'Killer on the Loose!' 1980 Booklet by Ray Comfort

So what’s inside this long-lost gem by Ray Comfort penned in Christchurch in 1980?

I know you are dying to know.

‘Killer on the Loose’, all 20 odd pages, starts by Ray warning Kiwi’s, Satan is on the loose, and to avoid dabbling in the occult and venturing into the spiritual realm. Namely, horoscopes, palmistry, hypnotism etc.

The following passages from the bible [ 2 Cor 4:4, Job 2:7 ] allow Ray to conclude Satan is “the inflictor of sickness”. So if you get a cold or the flu, it’s not a physical affliction, it’s Beelzebub at work.

Ray then tells us about performing an exorcism on a man called Dave, who was possessed by a homosexual spirit called ‘Kora’. (bears a striking resemblance to a anglicised & abbreviated form of the word Koran, if you ask me)

Next from its pages we get in-depth coverage of other of these exorcisms. ‘Hate’ was the name of one demon he exorcised from a teenaged girl called Jane (sadly, Hates parents weren’t able to grab hold of a ‘Name your Baby Devil’ book and come-up with something more creative) We are told Jane had begun speaking to an invisible friend from the age of seven. No not God, his adversary.

Fortunately Ray was able to scare away this invisible friend called ‘Hate’ from Jane with a few well placed scripture passages, but not enough it appears to dissuade the other twelve demons inside her. According to Ray the first of the 12, or head demon, was none other than Joseph Smith. Yep, the spirit of Joseph Smith, founder of The Church of the Later Day Saints, was living inside a Christchurch teenager in the late-seventies!!

There’s an easy explanation for all of this according to Ray - Jane was baptised a Mormon.

Like a scene of the movie Exorcist Jane is held down screaming and groaning by Ray and his team of four helpers, all good Christians we are reassuringly told, assist as best they can.

He names the demons ‘Marinda’ (this name will become more significant later on, so I won’t spoil the surprise at this stage) and Saol – then Lucifer himself (sadly playing one night only, get your tickets early or you’ll miss-out)

Now if by now you are beginning to smile in mirth at this, I would recommend grabbing a hanky right now, to stop the tears of laughter – Rays written description of Jane’s exorcism gets a lot weirder and funnier, if you ask me.

Ray begins questioning the semi-conscious Jane about her childhood and low-and-behold, her possession all makes sense, at least in his mind.

Jane was adopted as a baby and had a father who didn’t love her, and her closest possessions as a child were a stuffed toy of Kermit the Frog and a fairy necklace. Well it appears Kermit was not the cuddly toy the shop promised and nothing like his television character, more like ‘Chucky’ from the horror film.

Kermit was really ‘Hermit’ a demon! (so this at least puts to rest the belief it’s just Ernie from Sesame Street who is evil)

If that’s not scary enough, that fairy necklace that Jane said “gave her a feeling of power over people” turns-out to be an open invite to the demon Marinda to occupy her body.

Although Ray doesn’t come straight out and say it like he does with the demon formally known as Joseph Smith, Marinda was the actually name of one of Smiths wives.

So to get your head around this: there’s the spirits of Mr & Mrs Smith (the founders of the Mormon Church), a lesser-known demon called Saol, seven other nameless demons, and Lucifer himself – all kicking round inside this 19 year old Kiwi girl, on Ray Comforts office floor.

Fret not, we learn thanks to Ray and the power of the gospel Jane was ‘saved’ and the demons expunged.

Later we are told that Jane visits Ray to tell him “Jesus Christ visited me in the flesh”, not that Ray could pick-up on the obvious attention seeking, psychosomatic hallmarks, that surrounded the lass’s latest claim of a visitation.

The booklet ends as it starts by further warning us we shouldn’t open the door to oppressing spirits, by avoiding undertaking a range of dangerous practices.

So beware, you are in spiritual danger if you have (a.) sought to locate missing objects or persons by consulting someone who has psychic powers (b.) had your fortune told by use of cards, tea leaves, palm reading (c.) read or possessed occult or spiritual literature (d.) had your handwriting analysed (e.) practiced yoga etc.

You've been warned.

Joseph and Marinda are after a good home.