[AllBahianGirl]

My sister and I had a heated debate this morning about how the Burke Dennings murder case was closed. Did Detective Kinderman choose to close out the Dennings case by claiming that Father Karras murdered Burke Dennings? I haven't read The Exorcist in about six months and am not really sure how the Burke Dennings murder case was solved. All I remember is that after Father Karras' death Father Dyer would come to the McNeil household trying to quiz Chris on Father Karras' death because Father Dyer believed in his heart that Father Karras did not kill Burke Dennings. Also I still don't get the significance of why Father Karras jumped out of the window during the exorcism. If someone could shed light on this I would greatly appreciate it.

[Justin]

I haven't read the novel for a while so my memory is a little iffy… but yeah, I think you're right, he came to the conclusion that it was Karras who had snapped because of the guilt over his mother.

As for why Karras jumped, it's not as clear in the novel because we don't see what happens in Regan's room, it's only heard from Chris' perspective. But basically it was a sign of his returning faith and a sacrifice to save Regan by taking the demon into himself and then jumping.

The novel is much more open to interpretation than the film, though.

[AllBahianGirl]

Father Karras did save Regan by taking the demon into himself and jumping out of the window because if he hadn't done so Regan would have either ended up dead or in custody because Detective Kinderman was hot on her tail. He had deduced that one of the five people in the McNeil household had killed Burke Dennings and since nobody else panned out in the house the only other person left that he hadn't seen was Regan. When Detective Kinderman found out that her illness was not physical like he thought at first but one of a severe psychological disorder he was really watching Regan's window and the McNeil household and at one point he was thinking of banging on the door of the house and demanding to see Regan.

[Jagged]

In the novel Karras jumped to stop the demon using him to hurt everyone else in the house.

 

” No I won't let you hurt them! You're not going to hurt them! You're coming with…”

 

Sound of breaking glass.

[etrigan69]

Remember that it was ruled an accident by the coroner. Kinderman just had a hunch it was murder. He left the case open until he could rule out his murder hunch. I believe at the end he knew something extraordinary had happened and he knew in someway Regan was responsible. He trusted in the priests that the situation was handled and I would presume let the case of Dennings stay an accident.

 

In fact I just dug out my copy and Kinderman knew that Regan was at least believed to be possessed. He was just never completely sure why Karras had killed himself other than he had “snapped” from lack of sleep and the death of his mother and the demonic attacks. (Page 336 in my copy.)

[AllBahianGirl]

Oh I get it so Burke Dennings' death was ruled an accident? I read the Exorcist over the years at least 100 times but I must be going into dementia because for the life of me I can't remember a lot of details about the book. I remember when the elderly priest from Ireland approached Father Karras after his mother's death and was telling Father Karras that a psychologist guy that was handling the church desecrations thought that maybe a sick priest might be doing the desecrations. He was trying to figure out if Father Karras had counseled a sick priest or was even the sick priest that the psychologist guy was talking about. It seems that after this elderly priest met with Father Karras,Father Karras was put on “rest”. I always thought that maybe this older priest told some high official in the church that Father Karras was the sick priest doing the desecrations even though one of the desecrations the one in regards to the altar card was done while Father Karras was at his mother's funeral. I often wondered when Regan found the time to make plaster phallases and type up filthy abominations on Sharon's typewriter without being seen.

[etrigan69]

Now I can't find that. Maybe I assumed. I know when Kinderman was grilling Chris he kept saying it was most likely an accident but then he continued grilling Chris. So I would say it wasnt really answered but I would assume he just ket it go as an accident.

I would have to read it again (for the 50th time!) to know for sure.

[Sofia]

AllBahianGirl said:

 I often wondered when Regan found the time to make plaster phallases and type up filthy abominations on Sharon's typewriter without being seen.

---

 Yeah, he let Dennings case stay an accident!

 

Regan could have easily sneaked out of the house through the basement door – Remember, she spent most of her time down there, by herself – and Sharon kept her typewriter there for weeks, as well. 

[Author]

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