Warning: Stranger Things 4 Spoilers Ahead!

Wearing black, listening to metal, and having dyed-black hair are all indicative of cult activity and devil worship.

Of course, sound minds immediately see this fallacy for what it is, but that didn’t stop it from being the conclusion many reached during the Satanic Panic of the 1980s and 1990s.

As Netflix’s Stranger Things takes place in the middle of this paranoia-fueled era, Panic’s influence on the show is true to history.

Flayed by The Church of Satan

Beginning in 1980 with the book Michelle Remembers by Lawrence Pazder and Michelle Smith, society quickly became fearful of a global satanic cult that was believed to be intent on hurting children. Luckily, some of these murderous members could be quickly identified due to their fashion choices, musical taste, or general interests (/s).

This global cult allegedly headed by the Church of Satan was widely believed to be committing “ritualistic assaults” on children.

One belief was that this nefarious cult could create an alternate personality within a victim embedded deep within their subconscious. This was believed so much so, that Catherine Gould and Louis Cozolino published in the Journal of Psychology and Theology in 1992 that victims of ritualistic abuse may “maintain cult contact unbeknownst to either the host personality or the treating therapist.”

Catherine Gould also published a highly criticized list of “indicators” that someone had been a victim of Satanic ritual abuse. The list is comprised of run-of-the-mill symptoms typically experienced by those enduring any manner of stress.

To put this concept into Stranger Things terminology: Victims of ritualistic abuse were believed to be like Will when he was flayed in Stranger Things 2… a spy for the Mindflayer. In this case, the Mindflayer was The Church of Satan, and those who wore black and liked rock music were believed to be a part of the Mindflayer’s army. The way to tell if someone was flayed or not was if they appeared stressed. Color me flayed.

During this panic-filled era, “over 12,000 unsubstantiated cases” were brought forth. From these cases, sprangnumerous false convictions. Now, Stranger Things’ already-beloved newcomer Eddie Munson (Joseph Quinn) seems poised to be the next casualty of the times.

Stranger Things 4 Set the Stage for Satanic Panic

The fate of Eddie seemed to be set from his first appearance on the show as he dramatically reads aloud a Newsweek article about Dungeons and Dragons:

“The Devil has come to America. At first regarded as a harmless game of make-believe, Dungeons and Dragons now has both parents and psychologists concerned. Studies have linked violent behavior to the game, saying it promotes satanic worship, ritual sacrifice, sodomy, suicide, and even murder.”

The negative outlook society held at the time was demonstrated again in the first episode of ST4 as Mike (Finn Wolfhard) sought to find a replacement player for Lucas (Caleb McLaughlin). One student replied that D&D“promotes Satanism and animal cruelty.” When Mike objects to this outlandish claim, the student retorts that “60 Minutes begs to differ.”

From there, how this town must view someone like Eddie Munson was loud and clear. Then a twist of fate made things much worse for him.

Demonizing Eddie Munson

When cheerleading classmate Chrissy Cunningham (Grace Van Dien) is found murdered in Eddie’s trailer, the police and Hawkins alike do not take long to point the finger at the long-haired, drug-dealing, two-time-flunking rocker. As for the motive, they needn’t look any further than his Hellfire Club, with a name and logo meant clearly to honor Satan.

The answers to common sense questions that would exclude Eddie as a suspect did not matter. The lack of blood at the crime scene, the multitude of broken bones, and the imprint on the ceiling all indicate that this was not the work of a teenage boy, and yet he appears to be the only suspect.

If any of this rings a bell, it was intended to. As confirmed by Netflix Geeked on Twitter, Eddie Munson is “loosely based” on an actual individual: the wrongfully convicted Damien Echols of the West Memphis 3, who infamously found himself up against Satanic Panic.

Who is Damien Echols?

For those unfamiliar with the case, Echols and two of his close friends were arrested, tried, and convicted for the horrific murder of three 8-year-old children in West Memphis, Arkansas, in 1993.

The case gathered nationwide attention and criticism because, as portrayed by the HBO documentary Paradise Lost, all three teenagers were convicted without a single shred of tangible evidence linking them to the crime.

Trial By Fire, Satan’s to Blame

Echols and company were tried in the court of public opinion before the murder trial ever began. Known for their all-black style and interest in bands like Metallica and Megadeath, the town in Arkansas very quickly accepted the finger pointed at the goth teens.

While most will assert that the crime scene does not suggest an occult-style killing whatsoever, Paradise Lostexhibited the State arguing otherwise. The fact that the killings happened on the night of a full moon, as well as the murders taking place days after the pagan holidays Beltane and Walpurgisnacht, were presented by the court to determine occult activity was the motivating factor.

Damien Echols rejected this idea himself, proclaiming that people would rather believe this to be the work of an evil satanist than to be a crime perpetrated by someone close to one of the victims (Paradise Lost 2).

After all, it is more comfortable an idea that monsters would adhere to a certain uniform. That way, society can tell who the monsters are by simply looking at them, and one couldn’t possibly be hiding amongst them in plain sight.

Pursuant Outrage

Upon the release of the documentary Paradise Lost, detailing the court proceedings and Damien Echols’ journey into the criminal justice system, large swaths of society were quickly outraged. Johnny Depp, Winona Ryder, and Sir Peter Jackson were among the celebrities who came forward with an outpouring of support for Echols and his two friends.

Having an interest in the darker facets of life does not equate with being a murderer, and proving someone’s interest in magick is not proof of guilt. Furthermore, the police department proved negligent in collecting real evidence to secure their convictions for the crime. Despite all of this, all three defendants were found guilty.

There was nothing tangible that linked Echols to the murders. The state failed to prove its burden of motive or means as having an interest in Aleister Crowley is not cause for murder. Despite this, the state’s secured conviction of the goth troubled teen who doodled pentagrams made a loud and clear statement on how society viewed guilt:

If someone’s innocence is in question, look no further than the shirts they wear.

Nearly twenty years after their conviction, each member of the West Memphis 3 trio was released from prison on an Alford plea. This sort of plea amounts to a compromise in the legal justice system. It allowed them to proclaim their innocence while acknowledging that they’re still considered guilty.

Although it has been over ten years since his release, Damien Echols is still fighting today to prove his innocence once and for all.

“Welcome to Where Time Stands Still”

Between being hunted by Hawkins and plunged into the Upside Down, the plight of the Hellfire Club founder, Eddie Munson, is a suspenseful one. Will he join the ranks of those wrongfully convicted during Satanic Panic? Or will he find an even worse fate at the hands of season 4’s villain, Vecna? Only time will tell.