The Smurl Family's Demonic Haunting
A Fifteen Year Battle with the Darkness in a Pennsylvania Home
Case File: The Smurl Haunting
Case No.: 35SH-1974-PA
Classification: Haunting – Demonic Activity
Location: West Pittston, Pennsylvania, USA
Date of Incident: 1974 – 1989
Filed by: Smurl Family, Investigated by Ed and Lorraine Warren
Status: Closed – Phenomena Documented, Explanation Inconclusive
Author’s Note
With the upcoming release of The Conjuring: Last Rites, which draws its inspiration from the true events of the Smurl family haunting, we felt it was the perfect time to revisit this case in full. Our aim is to present the story as it was told by those who lived it, keeping the facts intact while giving readers the complete scope of the ordeal.
While the new film will bring this haunting to life for a modern audience, it is important to remember that Hollywood adaptations often compress timelines, heighten the drama, and add fictional elements for storytelling purposes. The real events, as documented by the Smurl family, witnesses, clergy, and investigators, spanned fifteen long years and carried a weight of fear and exhaustion that no two-hour film can fully capture.
This account is not a retelling for entertainment’s sake. It is a record of what was claimed to have happened inside that West Pittston duplex, from the first unsettling noises to the final exorcism that brought silence. As the Smurl haunting returns to the spotlight, we hope this detailed version will help readers see the difference between the story on screen and the story that has lived on in paranormal history for decades.
This story has long fascinated me ever since I first read The Haunted, the book written by Ed and Lorraine Warren with journalist Robert Curran. That account, published in 1988 while the events were still fresh in memory, painted an unflinching picture of the relentless nature of the haunting and the emotional toll it took on the Smurl family.
Reading that book, I was struck not only by the reported phenomena but also by the persistence of those involved. The Smurls’ refusal to give up their home, the Warrens’ repeated attempts to intervene, and the unwavering involvement of clergy all created a sense of a prolonged, exhausting siege. It was clear that whether one believed every detail or not, the family endured something that changed them forever.
That first reading stayed with me for years, and each time the case resurfaces, whether in documentaries, interviews, or now a major motion picture, I am reminded of the claustrophobic tension in those pages and the human resilience at the heart of the story. It remains, for me, one of the most compelling and unsettling hauntings ever recorded.
Incident Summary
The Smurl Haunting is one of the most infamous cases of alleged demonic activity in the United States, spanning nearly fifteen years and involving a relentless series of disturbances, violent attacks, and multiple exorcisms.
Jack and Janet Smurl moved into a duplex at 328–330 Chase Street in West Pittston, Pennsylvania, in 1973. They shared the property with Jack’s parents, living in the other half of the house. At first, the arrangement was ideal. But within months, strange and troubling events began to disrupt the household.
Initially, the disturbances were small: strange knocking sounds, foul smells with no source, and moving shadows glimpsed out of the corner of the eye. Over time, the activity intensified to include physical assaults, levitations, disembodied voices, and terrifying apparitions.
The case drew the attention of famed paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren, who concluded the family was dealing with a powerful, non-human entity intent on destroying them. Their involvement, along with local clergy, neighbours, and eventually the press, transformed the Smurl haunting into one of the most documented and debated paranormal cases in modern American history.
The story has returned to public attention with the upcoming film The Conjuring: Last Rites, which is based on these events. While the movie follows the basic outline of the haunting, it condenses the timeline, dramatizes key moments, and introduces fictionalised elements for cinematic impact.
Phenomena Overview
The Smurls documented a wide range of phenomena, often witnessed by guests, neighbours, and even visiting clergy.
Unexplained Noises: Loud bangs, raps, and scratching sounds echoed through the walls and ceilings at all hours. At times, the noise resembled the sound of heavy furniture being dragged across the floor, though nothing was ever found disturbed.
Foul Odors and Temperature Drops: A smell like rotting flesh or decomposing garbage would suddenly fill rooms. These odours often coincided with sudden cold spots that would drop the temperature by several degrees in seconds.
Moving Objects and Poltergeist Activity: Furniture and household items moved without explanation. Television sets switched on and off, kitchen appliances operated by themselves, and small objects were hurled across rooms.
Disembodied Voices and Growls: Whispering voices called the family members by name. Low growls, guttural mutterings, and mocking laughter were heard by multiple witnesses.
Apparitions and Shadow Figures: Dark, humanoid shapes appeared in hallways and bedrooms, sometimes with glowing red eyes. The most terrifying was a black, featureless mass that seemed to float or glide through rooms, often vanishing through walls.
Physical Attacks: Jack and Janet were scratched, slapped, and in some cases, sexually assaulted by the entity. Jack claimed to be attacked by a succubus-like presence that pinned him down in bed.
Levitations and Violent Force: Objects floated into the air before being hurled with great force. Janet reported one incident in which she was lifted several feet off the floor and thrown across the bedroom.
Electromagnetic Disturbances: Electrical equipment failed without cause. Lightbulbs popped in their sockets, radios emitted static before turning off, and televisions flicked between channels on their own.
Investigation Overview
Initial Encounters and Documentation
The Smurls began keeping a written log of each incident. Their records show the activity grew more aggressive over the years. Neighbours reported hearing the same noises and even smelling the same foul odours when visiting.
The Warrens’ Involvement (1979–1986)
After several years of enduring the phenomena, the Smurls contacted Ed and Lorraine Warren. The Warrens conducted multiple visits, bringing recording equipment, blessed objects, and holy water. Lorraine, a self-described clairvoyant, reported sensing the presence of four spirits: a harmless elderly woman, a young and violent girl, a man who had committed suicide, and a powerful demonic entity controlling the others.
The Warrens believed the demon’s goal was to break the family spiritually, emotionally, and physically.
Religious Intervention
Several Catholic priests were called to bless the house and perform minor rites of exorcism. Each time, the activity would subside for a few days or weeks before returning with greater ferocity.
Media Exposure (1986)
In 1986, the case was covered by the local newspaper, The Times Leader. The article triggered national interest and television coverage, including interviews with the family and the Warrens. While the attention brought support from believers, it also attracted scepticism and accusations of fabrication.
Final Attempts to Rid the Entity (1987–1989)
The Diocese eventually authorised a full exorcism. By 1989, after years of religious intervention, the activity finally stopped. The Smurls eventually moved away, and no further disturbances were reported.
Press Coverage and Public Reaction
The Smurl haunting became one of the most publicised Warren cases. It was adapted into the 1991 made-for-TV film The Haunted, which closely followed the family’s accounts. The case has since been debated in books, documentaries, and now in The Conjuring: Last Rites.
Sceptics have argued that the Warrens exaggerated elements for publicity, while others suggest the events were real but misinterpreted. Believers point to the consistency of the Smurls’ testimony, the corroboration from multiple witnesses, and the fact that the family never financially profited from their story.
The Story
When Jack and Janet Smurl moved into their West Pittston home in 1973, they were newlyweds with modest hopes: a quiet life, a stable home, and a safe place to raise their family. They shared the duplex with Jack’s parents, which meant built-in support and a close-knit family environment.
At first, it was everything they wanted. Then the noises began.
Light footsteps would move across empty rooms. Cupboards opened by themselves. At night, low thumps came from inside the walls. Soon the smells began — an overpowering stench of decay that lingered for minutes before vanishing as suddenly as it came.
By 1974, the phenomena had intensified. Shadows gathered in the corners of rooms, moving with unnatural purpose. Electrical devices malfunctioned daily. At times, the air in the house would grow so cold that their breath was visible indoors.
One night, Jack awoke to find himself pinned down by an unseen force. The room was silent, but he could feel the weight pressing into his chest and cold hands gripping his wrists. He fought to move but couldn’t. Then, as quickly as it came, it was gone. Janet’s experiences were no less terrifying. She recalled waking to find herself lifted into the air before being hurled against the bedroom wall.
By the late 1970s, their once-happy home felt like a siege. Friends and neighbours witnessed strange events. Some refused to return. Desperate for answers, the Smurls reached out to Ed and Lorraine Warren, who immediately identified the presence as demonic.
For the next decade, the family lived in When Jack and Janet Smurl moved into their West Pittston duplex in 1973, they were newlyweds with modest hopes: a quiet life, a stable home, and a safe place to raise their family. Jack’s parents lived on the other side of the house, creating a sense of closeness and built-in support. For a time, everything was as they had imagined.
Then the noises began.
At first, they were small and easy to dismiss. Light footsteps crossed empty rooms. Cupboards opened on their own. At night, soft but deliberate thumps came from inside the walls, like something heavy was knocking from within. They blamed it on plumbing, old wood, or drafts. But soon came the smells. An overpowering stench of decay seemed to saturate the air, linger for minutes, and vanish without a trace. They searched every inch of the house for the source and found nothing.
By 1974, the activity had shifted from curious to menacing. Shadows began to gather in the corners of rooms, moving with an intelligence that made the hair on the back of their necks stand up. Electrical devices failed in strange bursts: radios playing static at full volume in the dead of night, the television switching channels on its own, stopping on an empty screen that hummed low and steady. Sometimes, the air in the house dropped so sharply in temperature that they could see their breath hanging in the room.
One warm summer night, Jack awoke to a crushing weight pressing into his chest. His arms and legs would not respond. Cold, damp hands gripped his wrists with such force that he could feel each finger digging in. He tried to cry out for Janet, but no sound left his throat. Just as panic set in, the weight was gone, leaving him gasping in the darkness. Janet had her own terror. One night she awoke to find herself lifted from the bed by an invisible force, suspended in the air for a moment before being violently hurled against the bedroom wall. The impact left her bruised and shaken, too frightened to return to sleep.
Through the late 1970s, the house transformed from a home into a place under siege. Friends and neighbours witnessed strange events: crucifixes swinging on their own, dark figures crossing doorways, and the same foul odours that Jack and Janet had endured for years. Some visitors refused to come back. The constant unease began to wear on the marriage, and their children started reporting their own experiences, seeing dark figures in their rooms and hearing their names whispered in the dark.
Desperate for help, the Smurls contacted Ed and Lorraine Warren in 1979. The Warrens did not hesitate. From their first visit, Lorraine claimed she could sense several spirits in the house, a harmless elderly woman, a violent young girl, a man who had taken his own life, and an inhuman force controlling the rest. Ed believed the demonic presence’s goal was simple: to destroy the family piece by piece.
The Warrens came armed with crucifixes, holy water, and recording equipment. They documented knocks that seemed to respond to questions, captured chilling growls and distorted voices on tape, and watched objects move without human contact. Yet every attempt to bless the home or perform an exorcism seemed to provoke a fresh wave of violence.
The years passed in a relentless cycle. Priests would bless the home, and for a few days the air would feel lighter. Then the activity would return worse than before, as if the entity was mocking their efforts. Janet once heard a guttural voice growl her name so close to her ear that she felt its breath. Jack suffered repeated night-time assaults, describing the sensation of something lying on top of him, pressing the air from his lungs. The children became too frightened to sleep alone, and even the family dog barked at empty spaces in the room.
By the mid-1980s, the haunting was no longer subtle. The black mass appeared more often, gliding silently down hallways before vanishing through the walls. Heavy furniture slid across rooms in full view of witnesses. One night, a crucifix was ripped from the living room wall and hurled into the kitchen, landing with a loud metallic clang. Neighbours heard screams and bangs coming from the house at all hours, sometimes when the Smurls were not even home.
The final years were the most intense. The attacks became more physical, more invasive, and more public. Jack claimed to be assaulted by a succubus-like figure, and Janet endured violent shoves and scratches. The smell of rotting flesh would flood a room, followed by an oppressive silence, as if the house itself were holding its breath.
In 1989, after a final exorcism sanctioned by the Catholic Church, the activity stopped. No more smells. No more shadows. No more pounding in the walls. The silence was almost disorienting after so many years of chaos. The family moved away, leaving behind the duplex and the memories that would haunt them for the rest of their lives.
For fifteen years, they had lived with something they could neither see nor understand. They left with more questions than answers, their story forever lodged between belief and disbelief, between faith and fear.cycles of hope and despair. Priests blessed the home, only for the activity to return worse than before. The Warrens recorded unexplained knocks and captured chilling EVPs. Janet once heard a guttural voice growl her name directly into her ear. Jack suffered repeated night attacks, describing the presence as predatory and mocking.
The final years of the haunting were the worst. The black mass appeared more frequently, gliding silently through hallways. Heavy furniture slid across the floor without being touched. One night, a crucifix was ripped from the wall and hurled into the kitchen.
By 1989, after a final series of exorcisms, the house fell silent. The Smurls left, carrying the emotional scars of fifteen years of fear.