Joan's manic symptoms returned and quickly worsened. She was once again restless and unable to sleep, and according to Ralph, would snort like a pig, make aggressive facial expressions that he compared to an angry dog,

swear loudly, and speak about lewd activities. Ralph attributed Joan's behaviour to spiritual problems. When he had prayed to bind the evil spirit within her two years earlier, he believed he had rendered it ineffective but failed to cast it out. Now, he suspected it had been reawakened by the strong spiritual atmosphere and nourishment of the convention and was rebelling against it. Over the next 10 days, Ralph prayed often for guidance, but worried that he was harassing God with concerns that he was already aware of. As a reminder to himself, Ralph painted the words Stop Telling Father Your Needs in red paint on an outside wall of the property's pigsty. On Thursday, January 21, 63-year-old Roma Karris caught the bus from Horsham to Antwerp to stay

with her friend to Joan Volma. It was the middle of summer and temperatures in the region were consistently soaring above 40 degrees Celsius. When Roma greeted Joan, she was shocked to find her friend to dress in a nighty and heavy dressing gown but with ice-cold hands. Throughout the visit, Joan restacked crockery, pulled apart flowers from a bouquet Roma had given her and sang in a peculiar voice that Roma described as lovely like a nightingale. Roma also observed that Joan's stomach appeared to be swollen. Joan told Roma that she was both expecting a baby and that the swelling was due to a cancerous tumor. She insisted that there were people on the property who wanted to rape her,

but when she tried to point them out to her friend, Roma saw nothing. Believing that Joan was heading for, quote, a nervous breakdown, Roma told Ralph of her concerns on the following morning of Friday, January 22, before returning home. That evening, Ralph returned home from shopping to find Joan dancing barefoot in the paddocks while waving her arms and calling out to him. He escorted her into the house only for Joan to run away and be found later that night four kilometers away. Deeply disturbed, Ralph prayed to God for guidance as to where he should turn for help. Believing he received an answer to reach

out to the Reichenbachs, he phoned John and asked him to come over. John arrived at the Roma residence at around 11.30 p.m. He and Leanne had participated in as many as 20 deliverances by this time, and upon seeing the state that Joan was in, John quickly deduced that she was a victim of demonic possession. He told Ralph that the deliverance was no longer an option but a necessary action in order to save her soul. Ralph agreed, and the two of them stayed awake all night praying for Joan and reading passages aloud from the Bible. The next morning of Saturday, January 23, Leanne Reichenbach arrived and took her husband's place by Joan's side while John returned home to

the couple's children. She phoned other members of their circle to ask for their guidance and assistance in praying for Joan. At the top of her list was Lea Klugsten, a 77-year-old Baptist who resided in the town of Rainbow, 52 kilometers north of Antwerp. The Reichenbachs considered Lea to be something of a spiritual leader, as she claimed to speak directly with God. After consulting with Leanne over the telephone, Lea came to the conclusion that Joan was possessed by not one but 10 demonic entities and provided advice on how to expel the evil spirits. Following Lea's instructions, Ralph and Leanne had Joan sit in a chair at one end of the kitchen while they sat at the other, reciting biblical passages, praying, and asking Joan questions

while Christian music played in the background. This pattern repeated over the next two days. Ralph and Leanne's deliverance sessions commenced during the mid-afternoon and continued throughout the night, sometimes not concluding until 5am. Occasionally, John Reichenbach would join them in person, but other times they regularly called him for advice, along with Lea and several other prayer circle members. After three days with no change in Joan's behavior, it was decided that they needed someone else to join them and strengthen their efforts. David Klingner was a 28-year-old contract harvester who had grown up in northern New South Wales but now lived in South Australia. He had attended the Reichenbach's prayer circles

on a number of occasions, where he had become acquainted with Ralph Fulmer as well. David had also met Joan and already harboured some suspicions about her, even before receiving phone calls from Leanne Reichenbach explaining that Joan was undergoing a deliverance. He had seen the vomers at a New Year's Eve prayer gathering four weeks earlier and thought that Joan had a blank expression on her face during the service. At one stage, he believed he saw her eyes roll back into her head. From that moment, he suspected there was a demonic presence in her and now that had seemingly been confirmed. When the group asked him to join them, he felt it was his duty to assist. On Tuesday, January 26, David made the considerable journey across the state

border to Antwerp. Upon arriving at the property, he felt that the atmosphere there was like that of a quote, spiritual battle between God and Satan. He prayed and read from the Bible along with Ralph and Leanne. The trio maintained their efforts throughout the entire day and into Wednesday as well, regularly checking in with their prayer circle associates. According to David, Joan became increasingly verbally abusive and aggressive as time went on. By Thursday, January 28, Joan's restlessness had worsened to the point that she refused to stay seated and resisted the group's prayers. In response, Ralph suggested they tie her feet to wooden planks to prevent her from moving around and making what he described as satanic gestures.

They also began depriving Joan of food and water as a way of starving the demons inside her. When she complained of her hunger and thirst, they would pray even louder to drown out her cries. Their questioning of Joan persisted, and if she didn't provide satisfactory replies, they slapped her face as a means of telling her, in Ralph's words, Come on, give us an answer. On a couple of occasions, Ralph became distressed at witnessing the torment his wife was enduring, including the bruises that had formed on her skin. When he voiced his concerns that this could not be God's will, Leanne and David pointed out to Ralph that it wasn't his wife they were physically battling,

but a demonic presence. They reassured him that they were, quote, Not harming Joan in any way, we were just dealing with the evil spirit. Nevertheless, the group were at a loss as to why they couldn't see any improvement in Joan's well being despite the growing intensity of their deliverance. Lear advised them over the phone that they would need to call for more reinforcements if the demons still remained by Saturday. Throughout the exorcism, the group had also been consulting fellow prayer circle attendee Kathleen Nusky over the phone. Like Lear Clugston, Kathleen lived in rainbow and felt it was her obligation to assist with prayers and guidance. In the face of the group's continued failure to

exercise Joan's demons, Kathleen suggested that her son, 22-year-old Matthew Paul Nusky, join them. Matthew lived nearly 400 kilometers away in the Melbourne suburb of Warrandyte and was employed as an assistant greenkeeper at a golf course. He had never participated in a deliverance before that Kathleen advised that he was particularly sensitive to the message of God and the presence of evil, having previously detected demons that resided in a house that he lived in. When Saturday, January 30, dawned with no perceivable change in Joan, Kathleen called her son and he agreed to make the long drive to Antwerp.

It was another hot day, with the temperature reaching 40 degrees by noon when Matthew Paul Nusky pulled up to the property. In anticipation of his arrival, the group had removed all of the kitchen's furniture with the exception of a single chair that Joan was restrained in. Her stockings had been used to tie her feet to wooden planks that had been nailed together. She had barely had anything to eat or drink for days. Matthew later said that when he entered the room, Joan was unable to look at him, which he attributed to her detecting the presence of Jesus in him. As they began the day's deliverance, Matthew blessed some olive oil and anointed those present

with it, before running around the exterior of the house seven times, holding up a 30cm square sheet of cling film in an attempt to prevent evil spirits from entering. He then decided they needed to destroy items that Joan loved, as they were shrines and altars for her devil worship. Ralph and David used a hammer to smash Joan's porcelain ornaments, jewellery and devasas, while Matthew ripped out the flowers in her beloved garden and greenhouse. Once Matthew had prepared for the exorcism, he re-entered the kitchen and said to Joan, in the name of Jesus, I demand you to sit down, while the other three attempted to pin her down. Joan was distressed and struggled against them with what they perceived as an inhuman strength.

Over several hours she was repeatedly interrogated, while Leanne pressed forcefully against her stomach, abdomen and chest, in an effort to push out the demons that were inside her. David held Joan in a head block and deprived her eyes open with his fingers, so that she had to look at Matthew while he preached, saying over and over. In the precious name of the Lord Jesus, released this woman. The slapping continued, with Joan receiving approximately 20 hits to the face. At one stage, her jaw was wrenched open in an effort to remove a demon. Leanne continued to call her husband, John, and Lea Clugston, keeping them up to date with

proceedings and following their directions. Through their questioning of Joan, the group believed they had identified one of the demons as a legion, a powerful spirit that Jesus had once cast from a possessed man. They claimed that when controlled by legion, Joan adopted a masculine persona. This contrasted with another spirit called Baby Joanie, or Baby Princess Joan, who spoke in a childlike voice and detailed sexual abuses that had been inflicted on her as a young girl. After several hours, the group believed they had successfully driven out a number of demons, including Baby Princess Joan and another that resembled a pig, but that legion and another strong male spirit remained, hiding in Joan's womb. At four o'clock in the afternoon, she was

moved to her bedroom for the exorcism's final stage. Once in the bedroom, the group took it in turns to sit on Joan and push on her stomach, chest, neck, and head to force the final two demons out, concentrating most of their attention on her abdomen before moving up her body. By around 4.30pm, they were focusing on Joan's neck, firmly massaging it, when she suddenly shuddered and emitted a loud groan before falling still. Those present interpreted this as the demons leaving her, and Matthew declared that the evil spirits had finally been defeated. As the others began to celebrate, Ralph noticed that his wife was no longer breathing and felt her wrist for a pulse. Failing to find one,

he alerted the others, and they attempted to revive Joan via mouth to mouth resuscitation. When this failed, Matthew reassured the group that entering a state such as this was normal for an individual who had just undergone a successful deliverance. After consulting with Leia Klugsten by telephone, Matthew announced that Joan would arise by the next morning restored to perfect health. He told the others to pray over her, then departed the property to attend to other matters. The remaining trio pulled a quilt over Joan's body and began to sing songs of God's victory. The following day, Sunday, January 31, Joan had failed to wake as promised. Leanne Reichenbach phoned Leia Klugsten and Kathleen Nusky, who agreed to visit the property

so they could lay hands on Joan and pray for her in person. When the women arrived, they pressed their hands on Joan's forehead and commanded her to rise up and to walk, to no avail. Leia repeated the process three times before leaving in the afternoon. Those at the farm continued to hold vigil and sing hymns, while at home, Leia prayed for further instructions regarding what she had seen at the Volma residence. On Monday morning, after consulting with her sister-in-law, Leia believed she had received another rather worldly message, telling her to call the authorities. The

senior constable Jeffrey Yarnett was on duty in the town of Geparat on Monday, February 1, when a call came through from the local Lutheran minister requesting an officer's presence at a property in Antwerp, 26 kilometers south. The minister had just been summoned there himself, and was disturbed by what he had found. When Constable Yarnett arrived at the Volma's farmhouse at around 2 p.m., he was greeted by a balding man who identified himself as David Klingner and stated, It's a long story. Entering the house, the policemen saw Ralph Volma and Leanne Reichenbach seated at the kitchen table, Leanne reading aloud from a Bible and Ralph using a marker to highlight passages relating to resurrection. Continuing down a hallway to the

bedroom, Constable Yarnett saw a female body with noticeable facial and arm bruising in an advanced state of decomposition lying on the bed. Flyers and maggots had gathered on the body, under which there was an enormous stain on the mattress, and a foul odor permeated the room. Constable Yarnett estimated the woman had been dead for several days. Upon returning to the kitchen, he saw Ralph still reading his Bible and noticed there was, quote, a strange atmosphere of calm. Constable Yarnett queried Ralph as to whether he would be making funeral arrangements for his wife, but Ralph responded that there wouldn't be a funeral, and he was about to witness the greatest miracle, as Joan would soon walk out of the

bedroom alive with a completely restored body. Shocked, Constable Yarnett made no further comment and called for backup. Ralph returned to reading his Bible. David told other responding officers that Joan had died as the group had been physically reading the demonic spirits from her. When queried as to how Joan's body had become so bruised, he explained that the demons had given her enormous strength and she had to be forcefully held down. The homicide squad arranged to have the body taken to Melbourne for a post-mortem examination. That afternoon, Ralph, Leanne, and David were all taken to Horsham police station to be formally questioned. They were interviewed for several hours by local police, before homicide squad

detectives arrived from Melbourne and commenced the second phase of interviews. In his account, Ralph Fulmer claimed that he had discovered disturbing things about his wife during the exorcism, such as that her parents had sacrificed two of their other children at birth and had baptized her in the name of Satan when she was three years old. After this alleged baptism, she became known as Baby Princess Joan to those who worshipped Satan. Joan's family, who avoided the public spotlight following her death, denied these claims. Ralph also said that Joan had been very distraught by her admission to Lakeside Mental Health Hospital, so he had made her a promise that she would never have to return to psychiatric care.

This had been a factor in seeking divine intervention for his wife instead of medical attention. He stated that his fellow worshippers, Leanne Reichenbach and David Klingner, were more sensitive to the voice of God than he was, so for the most part he followed their lead when it came to extracting information from Joan. In regards to the mistreatment and injuries inflicted against Joan, Ralph insisted she wouldn't have felt any physical pain. It would have hurt my wife terribly, but it wasn't my wife. We weren't dealing with my wife anymore. This is the whole point. See, I wouldn't allow anything like that to happen to my wife. You can't believe that. She wasn't my wife. She was an evil spirit that needed to be dealt with.

Despite having witnessed the decomposition of her body, he remained adamant that Joan would be revived, stating his expectation that God would provide her with a new body and, quote, do a complete resurrection job. Leanne Reichenbach expressed her surprise that Joan had died due to the group pressing on her neck, saying that they believed they were doing what was necessary to do. She told police she'd been involved in deliverances for 18 months, but had never encountered anything like Joan's case before. David Klingner acknowledged that while it would have been appropriate to call an ambulance for

Joan, quote, in worldly terms, the group had been dealing with a spiritual matter. He said God had provided him a message that the case would receive worldwide attention, leading to those who had performed the exorcism being criminally charged and possibly imprisoned. In response to these consequences, God would return Joan to life, and, quote, show he is victorious in this day and age. The three individuals were permitted to return home in the early hours of Tuesday, February 2. Later that day, detectives visited the Valmer property and filmed Ralph as he took the monitor of the homestead, providing a narrative of the exorcism and pointing out where particular

events had taken place. An autopsy determined that the thyroid cartilage in Joan's neck had been fractured due to the amount of pressure that the perpetrators had applied, and she died of cardiac arrest. Within two days of police finding her body, both Australian and international media outlets were reporting on the bizarre case. Ralph openly spoke to the journalists who turned up at his property, sharing all of the details about the exorcism. In one newspaper report published on Wednesday, February 3, he described the moment that his wife died, quote, There was a great noise of hissing, screaming and groaning. As the noise died down, I looked at

her eyes and I saw the light leave them. He explained that her death wasn't reported because they had received messages that the Lord would raise her up. Joan's funeral was scheduled for Friday, February 5, less than a week after her death. Ralph informed the media he knew with absolute certainty that she would be resurrected before her body was laid to rest, stating, She will tell God's story to people around the world and get sinners to repent. He was eager that the media share the story and invited journalists to attend so that they could witness the miracle for themselves. The modest service was held in Horsham at the Salvation Army Hall where Joan and Ralph had occasionally worshipped. Roughly 60 of

Joan's friends and fellow churchgoers attended, but her family were absent, reportedly too distressed by the manner of her death to be there. As many as 30 journalists and photographers, as well as Horsham police officers, monitored proceedings. Salvation Army Captain Colin Corkery presided over the service, stating, In 10 years of ministry, we have never known any experience to be so traumatic. In the two years we have known Ralph and Joan, we have known them to be gentle, simple and caring people. He cautioned against alone ranger exorcists who operated outside the bounds of churches. Lorna Keeman, her Salvation Army sister, said Joan's legacy would be that of a happy,

caring, loving woman who walked with the Jesus. Following the ceremony, the casket was taken to Horsham Cemetery for burial, where curious spectators gathered around the perimeter awaiting the alleged miracle Ralph had promised. After a Bible passage was shared, Joan's coffin was slowly lowered into its grave, and Ralph closed his eyes, tilting his head to the sky to pray. When the casket touched the ground, Ralph began sobbing for the first time, turning to his son's for support as he finally realized Joan was gone. He willingly spoke with reporters after the burial, theorizing that perhaps Joan

hadn't wanted to return because she loved heaven so much. David Klinger also spoke with the press, stating that he had nothing to hide, and if the police wanted to speak with him again, quote, then I guess they'll find me. He revealed that he and John Reichenbach had already performed a deliverance on another woman just four days after Joan's death, but this one had been a success. Some time after the funeral, Ralph moved in with the Reichenbachs, helping out on the couple's farm and taking care of their children, while one of his sons took over the property at Antwerp. The Reichenbachs prayer circle disbanded, but they and Ralph maintained their faith, regularly attending services at another church in Horsham.

Police prepared a report for the coroner, and three months after Joan's death, Ralph Fulmer, Leanne Reichenbach, David Klinger, and Matthew Nusky were all charged with manslaughter. All four received bail and were ordered to face a three-day committal hearing in September. On Monday, September 13, the four defendants, each carrying a Bible, filed into Horsham Magistrates Court. Two religious experts, a Baptist theologian and a Catholic church official, gave evidence that while they believed in demonic possession, such cases were rare. An improved understanding of mental health had led them to believe many so-called possessions of the past had been misdiagnosed psychological disorders.

Joan's mental health diagnosis two years earlier was relayed to the court, and how the Reichenbachs history with exorcisms had led to them being expelled from their church. On the hearing's second day, Lea Clugston took the stand, telling the court that she had regularly consulted the defendants throughout the exorcism, and while she had never met Joan, God had repeatedly confirmed that she was possessed. Lea stated that after visiting the property on January 31 and laying hands on Joan's deceased body, she alerted the local minister after much prayer on the matter. At various stages, she would shut her and interrupt her own testimony to channel the voice of God, exclaiming, I'm sorry, that is God speaking, yes.

The pathologist who performed to Joan's autopsy testified that it was highly probable that her cardiac arrest was a result of the pressure the defendants had placed on her neck. However, as Joan died five minutes or longer after the force was applied, her cause of death could not be determined with absolute certainty, and there was insufficient evidence to prove it was a consequence of Joan's death. On Thursday, September 16, magistrate Tim McDonald conceded that although the four defendants had in all likelihood contributed to Joan's death, his decision was to drop all of the charges, stating, I find the prosecution has not produced enough evidence of sufficient weight for a jury to find the cardiac arrest was caused by application of pressure on the neck

of the deceased. Though surprised by the magistrate's decision, all four defendants were pleased with the result. They sobbed, clapped, and embraced their relatives, and newspaper photographers captured some of them smiling broadly as they left the courthouse. All four remained staunchly committed to their faith and felt vindicated by the ruling, with Ralph Fulmer telling journalists, God's will has been done, and I just praise and rejoice in the Lord. He gave media interviews the following day in which he remarked that God had been on trial, telling Melbourne newspaper the Sunday age that he disagreed with the finding that he and the others had most likely contributed to Joan's death, but that the magistrate had been as understanding as

he could be. When asked what he would do if he had his time over, Ralph said he would still choose to exercise Joan. Quote, I still maintain that she was possessed and it was God's will to take her home. The broader community did not share the defendant's views and were deeply disturbed by the ruling. Joan's death had sent shockwaves through Antwerp and the wider Wimmera region. Although many in the area are identified as religious, the majority of them attended a mainstream church and felt that the legal system was not holding extremists accountable for their actions. A number of locals aired their grievances to the media, with longtime Antwerp resident Ivan Pollak telling the Sunday age newspaper, Everyone reckons we can do anything to our

wives now and get away with it, as long as we preach the gospel. Nobody's happy about it. Everybody's disgusted. Absolutely. Church spokespeople pointed out that this sort of event was the risk people took when taking matters into their own hands, rather than calling in a religious authority. The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists called for a review of the case. Mental health workers expressed concern that vulnerable people may be targeted for recruitment by unconventional churches, as some people suffering from schizophrenia believed themselves to be possessed by demons. Professor Graham Burroughs, chairman of the Mental Health Foundation, told The Age, If people have a psychiatric disease, they should receive appropriate treatments,

and exorcism is not one of them. In the wake of the public outrage, Victoria's director of public prosecutions continued to look into the case. After reviewing the evidence with assistance from at least four legal advisors, the charges against the four acquitted were reinstated. On February 14, 1994, Ralph Vollmer, Leanne Reichenbach, David Klingner, and Matthew Nusky were served with notices to stand trial for manslaughter, unlawful imprisonment, and recklessly causing serious injury. Though the exorcism of Joan Vollmer had lasted for over a week, the charges only related to their actions between noon and 4.30 pm on Saturday, January 30, 1993, the hours leading up to her death. All four entered pleas of not guilty

and were granted bail once again. The trial commenced on Monday, October 17, 1994, and was a sensational event for the small, single-story courthouse. A jury of five women and seven men were sworn in, and dozens of journalists and spectators oversaw the proceedings. Rather than dismiss the defendant's beliefs as outlandish, the prosecution's approach was to bring in their own religious experts to testify that the behavior of the four accused did not align with mainstream Christianity. The jury was told about Joan's 1990 diagnosis of anxiety, depression, schizophrenia, and hypomania, her decision to cease taking medication, and her subsequent decline after attending the Charismatic Christian Convention two years later.

The video shot by investigators at the Vollmer property was also shown, revealing the stockings and boards used to restrain Joan, as well as Joan's destroyed belongings and garden. It emerged during the trial that Ralph had not informed Joan's family about her cause of death. Joan's brother-in-law, Neville, who was married to her sister Dorothy, gave evidence about a phone call he'd received from Ralph three days after Joan's death, letting them know that an autopsy was being performed. When asked how her death had occurred, Ralph merely said, she died slowly. The couple were left to learn the details from media reports.

A psychiatrist who had treated Joan at Lakeside Mental Health Hospital provided background on her psychiatric history. A senior Catholic official gave evidence that the number of exorcisms performed had significantly declined over the years, likely due to ongoing advances in the mental health field. He also stated that an exorcism typically involved prayer and possibly laying hands on the head of the possessed individual, nothing like the treatment that Joan had been subjected to. Though none of the accused took the stand, Leanne's husband John Reichenbach gave evidence. He claimed that Joan had been possessed by multiple spirits and described how she had appeared and behaved when under the influence of the entities he identified as Legion and Baby

Princess Joan. He also asserted that they had known Joan was possessed because she revealed information about the exorcists that she had no way of knowing. When Matthew Nusky had arrived at the farm, Joan said, 22, piss pot, which those present interpreted as a reference to his age and a problem he'd previously had with alcohol. Lea Clugsden was also called to testify and again declared God was speaking directly to her, just as she had at the committal hearing. David Klingner's defense attorney told the court that his client would have viewed not participating in the exorcism as, quote, a serious neglect of his duty. While Leanne Reichenbach's lawyer said exorcisms were not unlawful and none of her actions could have led to Joan's death.

On Tuesday, October 25, Leanne tended a letter to the court justifying the group's actions. The letter stated that the group performing the exorcism knew that they were acting in God's will because he gave them confirmation that their actions were proper. Leanne also noted that only God knew why Joan had not been resurrected after her death and that some good had resulted from the situation because the story had, quote, gone worldwide to highlight the existence of a spiritual realm. Ralph Vollmers Barrister argued that his client was a reasonable person who had turned to his religious community after seeing no improvement in Joan following her release from hospital in 1990. When Joan seemed to recover shortly after Ralph prayed for her to get better,

he attributed this to the power of prayer. The defense pointed to references to exorcisms in the Bible, saying their long tradition made demonic possession entirely reasonable to someone of faith. A psychologist called to give evidence about Ralph's personality and character said Ralph trusted the few friends he had implicitly. It had taken him more than a year to accept that his wife was deceased and wouldn't be returning. A month into the trial, the barrister representing Matthew Nusky requested to have the most serious charge against his client dropped. His barrister argued that the crown had failed to make a case for manslaughter against Matthew, who was now 24 and studying to be a missionary at the interdenominational college in Perth.

The trial judge, Justice Graham Crossley, agreed there was insufficient evidence to convict and instructed the jury to acquit Matthew of manslaughter. A week later, both sides gave their closing address. Prosecutor Peter Jones argued that Ralph should have recognized his wife required professional medical help, but instead, quote, common sense gave way to zealotry, which led to a volatile lexicism. He told the jury that the defendants had no right to confine Joan or assault her body, adding, they had no consideration for Christianity. They went right past that. They were on a frolic of their own and an unlawful frolic. The defense urged jurors to reflect on the evidence

without prejudice and set aside sensationalist media reports they might have read following Joan's death. They also pointed out that it was possible that Joan had died from an asthma attack or an epileptic fit, as the pathologist had not been able to determine the cause of death with absolute certainty. The jury had a difficult task ahead. While the local community wanted justice for Joan, exorcisms in and of themselves were not illegal, meaning they would have to consider whether the actions performed by the group during the ritual were unlawful and amounted to manslaughter. After a day's deliberation, the jury returned to deliver the verdict to late on Wednesday, November 30. They found Ralph Vollmer not guilty of manslaughter, but guilty of one

count of recklessly causing serious injury and one count of false imprisonment. As per the judge's instructions, Matthew Nusky was acquitted of manslaughter, but convicted on one count of false imprisonment. Leanne Reichenbach and David Klingner were both convicted of false imprisonment and manslaughter, making them the only ones held directly responsible for killing Joan. When sentencing the perpetrators, Judge Crossley explained that they were not being sentenced for performing the exorcism, but for the undue force they had used against Joan, as the law did not allow excesses in the name of religion. He noted that regardless of whether Joan had suffered from a mental illness or been possessed by demons, the level of violence inflicted

on her was rough, unwarranted, and absolutely unjustified. While Judge Crossley observed that it was difficult to perceive any remorse in the fore, as they all accepted Joan's death was God's will, he did not use this as an aggravating factor due to the unusual nature of the case. He stated, You put Joan through an ordeal that can only be described as bizarre and quite extraordinary. Seen objectively, that ordeal was cruel. Yet, I do accept that you said about subjecting her to that ordeal, honestly believing that it was for her own good, and she was truly possessed by demons.

Judge Crossley sentenced Leanne Reichenbach to two years in prison, 20 months of which were suspended for two years. David Klingner was given 18 months, 15 of which were also suspended for two years. Ralph Vollmer was sentenced to 12 months, suspended for two years, and Matthew Nusky received three months, suspended for 18 months. Of the four, only Leanne and David would serve any prison time. Leanne fought to hold back tears as she was escorted from the courtroom to begin her four-month sentence. Joan's family had deliberately avoided media attention since her death, but two members gave brief statements following the sentencing.

One of her sisters, Dorothy, commented that Joan's death had traumatized their family, while another sister, Irene, added that she hoped the ordeal was finally over. Quote, it's just something we have to put behind us now. In May 1995, all four perpetrators appealed their convictions at the Supreme Court of Victoria. The defendants argued that the crown had failed to adequately show that by pressing on Joan's neck, they had caused her death, and claimed that the offensive manslaughter had not been committed, as Joan had consented to the acts that were performed on her. They also submitted that the charge of false imprisonment did not apply,

as Joan's mental state and behavior meant she was a danger to herself and others, and she had agreed to, quote, necessary restraint. The perpetrators' attorneys also objected to some of the evidence applied by the prosecution, including exhibits of the wooden planks Joan's feet had been strapped to, portions of the police interviews with the defendants, and testimony regarding the destruction of the farm's garden and Joan's prized possessions. On September 7, 1995, the Supreme Court of Victoria rejected all grounds of appeal. And upheld the convictions.

Little is known about the perpetrators' lives following their convictions, though all appear to have maintained their faith. Ralph Vollmer eventually married for a third time and left Victoria to live with his new wife in Queensland, selling his and Joan's Antwerp property in 2001. An editorial published in Melbourne newspaper The Age in September 1993 voiced the anxieties felt by much of the public in the wake of Joan's death, it read in part. Most Australians call themselves Christians, but most would have no doubt that the four who tried to exercise the mentally ill Joan Vollmer were dangerously deluded.

How can such medieval thinking persist in the face of modern medicine's ability to diagnose mental disturbance? The Vollmer case demonstrates the darker side of some forms of belief and the dangers of religious certainty. Those who do not question their actions, who carry within them the assurance of divine inspiration at all times, are capable of harm that is as great as it is unknowing. For the past 20 years, the farmhouse where Joan was killed has lain empty. The buyers who purchased it in 2001 never moved in. It sold again in 2013 for just under $87,500 but remained uninhabited. According to an article published in 2016 by news.com.au, breaking into the abandoned residence has become a popular pastime for local teenagers.

Ivan Pollack, the Antwerp resident who spoke of the communities discussed in the wake of Joan's death, told reporter Candice Sutton that the house made people feel unsettled. Quote, It put Antwerp on the map, so to speak. People still talk about what happened in that house. Nearly 60 kilometers south, a simple headstone marks Joan Vollmer's final resting place at Horsham Cemetery. Beneath the rendering of a crucifix and her name are the words, always in our hearts, in God's care. you