Inside the 1986 Demonic Haunting That Inspired “The Conjuring: Last Rites”

The Smurl family, residents of West Pittston, Pennsylvania, have become synonymous with one of the most notorious hauntings in American paranormal history. Beginning in 1985, Janet and Jack Smurl reported a series of alarming supernatural occurrences in their home, leading to a year filled with terror and distress. These claims have inspired the forthcoming film, “The Conjuring: Last Rites,” which seeks to explore their harrowing experience and the involvement of famed paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren.

In 1976, the Smurl family relocated to a duplex on Chase Street. Initially, their life there was largely uneventful until strange happenings began to unfold. A turning point occurred when a light fixture fell, injuring their daughter Shannon. This incident marked the start of a frightening sequence of events that included unsettling noises, foul odours, and physical disturbances—most notably, the family’s German shepherd, Simon, being violently thrown against a wall.

Amidst this chaos, Jack Smurl reported a particularly disturbing experience—an alleged sexual assault by a demonic entity. “Up until a year ago, I thought that these types of things only happened in movies,” Jack confided in an interview in 1986. This sentiment of disbelief was echoed by many when they first learned of the family’s claims, as the supernatural tends to be relegated to the realm of fiction, not everyday life.

The hauntings escalated to a point where the Smurls sought help from Ed and Lorraine Warren, who became prominent figures in the world of paranormal investigations. The Warrens, whose storied career included various cases of supernatural phenomena, concluded that four spirits inhabited the Smurl home: an elderly woman, a young girl with a violent streak, a male figure who had died there, and a demon that appeared to be manipulating the others.

As pressure mounted, the Smurls approached the media in hopes of garnering further assistance. They appeared on several television programs, including “Larry King Live,” and their plight was covered extensively by national outlets. This public outcry eventually led to the Warrens investigating the case in full due to the horrific details of the Smurl’s experiences.

Despite the involvement of the Warrens, who employed an array of religious rituals including exorcisms, the family continued to suffer. Jack Smurl described striking encounters with chilling drops in temperature and disembodied sounds. In 1986, Ed Warren remarked on his own experience in the house, saying, “I did not have to wait moments when the very thing I felt was a drop in temperature of at least 30-some degrees. Then, a dark mass formed about three feet in front of me.”

The Warrens’ efforts culminated in a 1986 book, “The Haunted: One Family’s Nightmare,” which later inspired a TV movie in 1991. Ultimately, the removal of the demonic presence was not attributed to the Warrens’ work but rather to a pastor from a local church. Rev. Joseph Adonizio claimed that “intense prayers” were what ultimately freed the Smurl home from its torment.

Following the turmoil, the Smurl family moved from West Pittston to nearby Wilkes-Barre. They continued to be entangled with their past, as Jack passed away in 2017, while Janet remarried before her death in January 2026. Carin Smurl, their daughter, often reflected on their experiences and became a voice for those dealing with similar traumas.

The duplex on Chase Street has remained a point of interest for many curious souls, with reports of paranormal tourism peaking during the height of the family’s plight. Local residents reported an influx of visitors and media interested in the infamous house. Yet, despite its haunted reputation, subsequent tenants reported no supernatural occurrences, debunking the myth that lingered long after the Smurls departed.

As “The Conjuring: Last Rites” approaches its release, the narrative of the Smurl family serves as a poignant reminder of the enduring legacy of fear, both in their lives and in the realm of paranormal storytelling. The film seeks to dramatise their chilling experience while acknowledging the complexity of familial struggle against unseen, malevolent forces.