It’s the stuff of literal nightmares. Imagine moving into a new home, desperate for a fresh start while your child battles a terminal illness, only to find out you're sleeping on top of an old mortuary. That’s the hook. Most people know The Haunting in Connecticut series through the lens of Hollywood—lots of CGI, jump scares, and things crawling out of walls. But if you dig into what actually happened in Southington and Georgia, the reality is a lot messier. And honestly? It's way more unsettling because there aren't any neat resolutions when the credits roll.
The franchise basically centers on two "true" stories: the 2009 film starring Vera Farmiga and the 2013 sequel about a family in Georgia. Both claim to be "based on true events." That phrase does a lot of heavy lifting in the horror industry. In this case, it links back to the Snedeker family and the Wyrick family. Their accounts were championed by the legendary (and controversial) paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren. Whether you believe in ghosts or you're a hardcore skeptic, the cultural footprint of these cases is massive. They changed how we look at "haunted house" tropes forever.
What Really Happened in the Snedeker House?
The first film in The Haunting in Connecticut series focuses on the Snedeker family. In 1986, Allen and Carmen Snedeker moved into a large white house on Meriden Avenue in Southington, Connecticut. They needed to be closer to UConn Health Center where their son, Philip, was receiving treatment for Hodgkin’s lymphoma. They didn't know it was a former funeral home. At least, not right away.
The discovery was gruesome. Carmen found tools in the basement—body lifts, blood drains, and toe tags. Soon, the family reported terrifying phenomena. They claimed they smelled rotting flesh. They heard the sounds of "coffin handles" rattling. Most disturbingly, they alleged physical assaults by demonic entities. Philip’s personality supposedly shifted, becoming dark and aggressive, which some attributed to the illness or medication, while the family blamed the house.
The Warren Connection
Enter Ed and Lorraine Warren. By the mid-80s, they were already famous for the Amityville case. They brought in a team and eventually a priest to perform an exorcism on the property. The Warrens concluded the house was infested with demons because the former morticians had allegedly engaged in necrophilia.
Is there proof? Not really.
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Ray Garton, the novelist hired to write the original book In a Dark Place, has been famously vocal about his skepticism. He claimed that when he pointed out inconsistencies in the family's stories, Ed Warren told him to "make it up" and use what worked. This creates a fascinating tension. On one hand, you have a family that was clearly in deep emotional and financial distress. On the other, you have a paranormal industry built on sensationalism. The truth likely lives somewhere in the uncomfortable middle.
The Georgia Sequel: Ghosts in the Woods
The second installment of The Haunting in Connecticut series—subtitled Ghosts of Georgia—is technically not set in Connecticut at all. It follows the Wyrick family in the late 1980s. This story is different. It’s less about "demons" and more about "shadow people."
Heidi Wyrick was just a toddler when she started talking to "Mr. Gordy," an elderly man she saw in their yard. Her parents, Lisa and Andy, initially thought it was an imaginary friend. Then Heidi started describing him in detail—wearing a suit, with blood on his hands. It turned out a man named James Gordy had actually lived on the property years prior.
The film takes massive liberties. It introduces a subplot about the Underground Railroad and a "Stationmaster" who performed experiments. In reality, the Wyrick case was more of a long-term haunting. Heidi continued to see figures well into her adulthood. Unlike the first movie’s explosive ending, the Georgia case is a quiet, persistent mystery. It’s about a girl who saw things others couldn't, a trait she allegedly inherited from her mother.
Why These Stories Keep Us Up at Night
There is a specific psychological dread at play here. The The Haunting in Connecticut series taps into our fear of the "unclean." The idea that a space meant for the living was previously saturated with the dead.
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Think about the basement.
In the Southington house, the basement was the hub of the activity. This isn't just a horror trope; it’s a violation of the "home as a sanctuary" rule. When your child is already sick, you are at your most vulnerable. Horror thrives on that vulnerability.
Critics often point to the "cancer connection" in the first story. Philip Snedeker was on heavy medication. Some experts, like those interviewed by Skeptical Inquirer, suggest that his visions were side effects of his treatment. But the family maintains their experience was external. They weren't just "seeing" things; they were experiencing them together. That shared trauma is what makes the narrative so sticky.
Fact vs. Hollywood Fiction
If you're watching The Haunting in Connecticut series for historical accuracy, you’re going to be disappointed. Hollywood loves a "monster."
- The Mortuary: In the movie, the bodies are hidden in the walls. In reality, it was just a basement with equipment.
- The Ectoplasm: The film shows "ectoplasm" coming out of the son’s mouth. This is a callback to 19th-century spiritualism, not something reported by the Snedekers in their actual accounts.
- The Resolution: The movie ends with the house burning down and the evil being purged. The real house still stands. People live there today. They generally report that it’s a perfectly normal, quiet home.
The Georgia sequel is even more exaggerated. The real Heidi Wyrick never dealt with a "Stationmaster" monster. Her experiences were far more psychological and visionary.
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The Legacy of the Series
Despite the controversies, The Haunting in Connecticut series remains a staple of the genre. It bridges the gap between the "classic" hauntings of the 70s and the modern "Conjur-verse" style of filmmaking. It reminds us that we are fascinated by the "hidden history" of where we live.
Every old house has a story. Most of them are boring. But the idea that your floorboards might have seen things they shouldn't have? That’s why people still search for these movies 15 years later. It’s not about the jump scares. It’s about the lingering doubt.
You look at your own basement. You wonder.
How to Explore This Properly
If you actually want to understand the lore without the Hollywood filter, don't just stop at the movies.
- Read "In a Dark Place" by Ray Garton: But keep in mind his own warnings about the factual nature of the content. It’s a masterclass in how "true" horror stories are constructed.
- Watch the "A Haunting" Pilot: The Discovery Channel series A Haunting actually started with the Snedeker case. It features interviews with the real family members and feels much more grounded (and arguably creepier) than the big-budget film.
- Check the Local Archives: If you're a real nerd for this stuff, the Southington local records regarding the Hallahan Funeral Home offer a glimpse into the actual business that operated there before the Snedekers moved in.
The The Haunting in Connecticut series isn't just a pair of movies. It’s a case study in how we process grief, illness, and the unknown. Whether it was ghosts, demons, or just a family under extreme stress, the legend of the house on Meriden Avenue isn't going anywhere. It’s baked into the soil of New England folklore now.
Next time you're house hunting, maybe just... check the basement for floor drains first. Just in case.