Hollywood loves a good scare, and The Conjuring franchise has basically become the gold standard for modern supernatural horror. But behind the jump scares and the dramatic cinematography of the upcoming film, there is a gritty, deeply uncomfortable reality. Most people assume these movies are total fiction or loosely based on a campfire tale. Honestly, though, the The Conjuring Last Rites real story is rooted in the 1974 Smurl haunting, a case that Ed and Lorraine Warren considered one of the most terrifying of their careers.
It wasn’t just a ghost in the attic. Not even close.
Jack and Janet Smurl weren't looking for fame. They were just a regular couple who moved into a duplex on Chase Street in West Pittston, Pennsylvania. They wanted a quiet life. They got a decade of psychological and physical warfare instead. If you've followed the Warrens' files, you know they dealt with a lot of "standard" hauntings—knocks, cold spots, things moving. But the Smurl case was different because of the sheer level of violence. This wasn't a "bumps in the night" situation; it was an all-out assault on a family's sanity.
The Chase Street Nightmare Begins
The haunting didn't start with a demonic roar. It started small. A stain on a wallpaper that wouldn't go away. A television that burst into flames for no reason. A dripping sink that defied every plumber who looked at it. You’ve probably experienced a weird house quirk before, right? You ignore it. You tell yourself the house is just "settling." The Smurls did that for years. But by 1985, the activity shifted from annoying to life-threatening.
Jack Smurl reported being sexually assaulted by a succubus. Janet was thrown across rooms. Even their dog, a German Shepherd named Paddy, was reportedly attacked by unseen forces. This is the part of the The Conjuring Last Rites real story that usually gets toned down for PG-13 audiences, but the reality was visceral and ugly. The house smelled like rotting flesh. The air would turn ice cold in seconds.
People often ask why they didn't just leave. It’s a fair question. Honestly, they were broke. They had put everything into that duplex. Plus, Jack Smurl was a deeply religious man who believed that running wouldn't solve a spiritual problem. He thought he had to stay and fight.
The Warrens Step In
When Ed and Lorraine Warren arrived in West Pittston, they weren't the polished cinematic versions played by Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga. They were paranormal investigators with a heavy caseload and a lot of skeptics breathing down their necks. Ed, a self-taught demonologist, and Lorraine, a clairvoyant, spent significant time in the Smurl home.
Their assessment? It wasn't a ghost. It was a demonic infestation involving four distinct entities.
- A "harmless" spirit that mostly just hung around.
- An old man who seemed confused.
- A violent, chaotic spirit.
- A powerful demon that controlled the others.
The Warrens claimed to have heard the entities growling and felt the floorboards vibrate. At one point, Ed Warren even claimed he saw a dark, shapeless mass manifest in the hallway. This wasn't a "haunted house" in the traditional sense; it was a localized spiritual battleground.
The Church’s Role and the Failed Exorcisms
One of the most frustrating aspects of the The Conjuring Last Rites real story is the conflict with the Catholic Church. The Smurls were devout Catholics. They reached out to the Diocese of Scranton repeatedly. They wanted an official exorcism. They wanted the Church to take it seriously.
Instead, they got hesitation.
The Church has a very strict protocol for exorcisms. You have to rule out mental illness, fraud, and natural causes first. This process takes forever. While the bureaucrats were checking boxes, the Smurls were living in a house where furniture flew through the air. Eventually, a priest named Father Alphonse Trabold from St. Bonaventure University performed several "blessings" and "deliverance prayers," but the activity always returned with more intensity.
It’s a grim reality of these cases: the more you resist, the more the entity seems to escalate.
Skepticism vs. Experience
We have to talk about the skeptics. It’s important. Paul Kurtz, a prominent skeptic and professor, argued that the Smurls were suffering from collective delusions or were simply looking for a payday. He pointed out that there was no physical evidence that couldn't be explained by trickery or psychological stress.
And look, maybe he was right about some of it. But how do you explain the neighbors?
Neighbors on the other side of the duplex reported hearing screams, pounding, and the sound of furniture being dragged across floors when the Smurl side was empty. They saw shadows in the windows. It wasn't just the Smurls "seeing things." It was a localized phenomenon that bled through the walls. When multiple people who have nothing to gain start seeing the same terrifying things, you have to at least consider that something legitimate is happening.
The Ending Nobody Wanted
The Smurls eventually moved in 1987. They left the house on Chase Street behind, but the shadows followed them for a while. It wasn't like the movies where the demon is defeated and everyone lives happily ever after. The "Last Rites" title implies a finality, but in real life, spiritual trauma lingers.
Jack Smurl passed away in 2017. Until his dying day, he maintained that everything they reported was 100% true. He didn't get rich off the story. In fact, the family faced a lot of ridicule and harassment from people who thought they were crazy. If they were faking it, they did a terrible job of reaping the rewards.
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What You Can Learn from the Smurl Case
If you find yourself fascinated by the The Conjuring Last Rites real story, there are a few practical takeaways, whether you believe in demons or just like a good horror flick.
First, the power of belief—or the power of the mind—is immense. Whether the Smurl haunting was "real" in a supernatural sense or a psychological "folie à deux" doesn't change the fact that their suffering was real. Their lives were ruined by it.
Second, the Smurl case highlights the danger of "inviting" things in. According to the Warrens, the haunting may have been triggered by Jack's interest in the supernatural or even just the high emotional stress in the household. Paranormal researchers often suggest that negative energy acts like a beacon for these types of entities.
Actionable Steps for the Curious:
- Read the book: If you want the deep, unfiltered details, find a copy of The Haunted by Robert Curran. It was written with the Smurls and the Warrens. It’s way more disturbing than the movie will likely be.
- Visit West Pittston (Respectfully): The house still stands. People live there. Don't be that person who trespassed or bothers the current residents. It’s a private home, not a tourist attraction.
- Study the Warrens' archives: The New England Society for Psychic Research (NESPR) still maintains the records of the Smurl case. Looking at the original photos and witness statements provides a much more nuanced view than a two-hour film can offer.
- Check the Church records: Research the Diocese of Scranton's official statements from the mid-80s. It’s a fascinating look at how religious institutions handle claims of the supernatural in a modern, scientific world.
The Smurl haunting remains one of the most documented and debated cases in American history. It isn't just a script for a movie. It was a decade of terror for a family that just wanted a home. Whether it was a demon or a manifestation of extreme human stress, the story of Chase Street serves as a chilling reminder that some doors, once opened, are incredibly hard to close.