The Conjuring: Last Rites Draws From A Famous Real-Life Family Haunting(Photo Credit –Facebook)
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The Conjuring universe is packing up its haunted luggage for one last ride, and it’s not going out quietly. The Conjuring: Last Rites will close the decade-spanning horror saga with a case pulled straight from the Warrens’ real-life paranormal files. This time, the ghost-hunting duo takes on the infamous Smurl family haunting of 1986. With Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga back in their roles, the film will hit theaters on September 5, 2025, giving fans one final scare rooted in actual events.
The Conjuring Ends With The Smurl Family Haunting Case
Long before Hollywood cameras rolled, West Pittston, Pennsylvania, was home to one of the Warrens’ most notorious investigations. According to PEOPLE, in 1976, Jack and Janet Smurl moved into a duplex with their two daughters, later welcoming twins. Jack’s parents lived in the adjoining half. For nearly a decade, life went by without a headline — until 1985, when a ceiling light crashed down, injuring daughter Shannon. That moment was the first domino in a string of disturbances the family said spiraled into a full-on haunting.
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According to the Smurls, strange smells, terrifying screams, and invisible shoves became part of daily life. Their German shepherd, Simon, was reportedly hurled into a wall, their children were pushed down the stairs, and Jack claimed to have been s*xually assaulted by a malevolent force. “Up until a year ago, I thought that these types of things only happened in movies,” Jack told Lorraine Warren during a 1986 interview.
After two failed exorcisms, the Smurls went public, appearing on Larry King Live and Entertainment Tonight, hoping more eyes would bring more help. It worked.
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That same year, Ed and Lorraine Warren showed up, diagnosing the house as home to four spirits: an elderly woman, a violent young girl, a deceased man, and a demon allegedly controlling the rest. Ed told the Times Leader his first night brought an “instant 30-degree drop in temperature” and the sight of “a dark mass” forming in front of him. Furniture reportedly jumped as he tried to cleanse the space with holy water, oil, and a crucifix.
The family’s story was chronicled in the 1986 book The Haunted: One Family’s Nightmare, later adapted into a 1991 TV movie. Despite the Warrens’ involvement, it was a local priest, Rev. Joseph Adonizio, who claimed victory over the haunting through “intense prayers.” Still, Janet said in 1987 that shadows and knocking persisted. By the next year, the Smurls had relocated to Wilkes-Barre. The original house changed owners but kept its spooky reputation.
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Decades later, the Smurl case still resonates. Jack passed away in 2017, with his daughter Carin, who is now a paranormal investigator herself. “We had such a hard time and nobody to turn to,” she told the Pocono Record. “He was happy I was a voice out there for people who need help.”
For The Conjuring: Last Rites, Rebecca Calder and Elliot Cowan will step into Janet and Jack’s shoes. Patrick Wilson has confirmed it will be his last run as Ed Warren, the retirement angle was more compelling than depicting Ed’s final days. Executive producer Peter Safran said the Smurl haunting had been “percolating” as a possible plot for years. Now, it’s the send-off that will wrap up one of horror’s most enduring franchises.
