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The first ever live TV exorcism is happening tonight

Do not adjust your sets…

exorcist MovieClips MovieClips

A LITTLE-KNOWN American TV network will make history tonight with the first ever live broadcast of an exorcism.

The Destination America channel is hoping that “Exorcism: Live!” will be the scariest pre-Halloween programme on US television, and not a heavily-hyped disappointment.

The mostly live, two-hour broadcast will culminate in an attempt to rid a home near St Louis, Missouri of supposed malevolent spirits.

The boy who was the subject of the 1949 exorcism immortalised in William Peter Blatty’s 1971 book The Exorcist and subsequent movie, briefly lived in the Bel-Nor, Missouri house.

“This, to me at least, is probably the quintessential American horror story,” said Henry Schleiff, group president at Discovery Communications who oversees the network, and is no stranger to colourful promotions.

At Investigations Discovery, he ran a “Wives With Knives” marathon one year as an alternative to Super Bowl Sunday.

Only three years old, Destination America is available in about half of America’s TV homes.

It has established a speciality in programmes about the paranormal like “Ghost Asylum” and “A Haunting,” and is looking for some major attention.

Destination America / YouTube

The publicity surrounding tonight’s broadcast has drawn comparisons to Geraldo Rivera’s 1986 special where he opened legendary gangster Al Capone’s vault to find almost nothing inside.

That episode has become shorthand for much-hyped television programmes that fail to deliver.

“I don’t know if I believe in ghosts,” Schleiff said.

But I believe in research, and it says 60 percent of people believe in ghosts. I genuinely believe this will be an entertaining and informative show and I’m very proud to be associated with it.

The exorcism of the boy known as Roland Doe was completed outside of the house, but there’s evidence ‘bad vibes’ remain there, said Jodi Tovay, who developed the special.

Chip Coffey, a psychic who participates in the show, said the spirits communicated with him when he visited the house, and a picture of Pope Francis was mysteriously ripped from his hand.

This stuff is real. This is nothing to play around with.

Without that confirmation from Coffey and other psychics that something creepy remains there, Tovay said that Destination America wouldn’t go to the house.

exorcism The house where Roland Doe, whose exorcism inspired the 1973 movie, once lived. Destination America Destination America

The boy who was the subject of the 1949 exorcism is still alive.

Now 80 and living in the Washington, DC area, he guards his privacy and declined to participate in the special, Tovay said.

Similarly, the people now living in the St. Louis house vacated for the production and would not discuss their own experiences there.

The special will have some pre-produced segments, including stories of past demonic possessions and excerpts from the diary of Doe’s lead exorcist.

They’ll show the bed where he was exorcised. The bulk of the show will be a seance to try and communicate with spirits in the house and an effort to try and extricate them.

A spokesperson for Discovery confirmed to TheJournal.ie that viewers in Ireland will be able to watch a live online stream of six cameras positioned in the house, but not the TV broadcast.

Besides Coffey, the cast of Destination America’s “Ghost Asylum” series will help with the psychic cleansing.

Tovay is well aware that even if it’s true that the house is haunted, the demons aren’t necessarily tied to a TV schedule, and may decide to stay quiet when the show begins at 9pm (1am Irish time).

I can schedule events, but I can’t schedule demonic activity. If that happens, I’m not going to fake it.

Still, she freely encourages skeptics to tune in.

I dare you not to be scared.

Contains reporting by the Associated Press.

Read: Meet the reverend who participated in the 1949 exorcism that inspired The Exorcist>

Read: You can buy Buffalo Bill’s house from Silence of the Lambs for €270,000>

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59 Comments
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    Mute stephen kavanagh
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    Oct 30th 2015, 8:53 PM

    I miss ‘Most Haunted’ with Derek Acorah. When he exorcised the wandering spirit of Dick Turpin by making whinnying noises to simulate Black Bess it was just beautiful

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    Mute Dermot Lane
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    Oct 30th 2015, 9:02 PM

    Didn’t he also say something like ‘I need Dick? Where’s Dick?’

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    Mute stephen kavanagh
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    Oct 30th 2015, 9:08 PM

    He did indeed. We need him back on TV, he is the ultimate exorcist, never mind that American wannabe

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    Mute Myk_Oval_Balls_nRyt
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    Oct 31st 2015, 12:24 PM

    That show was brilliant back in day, shame i grew up a little since and it ended.

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    Mute Harry byrne
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    Oct 30th 2015, 9:11 PM

    “I’m getting a Mary..Yes Yes definitley a Mary .Mary loves Dick ..Yep Yep ,Mary Definitley loves Dick”..I cried fcuking laughing for an hour when he said that..

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    Mute Harry byrne
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    Oct 30th 2015, 9:12 PM

    Sorry i’m quoting Derek Acora from Most Haunted there..haha

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    Mute stephen kavanagh
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    Oct 30th 2015, 9:22 PM

    Lol, he was brilliant, ‘I feel I’m back in 1500-something now’…

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    Mute Grigori Rasputin
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    Oct 30th 2015, 8:58 PM

    This can’t be the first ever televised exorcism, because exorcisms aren’t real. It’s like advertising the first ever televised unicorn race, and then showing some horses with cardboard tubes stuck onto their heads running around.

    61
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    Mute Dermot Lane
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    Oct 30th 2015, 9:05 PM

    Well, exorcisms are real in that they take place in the real world and there are enough gullible people to believe that they are genuine, but no doubt the ‘demons’ won’t show up tonight, they don’t seem to like cameras.

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    Mute jenni
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    Oct 30th 2015, 9:10 PM

    they’ll probably stay in tonight, they have a very busy night tomorrow night!

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    Mute Hughie Geaney
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    Oct 30th 2015, 9:42 PM

    I’d watch that B-)

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    Mute damien o brien
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    Oct 30th 2015, 10:41 PM

    my lovely horse…

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    Mute Karen
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    Oct 30th 2015, 11:32 PM

    Watch the movie deliver us from evil. True story from a detective point of view who now is a demon hunter and exorcist. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2644186/Im-going-head-head-devil-Meet-NYPD-cop-took-20-EXORCISMS-experiences-demon-hunter-inspired-new-horror-film.html

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    Mute Grigori Rasputin
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    Oct 31st 2015, 12:46 AM

    No, I won’t. Because it’s complete and utter bollox, and you are a total idiot for believing it.

    17
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    Mute Michael Sands
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    Oct 31st 2015, 5:36 PM

    Channel4 did a live exorcism years ago now using test equipment etc and it blew them away… and it was funny as the outcome wasn’t what Channel4 wanted or expected. They said they would be back but never did or said another word about it.
    http://www.theguardian.com/media/2005/feb/25/broadcasting.channel41

    Channel 4 has been trying to rubbish exorcism since this program aired…

    1
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    Mute Niall O' Sullivan
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    Oct 30th 2015, 8:51 PM

    haha. These god-fearing yanks will lap it up.

    58
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    Mute jenni
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    Oct 30th 2015, 9:00 PM

    I doubt the god fearing would watch it..does the station have permission to carry out a rc exorcism? doubt it, so its probably a non religion specific exorcism. I’d still watch it though

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    Mute Geoff Tracey
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    Oct 30th 2015, 8:58 PM

    please please possess say it’s Tubridy were exorcising

    49
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    Mute Alan Hanley
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    Oct 30th 2015, 8:55 PM

    The need tubular bells as the theme tune. Otherwise I’m out.

    46
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    Mute John Ward
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    Oct 30th 2015, 9:04 PM

    More bollocks!

    33
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    Mute Michael Sands
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    Oct 31st 2015, 5:26 PM

    O John…

    1
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    Mute Fiona deFreyne
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    Oct 30th 2015, 9:21 PM

    The demons have told me that the decline to appear unless the get appearance money.

    I’ve been appointed to collect the money fir them and to be their exclusive corporeal representative.

    32
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    Mute Dermot Lane
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    Oct 30th 2015, 8:54 PM

    Where can I see this? I could do with a laugh.

    31
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    Mute Michael Sands
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    Oct 31st 2015, 5:27 PM

    Your humour must be as bad as mine then? lol.

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    Mute LesBehan
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    Oct 30th 2015, 9:54 PM

    “Without that confirmation from Coffey and other psychics that something creepy remains there, Tovay said that Destination America wouldn’t go to the house.”

    That’s like NASA saying “Without Astrologers we wouldn’t go into space.”

    31
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    Mute Fiona deFreyne
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    Oct 30th 2015, 9:18 PM

    Superstitious hogwash for gullible and uncritical idiots.

    23
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    Mute O Swetenham
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    Oct 30th 2015, 8:58 PM

    Hopefully it’s as successful as the televised witch burning they had last year.

    20
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    Mute Trevor Beale
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    Oct 30th 2015, 9:23 PM

    Enda Kenny could do with a good dose of exorcism to be honest.

    20
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    Mute Dermot Lane
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    Oct 30th 2015, 9:27 PM

    Ah for Jazus sake will you ever f*ck off! we can’t even have an Halloween ghost story without some idiot mentioning Enda Kenny. Do you think you’re brilliantly original or something?

    52
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    Mute Trevor Beale
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    Oct 30th 2015, 9:43 PM

    Seems like you could do with one yourself there dermot. Relax boy.

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    Mute Dermot Lane
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    Oct 30th 2015, 9:52 PM

    I’m totally relaxed, enjoying a lightweight Halloween story and a glass of wine, at least I was until the wag of the year (you) decided to interject with a totally original comment. Enda Kenny, eh? How DID you come up with that one? But hey, you’re obviously a wit of the highest order, so I will defer to your superior intellect and crawl away chastened and chastised.

    25
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    Mute Trevor Beale
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    Oct 30th 2015, 10:02 PM

    Don’t be so hard on yourself. Just a bit of Halloween banter. Don’t go too mad on the wine, makes ya very aggressive.

    12
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    Mute jenni
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    Oct 30th 2015, 10:20 PM

    lads do yous know whats haunting…nothing…hey matt..did you know they do this halloween thing in Ireland..and they sold it to America…do you know whats amazing about that matt…nothing ..club classic today matt..rockwell..amazing fact matt..he didnt really sing on the song matt..he was shite..so his daddy brought in michael jackson matt…number one song matt..something else matt..halloween matt..nothing. enjoy

    4
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    Mute jenni
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    Oct 30th 2015, 11:24 PM

    if you guess the show, i’ll give yous a surprise?

    1
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    Mute jenni
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    Oct 30th 2015, 11:27 PM

    oh btw..i’ve nothing to do with the show..they might sue me..but hey ho..they might laugh and actually give me a prize .

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    Mute Michael Sands
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    Oct 31st 2015, 5:23 PM

    He is processed by the spirit of Merkel.

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    Mute catkins407
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    Oct 30th 2015, 11:54 PM

    I saw a program on discovery and there is something like 56 or maybe 52 catholic priests who work as exorcist in the US today and apparently they are always very busy. There are ways you can tell mental illness from possession and they showed some of the ways. All seemed very believable if it wasn’t a load of nonsense. Still loads still believe in this. Very odd.

    15
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    Mute Murph11
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    Oct 30th 2015, 8:54 PM

    Hardly staged is it considering we are so close to Halloween ??. Doubt if exorcism needed would have made the free ads in June

    14
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    Mute Brian Ward
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    Oct 30th 2015, 9:04 PM

    If you really want to hear an authentic exocisim (apparently) try this https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qr-IdHU3A5M Anneliese Michel Exorcism audio tapes

    These are the audio tapes recorded during the exorcism of a 23 year of woman.

    The full story is here https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anneliese_Michel

    13
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    Mute Dermot Lane
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    Oct 30th 2015, 9:23 PM

    There’s no such thing as an authentic exorcism. People supposedly possessed are usually mentally ill. So are some of the exorcists, mind you, albeit they might be well intentioned.

    26
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    Mute kenobi :)
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    Oct 30th 2015, 9:23 PM

    Ended up being the fim called the exorcism of Emily Rose. WEIRD STORY.

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    Mute Michael Sands
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    Oct 31st 2015, 5:22 PM

    Dermot the catholic church uses professional psychologists to evaluate people who believe there are processed, most have some psychological problem but not all and psychologists are present as well at exorcisms and some left the profession after being involved with the exorcism then, very few do stay as an psychologist for exorcisms. It scares the hell out of them, that is why.
    People excuse the paranormal under psychological terms for it saying it is all in their head but a few cases do prove the rule, just because we can’t explain it doesn’t mean we should ignore it or excuse it until when we can find an excuse that makes us feel that when we know what it is, in terms that we can explain what it is? Once we can explain it then we accept it because knowledge gives us control over it or a feeling of control anyway?

    1
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    Mute Nicko Byrne
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    Oct 30th 2015, 9:05 PM

    Ohh the yanks at there scaremongering again

    10
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    Mute jenni
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    Oct 30th 2015, 8:56 PM

    Americas ‘most haunted’ season. Does anyone know if we can watch it over here live?

    5
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    Mute Nicko Byrne
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    Oct 30th 2015, 9:47 PM

    Hahahaha is this real or what? Who’s a believer of this? Lmao them yanks are high on pumpkin pie Wahahaha

    5
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    Mute jenni
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    Oct 30th 2015, 9:01 PM

    to the one person that is red thumbing everyone…we know you are red thumbing….whhhhhaaaaaaaaa!

    5
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    Mute casey
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    Oct 31st 2015, 2:49 AM

    Are you sure it’s a living person? Or a spirit? Ohhhh ohhhh :) why haven’t they come up with a most haunted for Ireland.

    7
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    Mute Michael Sands
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    Oct 31st 2015, 5:25 PM

    Leap Castle?

    1
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    Mute Chris O Neill Cabra
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    Oct 31st 2015, 8:49 AM

    I wish he would exorcise some of the demonic policies that are currently being waged against the Irish people by this Satanic gubbermint!

    3
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    Mute Tony Stack
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    Oct 30th 2015, 11:13 PM

    Load of balls

    3
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    Mute Aiden Kellegher
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    Oct 31st 2015, 10:12 AM

    Derren Brown did a brilliant special on ghost hunters. This clip sums up what exorcisms actually are. https://youtu.be/VfWst2y54Ik

    1
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    Mute Michael Sands
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    Oct 31st 2015, 5:30 PM

    http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/tv/showtracker/la-et-st-exorcism-live-destination-america-halloween-discovery-20150730-story.html
    The picture to this story here is funny as the girl (Blair) levitates the 2 priests are staring up the girls dress, but yet it was the 70s when the film was made lol.

    1
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    Mute Michael Sands
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    Oct 31st 2015, 5:11 PM

    That should create a lovely mass procession or haunting then, turn peoples TV’s into processed ouija boards…
    http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-3297686/A-spooky-coincidence-Terrifying-SKULL-COMET-set-near-miss-Earth-Halloween-don-t-panic-310-000-miles-away.html

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    Mute Tom Collins
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    Oct 30th 2015, 11:48 PM

    Is there a link

    1
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