Camp Gagnon – The Terrifying Poltergeist Case of the Smurl Family
Host: Mark Gagnon
Guest: Christos
Release Date: October 23, 2025
Episode Overview
In this chilling episode of Camp Gagnon, Mark Gagnon and his recurring co-host Christos delve into the infamous case of the Smurl family haunting, one of the most unsettling and controversial paranormal cases ever documented in America. For over a decade, the Smurl family claimed to be under siege by a relentless demonic force in their West Pittston, Pennsylvania home—a phenomenon so terrifying that even legendary demonologists Ed and Lorraine Warren struggled to combat it. Mark explores the disturbing events, the investigation, the pushback from skeptics, and the enduring mystery of what really happened to the Smurls.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. Setting the Stage: The Smurl Haunting Begins
- Background: The Smurls were an ordinary working-class family. In 1973, they moved into a duplex on Chase Street, with Jack and Janet Smurl on one side and Jack's parents on the other, after their previous home was destroyed by Hurricane Agnes.
- Early Phenomena: The first year was uneventful, but soon oddities began:
- TVs catching fire unexpectedly
- Pipes constantly leaking
- Walls inexplicably scratched
- Tools disappearing and reappearing
- Unexplained foul odors of “rot and decay”
- Strange sounds: scratches, footsteps in empty rooms, knocking (05:30–08:00)
Quote:
“You might just be like, oh, it's an old house. Weird stuff happens. But then came the smell... bursts of rot and decay that would fill the room and then vanish without any source.”
– Mark (06:30)
2. Escalation to Violence & Community Impact
- Increased Activity: By the late 1970s, activity became violent—furniture dragged across floors, shaking beds, lights flickering, and neighbors reported hearing screams and witnessing a black mass inside the home (08:00–11:30).
- Janet as Prime Target: Janet suffered the most, describing being dragged, pinned down, scratched, and assaulted, even claiming sexual attacks. Jack saw the entity in various terrifying forms, and their daughters experienced blankets pulled away and touches by unseen hands.
Quote:
“This is no longer just like a little haunted house. This was torment.”
– Mark (11:10)
3. Seeking Help: Enter Ed & Lorraine Warren
- Warrens Get Involved:
- In 1986, after over a decade of terror, the Smurls begged for help. The famous Ed & Lorraine Warren, fresh from their Amityville and Perron family investigations, declared the house the site of genuine demonic activity (13:05–16:10).
- Lorraine, a clairvoyant, immediately sensed “not a human spirit, but something much darker... something ancient.”
- Warrens documented dozens of phenomena—levitations, smells, noises, sightings of the black shadow.
Quote:
“This thing is ancient. It knows how to frighten, how to manipulate. It feeds on the family’s fear.”
– Lorraine Warren, recounted by Mark (15:00)
4. The Church Steps In... Slowly
- Church Cautious: The Warrens pushed for an exorcism, but the Catholic Church hesitated, wary of the Warrens’ media attention and, at first, a lack of evidence (16:30–18:30).
- House Blessings & Exorcisms: Priests blessed the house, activity lessened briefly, but always returned with force. Eventually, multiple exorcisms were performed on the house—not the family—but each failed to produce long-term peace.
Quote:
“The priests who came here witnessed the phenomena for themselves: the banging, the voices, the smell of rot. And still the church dragged its feet. Meanwhile, this family was under siege.”
– Mark, paraphrasing Ed Warren (18:10)
5. Media Scrutiny and Skeptics Weigh In
- Public and Media Attention: News outlets covered the haunting. Some neighbors gave statements about screams and sightings, but the press remained skeptical. Critics accused the Smurls of hoaxing for money or fame, particularly after a book and TV movie were released (19:50–22:00).
- Supporters’ Perspective: The Warrens and neighbors insisted disturbing activities really occurred, citing multiple witnesses.
6. Climax: Exorcisms, Attacks, No Resolution
- Final Years in the Home: Even after exorcisms, horrifying experiences reportedly escalated.
- Janet levitated and was thrown across rooms (23:40)
- Daughters heard voices mimicking family, being lured
- The family dog thrown against the wall
- Jack’s story of a succubus attack while watching TV
- Ed Warren himself attacked: choked, thrown, and slashed by invisible hands during an exorcism (23:50–26:40)
Memorable Moment:
“This dude got freaking sucked off by a demon. Do you think that's funny? It's straight out a scary movie, dude.”
– Mark, laughing but keeping tone serious with Christos (25:30)
7. Aftermath: Leaving the Home & Lasting Mystery
- Family Moves: In 1987, after 14 years, the Smurls left for a quieter life, but the darkness seemed to briefly follow them. Eventually, incidents faded but family claimed the haunting never felt “truly over” (28:10).
- Book and Popular Media: The case became famous via the book The Haunted (1988) and TV movie (1991), bolstering skepticism about their motives but cementing its status in paranormal lore (29:00–30:00).
- No Closure: Unlike other famous Warren investigations, the Smurl haunting had no clear ending; the entity simply seemed to vanish, neither defeated nor explained.
8. Skeptics, Science, and the Church’s Final Word
- Post-Skepticism: The church never officially declared the site possessed.
- Journalists and Skeptics: Local media noticed “heavy atmosphere” or subtle oddities, but not violence. Skeptics like Paul Kurtz spent hours in the home and noticed nothing. The Warrens argued demons could hide from outsiders (32:00–34:30).
- Next Tenant: After the Smurls departed, Deborah Owens moved in and reported nothing abnormal, adding doubt to the claims.
Quote:
“There you have it. Deborah moves in and claims that nothing weird ever happened, which... causes a lot of people to suspect that the Smurls were faking it.”
– Mark (34:50)
9. Reflections: Faith, Mystery, and the Uncomfortable Unknown
- Mark’s Catholic Upbringing: Mark muses on his own fear of the supernatural, recalling how even stories of benign apparitions terrified him as a child (38:00).
- Delusions vs. Reality: The episode closes with Mark wrestling with whether mass delusion, suggestibility, or true paranormal activity explain the events—conceding that, amid so many witnesses, “it starts to get weird” (40:00–41:50).
- Open Question: The Smurl case remains an open, unsettling “mystery that may never be solved.”
Notable Quotes & Timestamps
- “Most paranormal cases end in one of two ways. Most are debunked, and some are solved. But the Smurl haunting did neither.”
– Mark (00:01) - “If the Catholic Church and the Warrens couldn’t get rid of this demon, then who can?”
– Mark (01:20) - “I'm still afraid of demons to this day. I've never seen one. I don't want to see one.”
– Mark (03:50) - “The air inside was heavy and oppressive... Not a human spirit, but something much darker, something that had been there for a long time.”
– Lorraine Warren, quoted by Mark (15:00) - “In the eyes of Ed and Lorraine Warren, evil wasn’t defeated. It just went away.”
– Mark (30:45) - “Is it possible the journalists... just sat there and didn’t see anything because the demon could hide itself? …I mean, again, if we’re in demon world, I mean, it’s possible.”
– Mark (36:40) - “I prayed to God that the Virgin Mary wouldn't visit me... Even about something good, the Virgin Mary showing up! I was so terrified from this movie…”
– Mark (39:10)
Timestamps for Key Segments
- Introduction to the Case & Early Disturbances: 00:01–08:00
- Escalation to Violence & Community Witnesses: 08:00–11:30
- Warrens Called In & Their Findings: 13:05–16:10
- The Church's Reluctant Involvement: 16:30–19:30
- Skeptics and Media Coverage: 19:50–22:00
- Climax: Exorcisms, Attacks, No Conclusion: 22:20–28:00
- Leaving the Home & Publicity Aftermath: 28:10–31:00
- Skeptical Investigations & Church’s Official Position: 31:20–35:00
- Personal Reflection, Faith, and Remaining Mystery: 38:00–end
Tone & Style
Mark maintains his signature blend of casual storytelling, dark humor, and genuine curiosity, frequently interjecting with personal reflections and open questions about belief, skepticism, and the limits of human understanding. Christos primarily provides supportive banter and perspective. The episode is spooky, contemplative, and engaging, reflecting Mark’s own unease around the topic.
Conclusion
The Smurl haunting remains one of the most enigmatic and debated paranormal cases in American history—unsolved, unforgettable, and still terrifying to this day. Mark and Christos leave listeners with more questions than answers, inviting them to ponder the unseen mysteries that might lurk just out of sight.