True Stories Behind All 4 Films

The sequel to the first film is based on the Enfield Poltergeist case, which involved another family that experienced alleged supernatural encounters between 1977 and 1979. In Enfield, London, Peggy Hodgson, a single mom with four kids, heard loud noises coming from her daughter’s room. She then claimed to have witnessed drawers sliding to cover a door, trapping them in their room, and a curtain wrapped around her, suffocating her. Unlike many tropes in horror films, the Hodgson family did call the cops, and the police also saw the strange things they were experiencing. 

One of the Hodgson daughters, 11-year-old Janet, claims a demon possessed her. Lorraine and Ed Warren investigated the case and Lorraine has called it one of the most “terrifying” cases of her career. Janet would allegedly speak through the voice of Bill Wilkins, a man who died in their home years before this took place, according to recordings from the Warrens’ files. There is also a famous photo (see the video below) of her appearing to be levitating over her bed. 

While the accuracy of what really happened is torn with people believing it or not, Janet admitted to ITV News in 1980, according to Daily Mail: “Oh yeah, once or twice (we faked phenomena), just to see if Mr Grosse and Mr Playfair would catch us. They always did.”

Unlike the film, where the incidents took place over a short period, in real life, there was no big resolution. Their home was allegedly haunted for around 18 months. 

The third installment in The Conjuring movies is based on Arne Cheyenne Johnson’s real-life murder trial in 1981. (This excludes the witchcraft storyline, which was a fictional add-in!) In the first two Conjuring films, audiences saw the Warrens investigate haunted homes. Still, this one stepped it up a notch as Johnson claimed to be possessed when he killed his landlord, Alan Bono. Johnson was trying to save his fiancée Debbie Glatzel’s younger brother, David, who was allegedly possessed by a demon. When Ed and Lorraine Warren heard about the news, they contacted the Catholic Church to perform an exorcism on David, allegedly. While it was happening, Johnson claimed to tell the demon inside David to take him instead, which was when he became possessed and stabbed Bono.

The events transpired into being the first U.S. murder case where demonic possession was used as a legal defense. The Warrens supported his defense, claiming he wasn’t guilty by reason of demonic possession. Jonshon’s attorney, Martin Minella, told the New York Times in 1981: “The courts have dealt with the existence of God. And now they’re going to have to deal with the existence of the Devil.” Later that year, he was charged with manslaughter in the first degree and sentenced to 10-20 years in prison, but was released after five years due to good behavior.

See real footage of Ed and Lorraine Warren explaining the Arne Cheyenne Johnson case.

The Smurl family’s case is one of the most disturbing cases the Warrens investigated, and the one that made them retire. The events started in 1973, when Jack (played by Elliot Cowan) and Janet Smurl (played by Rebecca Calder) moved with their kids and Jack’s parents into a home in West Pittston, Pennsylvania. The hauntings began with hearing odd noises and smelling a foul odor, which then led to hearing knocks in threes on the hallway, screams and seeing dark figures walking around the home. The family alleged that a spirit threw one of their children down the stairs and attacked their dog. Jack reported that he was allegedly physically and sexually assaulted many times by a demonic presence. This led the Smurls to reach out to priests to come and bless their home, but nothing changed.

Due to their case being highly publicized in the press at the time, it caught the attention of the Warrens. Ed and Lorraine conducted thorough research by staying overnight at the Smurl home, where they set up recordings and audio that captured non-human sounds, levitating objects and physical assaults. The Warrens contacted their Bishop to perform several exorcisms, which failed. The hauntings only stopped after the family moved out of the home in 1988.

This case was actually the first one that introduced the director of the first two Conjuring films, James Wan, to the Warrens because he had watched the 1991 TV movie, The Haunted, which is based on what the Smurl family endured. In the Last Rites, audiences also see more of how Ed and Lorraine Warren’s daughter, Judy, has been affected by their work.

See real footage of Lorraine Warren and the Smurl’s below.