The Smurl family Haunting is a deeply unsettling and well documented case of alleged paranormal activity that unfolded in the United States. The events, which formed the basis for the film “The Haunted,” began in 1974 and persisted until 1989 in the home of Jack and Janet Smurl in West Pittston, Pennsylvania.
The Smurl residence, a double-block house on Chase Street, was shared by Jack and Janet in one half, while Jack’s parents, John and Mary, lived in the other. According to the Smurls, the first signs of paranormal activity emerged in 1974. They reported a television set bursting into flames and a mysterious stain appearing on the carpet overnight. Water pipes repeatedly leaked despite being resoldered by a plumber, and scratches resembling those from a large cat appeared on the paintwork and bathroom fittings.
By 1977, the reported events had escalated dramatically. Toilets would flush without human intervention, footsteps echoed on the stairs, chest drawers opened and closed unaided, radios worked even when unplugged, and rocking chairs rocked while empty. A pervasive sour smell filled the house, creating an atmosphere of constant unease and fear within the household.
By 1985, the situation took a more ominous turn. John and Mary Smurl claimed to hear loud, obscene language emanating from Jack and Janet’s side of the duplex, even when they were not arguing. The house often became extremely cold, and on one occasion, an icy chill swept through the home. Two days after this incident, a strange black human-shaped figure, approximately five feet nine inches tall with no facial features, allegedly materialized in Janet’s kitchen. This apparition later appeared to Mary Smurl in her kitchen as well.
The violence and frequency of the paranormal events continued to intensify. In 1986, desperate for help, the family brought in renowned demonologists Ed and Lorraine Warren. The Warrens announced that the house was haunted by three minor spirits and a powerful, evil demon. They attempted to persuade the demon to leave by playing holy music and praying, but these efforts only seemed to provoke the entity further. The alleged demon reacted by shaking mirrors, dressers, and drawers.
The Smurls reported several disturbing and violent incidents. Jack alleged that he was assaulted by a scale covered entity with a young girl’s body and an old woman’s head. Janet also claimed she was assaulted by a shadowy humanoid figure, described as an incubus, while Jack was kept asleep. She described being completely paralyzed and unable to struggle against her unseen attacker. These attacks were not isolated; the family dog was thrown into a wall, and one of their daughters was pushed down a flight of stairs.
The Smurls sought further help from the Catholic Church, specifically Father Robert McKenna, who conducted two exorcisms in Latin and more than fifty Catholic Masses. However, these rituals allegedly infuriated the demon further. The entity was said to follow the family on a vacation to the Poconos and harass Jack at work, demonstrating its ability to pursue them beyond their home.
In an attempt to seek wider help and public understanding, the Smurls appeared on a Philadelphia talk show called “The People are Talking,” hosted by Richard Bey, in August 1986. However, this public exposure seemed to provoke the demon even more. Following the television appearance, the demon allegedly reacted by assaulting Jack again and appearing to him as a half-man, half-pig creature. Janet was levitated and hurled against the wall, and a human hand rose up through the mattress to grab her by the back of the neck.
One of the most perplexing aspects of the Smurl Haunting is why the family did not move out of their house despite the violent and distressing attacks. According to the Smurls, the demon could apparently follow them anywhere. This was demonstrated when they abandoned the house for a week and were intensely harassed at the campground where they were staying. The demon’s ability to pursue them made relocation seem futile.
The Smurl family’s story gained significant media attention, attracting both believers and skeptics. Some suggested that the strange noises could be attributed to abandoned mine voids in the area, settling and creating unusual sounds. Others proposed that the foul smells could be due to a broken sewer pipe and that some of the incidents might be the result of pranks or delusions.
Despite these skeptical views, the Smurls found support in Ed and Lorraine Warren and another medium, Mary Alice Rinkman, who examined the house and corroborated the Warrens’ findings of multiple spirits. Rinkman identified one spirit as a confused old woman named Abigail and another as a dark mustachioed man named Patrick who had murdered his wife and her lover and then been hanged by a mob.
The Smurl Haunting finally seemed to come to an end in 1989, when a church-sanctioned exorcism was reportedly successful in expelling the demon. However, the family did eventually move from the house, though the film “The Haunted” suggests that the spirit followed them until the exorcism was performed.
In the years following the alleged haunting, the house on Chase Street continued to attract attention. In the early 2000s, a tenant named Richard Lloyd was found dead from an apparent drug overdose in the house. Jack Smurl passed away in June 2017 due to diabetes-related complications, bringing a somber end to a chapter marked by extraordinary and terrifying claims.
