Also in the eighties, when I was living in Pittsburgh, the case of Jack and Janet Smurl and their family, supposedly tormented by a demonic force in their Pennsylvania house, was all the rage on PA-wide news. Unable to receive help, even from their church, in desparation they sought out the Warrens who did everything to help them, including trying to get the church to perform an exorcism. When the church refused to assist, in deeper desperation, the family decided to go public to try and get the help they needed (the Warrens advised against this, knowing what the publicity could do). It ended up all over the airwaves and became a morning ritual to watch "updates" on all the PA news outlets. The Smurl's home became a beacon for hordes of people, from reporters to the curious to just basic mean people tormenting the beleagured family and they figured it had been a mistake. Finally, they were able to move from the infested house but whatever was in it, according to their account, followed them. Finally, because of the publicity throwing the church into a negative light from seemingly abandoning the family, the church sanctioned an exorcism and the phenomena ceased. The story was chronicled in a book called The Haunted. The new "fourth" network, Fox, adapted the book into a made-for-TV movie under the same name starring Sally Kirkland as Janet Smurl and Diane Baker as Lorraine Warren. The film can be found on youtube. Like The Conjuring, it contains many eerie scenes.
Gerard
