Content warning: sexual assault
Pennsylvania is one of the most haunted states in America due to the state’s rich history and its many infamous and historical institutions and buildings. The most recent entry in The Conjuring cinematic franchise, The Conjuring: Last Rites features Ed and Lorraine Warren’s case of the Smurl Family haunting, a haunting that occurred only 20 minutes away from Wilkes University.
According to an editorial by Bloody Disgusting media company, in 1973, the Smurl family lived on 328 Chase St. in West Pittston. The family lost their first home to Hurricane Agnes, which hit the area in 1972. The hauntings began when the family of six, as well as Jack’s parents who were living with the family, were awakened by banging on the walls and ceilings.
Months later, the hauntings worsened when stenches of rotting flesh and sulfur stunk up the house. One of the four Smurl daughters was reportedly pushed down the stairs by a disembodied spirit, and the family dog was viciously thrown into a wall.
On two separate evenings, Jack and Janet Smurl were sexually assaulted in their bedroom by a demon known as a succubus. A succubus, traditionally, is a female demonic entity that haunts and seduces their victims in their sleep, taking their life force through sexual acts.
The Smurl’s local Catholic church was of little help as priests went inside the home and barraged the home with blessings with no result. The neighbors and locals grew resentful toward the Smurl’s, believing that their experiences were untrue. They began to throw bricks at their home and demand that they leave immediately.
In 1986, the famous demonologist couple, Ed and Lorraine Warren, began helping the family. The Warrens and their haunted cases are the focal point of all of The Conjuring films which are based on the real cases the husband and wife investigated all over the country.
The Warrens found evidence to the haunting such as audio recordings, collections of photographs, sudden temperature drops and shadowy apparitions appearing down the hallway and bathroom to the house.
Soon, the Warrens left with no conclusion to solve the case, thus the leading advertising quote strapped to all of the film’s posters and trailers: “the one case they couldn’t solve”.
The Smurl home still stands today.
