The Smurls became famous in the 1980s due to the “Smurl Haunting” in West Pittston, Pennsylvania. They claimed their duplex was plagued by demonic activity, including sounds, smells, and physical attacks. The case was investigated by demonologists Ed and Lorraine Warren and was adapted into the 1991 film The Haunting (also known as The Haunting of the Smurl Family ).
The home at 328 Chase Street remains a private residence. Crucially, the Smurls moved out of the home in the late 1980s. Since their departure, subsequent owners have reported very little to no paranormal activity. This is often cited by skeptics as proof that the phenomena were psychological or a hoax, while believers argue that the entity was attached to the family, not the structure. are the smurls still alive
The Smurl family gained international notoriety in the 1980s for claiming their home in West Pittston, Pennsylvania, was infested by a demon—a case investigated by and later adapted into the 1991 film The Haunted and the 2025 movie The Conjuring: Last Rites . Current Status of the Smurl Family The Smurls became famous in the 1980s due
In the annals of American paranormal history, few cases are as disturbing or as well-documented as the Smurl haunting. For anyone who grew up reading paperbacks about true ghosts or watching 1990s horror specials, the name "Smurl" immediately conjures images of a quiet home in West Pittston, Pennsylvania, turned into a house of horrors. The home at 328 Chase Street remains a private residence
For the family, the trauma was very real. In interviews later in life, Jack Smurl expressed regret over the fame, stating that the media frenzy made their lives even more difficult.