The Salem Witch Trials were a series of trials in Puritan Salem's history mentioned in Murdered: Soul Suspect. They were the trying of the Mediums of the era, accused of being witches and signing contracts with the Devil.
Witch Trials[]
In the 1690s, life in Puritan Massachusetts was plagued by superstition, mass hysteria, religious extremism, and paranoia. Every bad occurrence or tragedy was labeled as either devil witchcraft or divine retribution by God. Anyone who didn't follow Puritan customs or looked suspicious were accused of witchcraft, mostly women. Anyone who defended the defendant's pleas of innocence was also accused of witchcraft. It all started when Abigail Williams and her cousin started acting strange.
Surprisingly, those who couldn't stand the pressure and falsely confessed to being witches were spared, while those who continued to proclaim their innocence were found guilty of witchcraft and executed. Methods of their execution ranged from drowning, crushing by stones and hanging.
Murdered: Soul Suspect[]
In Murdered: Soul Suspect, the Bell Killer commonly accuses his victims of having similar contracts with the Devil as the Mediums among the Puritans were. He also uses several Puritan means of execution against them, such as burning at the stake and crushing them under rocks.
There is also a Museum Exhibit that Ronan O'Connor visits during the game that dramatizes these Trials, as well as shows all the various ways that witches were executed.
Also, in the very last investigation of the game, when interrogating Abigail, Ronan will use his Ghost Abilities to taunt Abigail with memories of her execution by hanging.
Sources[]
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