The Smurl Family Haunting

In 1986, Jack and Janet Smurl went public with claims that their duplex in West Pittston, Pennsylvania, was infested by demonic entities. Their story would involve multiple exorcisms, investigation by Ed and Lorraine Warren, national media attention, and controversy that continues to this day. Whether genuine possession or elaborate hoax, the Smurl case became one of the most publicized supernatural cases of the 1980s.

The Family

Jack and Janet Smurl lived in one half of a duplex with their daughters Dawn and Heather. Jack’s parents, John and Mary, lived in the other half. The family was Catholic and outwardly unremarkable—Jack worked as a neuropsychiatric technician, Janet was a homemaker, and the extended family was close.

They had lived in the house since 1973 without incident. Then, in 1974, a stain appeared on their carpet. It was the beginning of thirteen years of allegedly supernatural activity.

Escalation

According to the Smurls, the phenomena escalated gradually. By the early 1980s, they experienced classic poltergeist activity: footsteps, scratching sounds, unexplained noises, and temperature fluctuations. Pipes rattled. The television changed channels by itself. A dog was thrown across a room.

The activity took a darker turn. Janet reported being sexually attacked by an invisible entity. Jack claimed to have been violated as well. The entire family described seeing apparitions, including a figure described as a large, dark, inhuman shape with glowing eyes.

The Warrens Investigate

In 1986, the Smurls contacted Ed and Lorraine Warren, the famous Connecticut demonologists who had investigated the Amityville case and many others. The Warrens visited the home multiple times and pronounced it severely infested with at least three demons and possibly more.

Lorraine Warren, who claimed psychic abilities, described seeing demonic entities attached to the family. Ed Warren documented the phenomena and proposed strategies for combating the infestation.

The Warrens arranged for a priest to perform an exorcism. This did not resolve the situation. Multiple exorcisms would follow over the next three years, none of them producing lasting relief.

Public Attention

The Smurls went public with their story in 1986, holding a press conference that attracted national media attention. They described their experiences in detail, and their story was covered by major newspapers and television programs.

The publicity brought both support and skepticism. Some believed the family was experiencing genuine demonic attack. Others suspected the entire story was fabricated for attention or money.

Skeptical Response

Neighbors and local residents provided a counternarrative. Some said they had never witnessed any unusual activity in the house. Others suggested the family was exaggerating or lying. Local clergy expressed skepticism about the Warrens’ methods and conclusions.

Investigators who visited the house without the Warrens present reported no phenomena. Some suggested that whatever activity occurred might be explained by natural causes or by the Smurls themselves producing it.

The Book and Film

The Smurls’ story was published in a book, “The Haunted,” co-written with Robert Curran in 1988. A television movie followed in 1991. Both presented the family’s account as genuine and emphasized the demonic nature of the alleged infestation.

The family received money from these projects, which critics pointed to as motive for fabrication. Supporters argued that the family would not have endured years of public scrutiny and mockery merely for financial gain.

Resolution

The Smurls eventually moved from the West Pittston house. They reported that the phenomena followed them briefly to their new location but eventually ceased. They attributed their deliverance to their faith and to the cumulative effect of the exorcisms they had undergone.

Assessment

The Smurl case remains controversial. The family maintained their account until their deaths. Ed and Lorraine Warren stood by their assessment of demonic infestation. Skeptics never found a definitive explanation for what, if anything, actually occurred.

The case demonstrates the complexity of possession claims in the modern era. Media involvement, financial considerations, the role of celebrity investigators, and the difficulty of verifying supernatural claims all complicate any objective assessment.

Whether the Smurls genuinely experienced demonic oppression or something else was happening in that West Pittston duplex remains a matter of belief rather than proof.