Smurl Family |best| May 2026

The Smurl family—Jack and Janet Smurl, their three daughters, and Jack’s mother—became one of the most famous cases of alleged domestic hauntings in American paranormal history. Living in a modest duplex on Chase Street in West Pittston, Pennsylvania, the family claimed their home was plagued by a disturbing and escalating series of supernatural events from the 1970s through the late 1980s.

However, the case remains deeply controversial. Skeptics and critics argue that the alleged events were exaggerated or fabricated, pointing to the Warrens’ well-documented history of sensationalizing hauntings for publicity and profit. Others suggest psychological factors or attention-seeking behavior within the family. The Smurls themselves stood by their claims until Jack’s death in 2013, maintaining that they lived through a genuine nightmare. smurl family

Whether fact, fiction, or a blend of both, the story of the Smurl family endures as a classic example of the late-20th-century "haunted house" narrative—one that blurs the line between spiritual crisis, folklore, and the power of suggestion. The Smurl family—Jack and Janet Smurl, their three

The case gained widespread attention largely due to the involvement of renowned paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren. The Warrens, famous for their work on the Amityville case, claimed the Smurl residence was afflicted by a "cursing" that had evolved into a full-fledged demonic infestation. They performed several blessings and rituals, even bringing in a Catholic priest to exorcise the home. The Warrens alleged that the activity stemmed from a neighbor’s previous occult practices. Skeptics and critics argue that the alleged events

The haunting became a media sensation, fueled by the 1986 book The Haunted by Robert Curran, Jack Smurl, and Ed Warren, and later a 1991 television film titled The Haunted , which dramatized the family’s experiences. For a time, the Smurl name was synonymous with modern American demonic haunting.

What began as subtle phenomena—unexplained sounds, footsteps in empty hallways, and objects moving on their own—gradually intensified into what the family described as violent and terrifying activity. They reported foul odors, disembodied voices, apparitions, and physical assaults such as scratching, pinching, and being thrown from beds. According to the Smurls, the haunting involved not only a "friendly" ghost of a woman in black but also a malevolent, demonic entity that focused particularly on Janet Smurl.