The family patriarch died on June 22, 2017, at the age of 75. After the intense media scrutiny of the 1980s, Jack led a quiet life, working for the Topps Chewing Gum company for over 30 years and remaining active in his local church.
And perhaps, regardless of what you believe, that silence is the most honest answer of all. are the smurls family still alive
Janet Smurl passed away on January 10, 2026, at the age of 78. Following Jack's death, she eventually remarried in 2021 and spent her final years in Laporte, PA, where she worked as a pharmacy technician. The Smurl Children Today The family patriarch died on June 22, 2017, at the age of 75
She works in the healthcare sector. Unlike some of her siblings, she has remained vocal about her interest in the paranormal and ghost hunting on social media. Janet Smurl passed away on January 10, 2026,
John “Jack” Smurl was the primary narrator of the family’s ordeal. He co-authored a book with Ed and Lorraine Warren called The Haunted: The True Story of One Family’s Nightmare . For years, Jack was the public face of the case, giving interviews, appearing on shows like Sightings and Unsolved Mysteries . Jack Smurl passed away on November 12, 2017 , at the age of 76. His death was due to natural causes, primarily complications from a long battle with cancer. He spent his final years still living in the Pittston area, though he rarely discussed the haunting in his later life, describing it as a chapter he wanted to close.
The family's story continues to reach new audiences through media; most recently, it served as the inspiration for the film The Conjuring: Last Rites . Despite the renewed interest, the surviving family members largely avoid the spotlight, maintaining that they have experienced no further paranormal activity since the final exorcisms in the late 1980s.