80s ‘Satanic’ Murder-Suicide That Shook NJ Now A True Crime TV Series

MORRIS COUNTY, NJ — The story of a horrific murder-suicide in Jefferson that fueled Satanic panic throughout the nation is being brought to the small screen.

A true crime docu-series titled "Let the Devil In" will cover the events of the chilling case.

In January 1988, 14-year-old Thomas Sullivan Jr. killed his mother, Betty Ann, 37, with a Boy Scout knife before setting their couch on fire.

The 14-year-old then took his own life with the same knife he used to kill his mother.

Thomas’ father, Thomas Sullivan Sr., and his 10-year-old brother Brian Sullivan, who were asleep during the attack, escaped the home after extinguishing the fire and finding Betty Ann's body.

An investigation revealed that Thomas had an obsessive interest in the occult and Satanic rituals, reading several books on the dark subject. According to reports, Betty Ann and Thomas had been fighting about his occult obsessions before he “suddenly flew into a rage” and killed her.

''It's just a bizarre situation for the family,'' then-Morris County Prosecutor Lee S. Trumbull said. ''There were no apparent problems until about a month ago when he began reading these books and tension began developing in the house.''

The four-part docu-series, produced and hosted by horror icon Eli Roth (“Hostel,” “Thanksgiving”), will cover the murder and the events that led up to it. It is set to premiere on MGM+ this Sunday. See the series’ trailer below:

“What happens when you invite darkness into your mind?” Roth asks in the trailer.

The series features first-hand interviews from witnesses, investigators, and experts involved in the dreadful case.

Danielle Franco directed the four-episode miniseries.