Janet Smurl: Jack

One thing is certain: The haunting of Jack and Janet Smurl remains one of the most polarizing, fascinating, and terrifying stories in American paranormal history.

It started small. Janet reported hearing heavy footsteps in the hallway when no one was there. The family dog would growl at an empty corner of the basement. Pictures would tilt on the walls overnight. jack janet smurl

Whether you think they were besieged by demons or trapped by their own imaginations, the image of a family huddled together on the first floor of a dark Pennsylvania home, listening to the footsteps above—that fear is very, very real. Have you ever experienced something you couldn’t explain? Share your story in the comments below. One thing is certain: The haunting of Jack

Yes, those Warrens.

The Warrens performed a series of blessings and advised the Smurls to request an official exorcism from the Catholic Church. When the Church reportedly declined (citing insufficient evidence), the Warrens conducted their own rites. The haunting became a national sensation. In 1988, author Robert Curran published The Haunted: The True Story of One Family’s Nightmare , which detailed the Smurls’ ordeal and was later adapted into a TV movie. The family dog would growl at an empty