What True Story Inspires The Conjuring: Last Rites? The Smurl Haunting Explained
The Warrens are back for one final paranormal investigation in the forthcoming The Conjuring: Last Rites.
In this fourth chapter of the horror saga, Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga reprise their roles as real-life paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren. This time, the pair confronts the notorious haunting that impacted the Smurl family in the 1980s.
Wilson mentioned in a May 2025 interview with Entertainment Weekly that the Smurl family’s tale has been on the radar of The Conjuring team for some time.
“We’ve been aware of this case for a long time,” the actor stated. “The writers are exploring how it affects the family and what’s happening in their lives. That’s where we can really dramatize it. We’re not creating a documentary.”
Continue reading for an overview of The Conjuring: Last Rites and the haunting experienced by the Smurl family:
Is ‘The Conjuring: Last Rites’ Based on a True Story?
The Conjuring: Last Rites draws inspiration from a genuine haunting endured by the Smurl family. The Warrens investigated this case in 1986, according to Penn Live.
Who Is the Smurl Family?
The Smurl family includes parents Jack and Janet Smurl and their four children.
What Happened to the Smurl Family?
In 1973, Jack and Janet, along with their two children, relocated to a duplex on Chase Street in West Pittston, Pennsylvania. During their time there, they encountered various eerie phenomena, such as loud noises and unpleasant odors.
As the occurrences intensified, the family alleged that a demon was present in the home. They claimed the entity threw their dog against a wall, shook their mattress, pushed one of their daughters down the stairs, and physically assaulted family members.
Eventually, after suffering for years, the Warrens became aware of the Smurl family’s ordeal and investigated their home in 1986. Ed and Lorraine reported experiencing multiple entities as well as recording evidence of paranormal activity, including knocking, rapping sounds, and a message scrawled on a mirror urging them to leave. Lorraine identified four spirits in the dwelling: an elderly woman, a young girl, a man who died there, and a demon.
Ultimately, the Warrens were unable to expel the demon from the house. Consequently, the Smurls sought assistance from a local pastor to conduct an exorcism, which restored normalcy in their lives.
What Happened to the Smurl Family’s Home?
Despite the exorcism, the Smurls reported ongoing knocking sounds and sightings of shadows. They ultimately decided to move. A woman named Debra Owens moved into the supposedly haunted home and informed reporters that she never experienced anything unusual there.
Has the Smurl Family’s Story Inspired Other Works?
Besides inspiring the latest Conjuring film, the Smurls’ tale was also chronicled in a 1986 paperback titled The Haunted. A made-for-TV film featuring the same title was aired in 1991.
When Does ‘The Conjuring: Last Rites’ Come Out?
The Conjuring: Last Rites is set to release in theaters on September 5, 2025.
