The Smurls claimed that multiple priests performed exorcisms, but the Diocese of Scranton has no official record of any authorized exorcism at that address. The Warrens often brought their own “Catholic experts,” but these were not sanctioned by the local bishop. In Catholic canon law, an unauthorized exorcism is essentially a violation. This suggests that either the exorcisms never happened as described, or they were theatrical rituals staged by the Warrens to heighten drama.
The Warrens, who had previously worked on the Amityville Horror (itself highly discredited), declared the Smurl home genuinely infested by a demon. They claimed that multiple entities were present, including a benign ghost of a former resident and a powerful demon that targeted the women sexually. Jack Smurl reported being thrown from his bed, scratched, and held down by an invisible force. Janet described being dragged across the floor and experiencing violent nightmares. is the smurl family case real
The Smurl family case is often cited by paranormal enthusiasts as one of the most well-documented, terrifying, and credible domestic hauntings of the 20th century. For those unfamiliar: between 1974 and the late 1980s, Jack and Janet Smurl, along with their three daughters and Jack’s elderly mother, lived in a modest duplex at 386 South Mountain Boulevard in West Pittston, Pennsylvania. They claimed to have endured a relentless, escalating assault by demonic forces—complete with foul odors, disembodied voices, physical attacks, and even sexual assaults by an invisible entity. This suggests that either the exorcisms never happened