7 Terrifying Facts About The Conjuring: Last Rites' True Story: The Smurl Family Haunting

The Conjuring: Last Rites, the latest and potentially final chapter in the main Conjuring saga, dives into one of Ed and Lorraine Warren’s most notorious and disturbing cases. As of December 2025, the film is generating significant buzz for its focus on a haunting that pushed the boundaries of public and religious skepticism: the Smurl family haunting. This new installment promises to explore the dark, controversial, and media-frenzied events that allegedly took place in a quiet Pennsylvania duplex.

The film centers on the alleged real-life experiences of the Smurl family, a case that spanned over a decade and involved claims of demonic activity, physical assault, and an unprecedented media circus. Unlike some of the Warrens’ earlier, more contained investigations, the Smurl case became a national sensation, challenging the Catholic Church and baffling local authorities. This deep dive uncovers the seven most terrifying and crucial facts about the true story that inspired *The Conjuring: Last Rites*.

The Smurl Family Haunting: A Complete True Story Profile

The true story that forms the backbone of *The Conjuring: Last Rites* involves a family whose claims of demonic oppression became a cultural phenomenon in the mid-1980s. The timeline of the alleged activity is crucial to understanding the case's escalation.

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• Primary Location: West Pittston, Pennsylvania, specifically a two-family duplex at 330 Chase Street.
• Family Members: Jack Smurl, Janet Smurl, their two daughters (Dawn Smurl and Heather Smurl), and Jack's parents, Mary Smurl and John Smurl (although John's involvement is less cited than Mary's).
• Timeline of Haunting: The family moved into the duplex in 1973 after their previous home was damaged by Hurricane Agnes. Minor phenomena allegedly began around 1974, but the terrifying and "demonic-driven terror" escalated significantly from 1985 to 1986.
• Paranormal Claims: Included unexplained noises, foul odors, levitating objects, mysterious marks on walls, extreme temperature drops, and the appearance of full-bodied apparitions.
• The Warrens' Involvement: Ed and Lorraine Warren were called in to investigate in 1986.
• Previous Adaptations: The case was the subject of the 1986 book, The Haunted: One Family's Nightmare, co-authored by Robert Curran, Jack Smurl, and Janet Smurl, and a 1991 made-for-TV movie, The Haunted, starring Jeffrey DeMunn and Sally Kirkland.

1. The Haunting Began as a Poltergeist, But Escalated to Demonic Assault

The initial events experienced by the Smurl family were typical of a poltergeist haunting, starting shortly after they moved into the home in 1973. These early phenomena included footsteps in empty rooms, unexplained scratching sounds, and the appearance of black masses.

However, the nature of the alleged activity dramatically changed in 1985, moving from simple disturbances to malicious, demonic-driven terror. The family claimed the house was inhabited by a powerful demon and three lesser spirits. This escalation is a key component that separates the Smurl case from many other alleged hauntings investigated by the Warrens.

The intensity of the attacks became physically and psychologically damaging. Jack Smurl, in particular, claimed he was sexually assaulted by a demonic entity on multiple occasions. Janet Smurl also reported hearing voices and seeing a shadowy figure that would disappear when approached. The terror was so pervasive that Jack's mother, Mary Smurl, allegedly suffered a heart attack due to the stress.

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2. The Catholic Church Refused to Sanction an Exorcism

One of the most contentious aspects of the Smurl case was the family's struggle to receive help from the Catholic Church. The Smurls, being devout Catholics, initially turned to their local clergy.

Father Raymond Karciak and Monsignor Francis Cain were among the clergy who attempted to assist the family by performing house blessings. However, the Roman Catholic Diocese of Scranton ultimately refused to sanction an official exorcism. The Church’s reluctance was primarily due to the intense public scrutiny and the extreme skepticism that surrounded the highly publicized case, with clergy demanding more concrete proof than the family could provide.

This rejection forced the Smurl family to seek outside help, leading them to the controversial figures of Ed and Lorraine Warren. The movie *The Conjuring: Last Rites* is expected to dramatically portray this conflict between the family's desperate need for spiritual intervention and the Church's institutional caution.

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3. Ed and Lorraine Warren Confirmed the Demonic Presence

Paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren took on the Smurl case in 1986. After their investigation, the Warrens publicly agreed that the phenomena at 330 Chase Street were genuine and attributed them to a demonic presence.

Lorraine Warren, known for her clairvoyant abilities, claimed to have seen a dark, malevolent entity inside the West Pittston home. The Warrens’ involvement instantly thrust the Smurl family into the national media spotlight, including appearances on shows like Larry King Live.

The Warrens’ conclusion was that the family was being tormented by a demon, which they claimed could be smelled through a foul odor of sulfur, a common sign in their cases. This high-profile endorsement from the Warrens cemented the Smurl case as one of the most famous and, to critics, most questionable paranormal claims of the era.

4. The Case Sparked a Massive Media Frenzy and Public Skepticism

The Smurl haunting quickly became a sensation, drawing international media attention. The public nature of the family’s claims, including the graphic details of the alleged demonic assaults, led to a massive media frenzy. However, the attention was a double-edged sword.

While the Smurls gained advocates, they also faced intense scrutiny and skepticism from the public, media, and scientific community. Many critics and scientists suggested the phenomena could be explained by natural causes, misidentification, or even psychological factors. The intense pressure and lack of definitive, repeatable proof led to the Smurl family being widely ridiculed in some circles, compounding their distress.

5. The Haunting Allegedly Followed the Family After They Moved

In a desperate attempt to escape the torment, the Smurl family moved out of the duplex on Chase Street. However, the alleged demonic activity did not immediately cease. The Smurls claimed that the entity, or entities, followed them to their new residence.

This is a chilling detail that suggests the haunting was not tied to the physical location of the house, but rather to the family itself, a concept that is a recurring theme in the *Conjuring* universe. The activity eventually subsided after the family performed their own spiritual cleansings and sought non-denominational help, though the exact timeline of the haunting’s end remains debated.

6. The Case Was Already a Movie Before The Conjuring

The notoriety of the Smurl case was so significant that it was adapted into a book and a film long before *The Conjuring: Last Rites* was conceived. The 1988 book, The Haunted: One Family's Nightmare, detailed the traumatic events.

Just a few years later, in 1991, the story was made into a popular made-for-TV movie simply titled *The Haunted*. This earlier adaptation focused heavily on the perspective of Janet Smurl and highlighted the family's struggle for credibility. The existence of this prior film underscores how infamous the Smurl haunting was in the world of paranormal investigation, making it a fitting, and arguably most disturbing, final case for the core *Conjuring* franchise.

7. The Case is Rumored to Force the Warrens into Retirement

While *The Conjuring: Last Rites* is confirmed to be the final main installment in the franchise, the true story behind it is often cited in paranormal circles as the case that nearly broke the Warrens. The sheer media backlash, the intense nature of the demonic claims, and the professional scrutiny from the Catholic Church and skeptics made the Smurl case one of the most draining and controversial of their entire career.

The film title, *Last Rites*, hints at a finality, suggesting the movie will depict the immense spiritual and personal toll the Smurl haunting took on Ed and Lorraine Warren, potentially leading to their fictionalized "retirement" from the most extreme cases. This narrative choice gives the film an emotional weight, suggesting that even the world’s most famous demonologists had a limit to the darkness they could face.