The Smurl Family Haunting: Something Was Moving Through Their House

On April 9, 1985, Janet Smurl was helping her daughter Heather prepare for her confirmation when a ceiling light suddenly came crashing down. It had been secured to a beam with chains and hooks, yet somehow came loose and crashed into the kitchen table, narrowly missing the family.

The Smurls lived in a duplex on Chase Street in West Pittston, Pennsylvania. Jack and Janet shared one half with their four daughters, while Jack's parents, John and Mary, lived in the other. They had moved there in 1973 after flooding forced them from their previous home.

For years, the family had experienced strange events, but things had become much worse by the mid-1980s. Doors opened without anyone touching them, lights switched on in empty rooms, and loud knocking sounds came from inside the walls.

Whatever was happening seemed to be getting bolder. Before long, the family was hearing things that frightened them far more than a door opening by itself.

Something Was Inside the House

The Smurls began hearing heavy footsteps moving through the rooms, even when everyone was accounted for. There were strange cries that sometimes sounded human, along with noises resembling pigs grunting and hooves striking the floor.

Rooms would suddenly fill with the smell of rotten meat or burning wood. The odours were so strong that Janet sometimes struggled to remain inside, but nobody could find where they were coming from.

The accordion-style closet door in Jack and Janet's bedroom began opening and closing rapidly. Personal belongings disappeared and turned up in unexpected places, while furniture sometimes moved without anyone going near it.

Even the family's German shepherd wasn't left alone. According to the Smurls, they watched in horror as something invisible hurled the dog against a wall. The animal had no way of understanding what was happening, and neither did its owners.

The disturbances weren't limited to Jack and Janet's side of the house. His parents experienced strange activity too, leaving both households wondering what they were living with.

The nights were becoming increasingly difficult.

The Nights Became Terrifying

Jack and Janet began waking to their bed shaking beneath them. Sometimes the movement was so violent that they struggled to remain in place. Janet described being pulled from the bed by invisible hands. On other occasions, she felt something scratching or slapping her, even though nobody was standing nearby.

Jack described being attacked while kneeling in prayer, with something pulling at him as he tried to say the rosary. The family also began seeing dark shapes moving through the house. Shadowy figures appeared in rooms and hallways, often lingering before disappearing. During one encounter, a black mass seemed to form near the bedroom.

The Smurls were becoming afraid of their own home. Their daughters were frightened, Jack and Janet were exhausted, and his parents were dealing with similar experiences on the other side of the duplex. They turned to their Catholic faith for comfort. Priests visited, prayers were offered, and blessings were performed, but the activity continued.

Eventually, Janet contacted two people who had spent years investigating some of America's most famous hauntings.

Ed and Lorraine Warren Arrive

In January 1986, Ed and Lorraine Warren travelled from Connecticut to investigate the house. The couple were already known for their involvement in the Amityville case and other incidents involving suspected paranormal activity.

The Warrens listened to the family's experiences and examined the property. Lorraine, who described herself as sensitive to spiritual presences, believed that several entities were occupying the duplex.

They eventually concluded that four spirits were involved. Three were thought to be human, while the fourth was something much more dangerous.

Ed Warren believed the fourth presence was a powerful demon that had grown stronger over time. He associated it with the family's most frightening experiences and believed it could move throughout the building.

During their investigation, the Warrens described unusual sounds and changes in the atmosphere. Ed later claimed to have recordings of knocking and other disturbances, along with photographs showing strange dark shapes.

More religious ceremonies followed, including efforts by clergy to drive the presence away. But the Smurls continued describing incidents that left them afraid to go to sleep.

By August 1986, Jack and Janet had reached their limit. After years of trying to deal with the disturbances privately, they decided to tell people what had been happening inside their home.

The House That Became Famous

The Smurls' story attracted national attention almost immediately. Newspaper reporters and television crews arrived in West Pittston, hoping to speak with the family and learn more about the strange events.

Crowds gathered outside the duplex on Chase Street. Some visitors wanted to see evidence of the haunting, while others were simply curious about the house that had suddenly become famous.

Actor Jason Miller, best known for playing Father Karras in The Exorcist, even visited the property. He had grown up in nearby Scranton and was interested in hearing what the family had experienced.

For the Smurls, the attention brought a different kind of trouble. Their private lives were now being discussed across the country, and strangers regularly appeared outside their home. In October 1986, the family announced that the disturbances had finally stopped. They credited prayer and the rosary with bringing peace back into the house.

Janet described feeling a change in the atmosphere. After so many frightening nights, the family was finally able to sleep without constantly wondering what might happen.

Leaving Chase Street Behind

The Smurls eventually decided to move away from West Pittston. By early 1988, the duplex had a new owner, but its reputation was making it difficult to attract tenants.

Their experiences became the subject of The Haunted, a book by journalist Robert Curran. A television movie followed in 1991, bringing the story to people who had never heard of the little Pennsylvania town.

Decades later, the case inspired the 2025 film The Conjuring: Last Rites. The movie introduced the Smurl haunting to another generation, although the family's experiences had begun long before Hollywood became interested.