The Real Story Behind Ed & Lorraine Warren's Smurl Haunting Investigation

Any fan of "The Conjuring" series" is familiar with Ed and Lorraine Warren, the real-life demon-hunting couple whose exploits among the forces of evil inspired the highly popular horror franchise. With the release of "The Conjuring: Last Rites," the story of the Warren's final investigation into the world of the paranormal gets a cinematic treatment that puts a cap on their spine-tingling legacy. It's the story of what happened after Jack and Janet Smurl, their children, and Jack's parents moved into a Pennsylvania home in 1973, only to be menaced by a cadre of sinister souls almost immediately. Floating black masses, stains seeping through the walls, shadowy figures, and assaults on family members are only some of the disturbing experiences the Smurls claimed to experience between 1974 and 1987.

After failed attempts by priests to drive out the evil forces, the Warrens stepped in, only to find a collection of malevolent entities challenging their talents for paranormal remediation. The story was so big, it became a book and made-for-TV movie before inspiring what is purported to be the final nail in "The Conjuring" coffin. Here's a rundown of what really happened when this famous phantom-fighting couple came into contact with what lurked in the demon-infested duplex at 328-330 Chase Street.

Ed and Lorraine Warren may have been the ones who ended up with a feature film about their dynamic demon-hunting, but the first contenders in the Smurl house were Catholic priests — exactly who you'd expect to find on-scene at a house teeming with evil spirits. Reverend Gerald Mullally, who was the chancellor of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Scranton, Pennsylvania, oversaw the church's efforts to clear the home. The Smurls even received a visit from actor Jason Miller, the man who played Father Damien Karras in the ultimate possession film, "The Exorcist." It may sound like a publicity stunt, but apparently Miller was a Scranton native and tried in his way to be helpful. "He made some suggestions about things we could try to do," Janet Smurl told UPI at the time.

It was Monsignor Francis Kane, pastor of the Smurl's parish, who stepped in first to bless every room — twice — with no success. Next, Monsignor Eugene J. Clark, rector of St. Pius X Seminary in Dalton, Pennsylvania, spent several nights in the house but reported nothing unusual happening during his stay. Having gotten no relief from the spirits plaguing their residence despite the church's attempts, the Smurls turned to the Warrens for help.

Ed and Lorraine Warren learned about the Smurl haunting after seeing reports on television in 1986. Following their usual pattern, clairvoyant Lorraine Warren set about making a connection with the spirits on the premises, while Ed used religious means to rile up the unseen tormentors. Lorraine sensed four entirely different entities taking up residence in the home. Among these were two female presences, one of which was a more malevolent young adult, and a man who may have died either in the home or on the property decades earlier; the fourth was a demon who pulled the strings, making the other spirits do its evil bidding by torturing the Smurl family.

How had such a typical American family come to be the victims of such a dark presence? According to paranormal investigator Ed Warren, the Smurls had done nothing to entice the demon — they were simply among "The Chosen" and swept up in a paranormal phenomenon they had no control over. The Warrens were able to capture audio recordings and photographs that provided evidence of the demonic presence and claimed to have experienced a slew of otherworldly activity, like a message scrawled on a mirror. The forces proved to be more than the Warrens could evict.

The Warrens had seen enough chilling signs to know that the house was under more demonic control than they could counter. Once they knew they needed a stronger spiritual presence to clear the evil in the Smurl home, they reached out to another Catholic priest for assistance. In February 1986, Father Robert F. McKenna performed the first of three exorcisms — others would follow in April and June of the same year.

While the first exorcism only served to ramp up the paranormal activity, the two that followed appeared to have done the trick. Unfortunately for the Smurls, there were foul odors and disembodied noises occurring once again when July rolled around. By this time, the Smurl house had caused a sensation, bringing looky-loos and news cameras in droves to visit a different type of plague on the family. "The ghost, devil — or whatever you call it — is in that home," Ed Warren told the Times Leader in August 1986, drawing even more attention to the story (via The Haunting Collection).

"The Conjuring: Last Rites" may be the most recent telling of the Warrens' encounter with the demons in the Smurl house, but it isn't the only chronicle detailing the diabolical happenings. The Smurls and Warrens collaborated with author Robert Curran to write a book, 1988's "The Haunted: One Family's Nightmare," detailing their ordeal. In it, they explained how the force was too strong to be dispelled by Ed and Lorraine, with a 2014 edition conveniently bearing a banner advertising "The Conjuring" film. The book became "The Haunted," a 1991 made-for-TV movie starring Sally Kirkland and Jeffrey DeMunn as Janet and Jack Smurl. And of course, Ed and Lorraine Warren are featured as well.

All of this Hollywood glitz and glam took place after the Smurls left their haunted house and headed for Wilkes-Barre instead. As for the Smurl house itself? A woman named Debra Owens moved in 1988 after the Smurls vacated. Whether the demons were unimpressed with the new occupant or the haunting simply ended once the former family was no longer on the premises, Owens told a reporter for the Times Leader that nothing odd happened to her while she lived there. While the newest retelling of the Smurl haunting may mark the "last rites" for Ed and Lorraine Warren, the spook-chasing pair have gotten more than their share of mileage out of their exploits.