5 Chilling Facts About The Real Story Of The Conjuring: What Happened To The Perron Family?

The 2013 horror film *The Conjuring* captivated audiences worldwide with its claim of being "based on a true story," launching one of the most successful horror franchises in cinema history. As of late 2025, the legacy continues with the upcoming film *The Conjuring: Last Rites*, but the chilling foundation of the entire universe remains the 1971 haunting of the Perron family in Harrisville, Rhode Island. While the movie is a masterclass in cinematic terror, the actual events—as recounted by the family and investigators—are a complicated mix of alleged demonic possession, historical distortion, and enduring controversy.

This deep dive explores the real-life people and events that inspired the first film, separating Hollywood fiction from the unsettling reality of the Arnold Estate haunting. We look at what the Perron family truly experienced, the historical truth behind the alleged witch Bathsheba Sherman, and the long shadow of doubt cast over the famed paranormal investigators, Ed and Lorraine Warren.

The Real-Life Cast of The Conjuring: A Profile

The first *Conjuring* film centers on two families: the victims and the investigators. Here is a biographical snapshot of the key individuals involved in the 1971 case.

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• Roger Perron (Father): Moved his family to the country seeking a simpler life. He was often skeptical but ultimately became a witness to the alleged events.
• Carolyn Perron (Mother): The primary target of the most aggressive entity, as depicted in the film. She suffered physical and psychological distress, culminating in an alleged possession attempt.
• The Perron Daughters (Andrea, Nancy, Christine, Cindy, and April): The five girls experienced various forms of paranormal activity, from playful spirits to terrifying encounters. Andrea Perron became the family's chronicler, writing the book series *House of Darkness, House of Light* (2011), which serves as the primary source material.
• Ed Warren (1926–2006): A self-taught demonologist and veteran of the U.S. Navy. He co-founded the New England Society for Psychic Research (NESPR) with his wife.
• Lorraine Warren (1927–2019): A self-proclaimed clairvoyant and medium. She claimed to be able to communicate with the spirits and demons Ed investigated.
• Bathsheba Sherman (1812–1885): The historical figure alleged to be the demonic spirit haunting the house. She was a real resident of Harrisville, Rhode Island, but the "witch" narrative is largely debated by historians and even the Perron family today.

The Perron family purchased the 14-room farmhouse, known as the Arnold Estate, in January 1971, moving from the suburbs to the rural tranquility of Harrisville. They lived in the house for a harrowing nine years, from 1971 to 1980, before they could afford to move out.

The Terrifying Truth: What Really Happened to the Perron Family?

While the movie compresses the events into a short, intense period, the Perron family's real-life ordeal spanned nearly a decade. The haunting began subtly, with unexplained noises and odd occurrences, before escalating into something far more malevolent.

Initial Encounters and Friendly Spirits

According to Andrea Perron’s accounts, the house was initially populated by numerous spirits, most of whom were harmless or even friendly. The girls often encountered a spirit they called "Manny," a friendly ghost who would sometimes play pranks. The family believed the house was home to at least 20 different entities, many of whom were former residents of the property.

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The Escalation to Malevolence

The activity took a dark turn when a few spirits began to exhibit aggressive behavior. The most feared entity was the one that allegedly haunted the mother, Carolyn Perron. This spirit, which the Warrens later identified as Bathsheba, was said to be possessive of the home and resented Carolyn as a new maternal figure.

• Physical Attacks: Carolyn Perron claimed to feel a cold, putrid presence around her. In one of the most disturbing accounts, she described an entity pinching and slapping her, leaving a visible bruise on her hip.
• Levitation and Odors: The family reported objects moving on their own, beds shaking violently, and the pervasive smell of rotting flesh filling rooms for no discernible reason.
• The Possession Attempt: The film's climax, where Carolyn is possessed, is based on a real event. Lorraine Warren claimed to have witnessed Carolyn speaking in a non-human language and levitating from her chair during a séance-like session. This event, which deeply traumatized Roger Perron, was the catalyst for him demanding the Warrens leave the property.

Crucially, Andrea Perron has stated that while the movie captures the essence of their fear, it is "about 95 percent fiction and about five percent hard truth." The family's real trauma was a slow, exhausting erosion of their peace over nine years, not a single, intense confrontation.

Separating Fact from Fiction: The Warrens, Bathsheba, and Controversy

The narrative of *The Conjuring* is built on the credibility of the Warrens and the identity of the haunting entity. However, a closer look reveals significant historical and ethical questions that continue to plague the case.

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The Real Bathsheba Sherman

The film portrays Bathsheba Sherman as a Satan-worshipping witch who sacrificed her baby and cursed the land. The historical record tells a different story. Bathsheba Sherman was a real woman who lived on the property in the mid-19th century. She married Judson Sherman in 1844 and had four children, one of whom died in infancy, a common tragedy for the era.

Historians and modern researchers, including Andrea Perron herself, have investigated the claims and found no credible evidence that Bathsheba was a witch, a Satanist, or guilty of the crimes alleged in the film. The narrative of her being a malevolent entity may be a historical smear campaign that was sensationalized by the Warrens and later by Hollywood.

The Enduring Controversy of Ed and Lorraine Warren

Ed and Lorraine Warren are portrayed as heroic figures in the film, but their reputation in the paranormal community is highly contentious. Critics and skeptics have long accused the couple of fabricating evidence, sensationalizing cases, and exploiting vulnerable families for financial gain through books, lectures, and media attention.

The most damning allegations concern Ed Warren's personal life, including claims of an extra-marital affair with an underage girl, which his wife Lorraine was allegedly aware of. These controversies, which were largely ignored by the film franchise, paint a complex and often darker picture of the people at the center of the *Conjuring* universe.

Many in the paranormal community view the Warrens as "frauds" who used their influence to turn alleged hauntings into profitable media spectacles, often exaggerating or inventing details to fit a demonic possession narrative.

The Conjuring’s Legacy: From Rhode Island to Last Rites

Despite the controversies, the 1971 Perron haunting has become a cultural touchstone, setting the stage for an entire cinematic universe. The franchise has continued to draw from the Warrens' case files, moving beyond the Arnold Estate to other famous (and infamous) investigations.

The Expanding Universe of Terror

The *Conjuring* universe has explored other cases investigated by the Warrens, including the Enfield Poltergeist (*The Conjuring 2*) and the trial of Arne Cheyenne Johnson (*The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It*). Each film maintains the core theme of a family terrorized by a demonic entity and the Warrens' role as spiritual saviors.

The Latest Chapter: The Smurl Haunting

The most recent and final installment of the core franchise, *The Conjuring: Last Rites* (upcoming as of late 2025), is based on the alleged haunting of the Smurl family in Pennsylvania in the mid-1980s. The Smurls claimed they were terrorized by a demonic presence that caused physical abuse, foul odors, and even an alleged sexual assault. The case, like the Perron haunting, was highly publicized and remains one of the most disturbing in the Warrens' history, demonstrating the franchise's commitment to mining their case files for new, terrifying stories.

Ultimately, the "real story" of *The Conjuring* is a deeply personal, terrifying memory for the Perron family, a disputed historical account for Bathsheba Sherman, and a highly controversial legacy for Ed and Lorraine Warren. While the film may be 95% fiction, the 5% truth—a family living in fear for nine years—is arguably the most chilling element of all.