As if you needed more evidence that Ed and Lorraine Warren were horrid people that left a slime trail of lies and destruction from the 1970s to the present day, Kenny Biddle from CSI has dug up considerable history on the Smurl “haunting” in 1985 West Pittston, Pennsylvania. This event was supposedly the basis for The latest Conjuring movie franchise The Conjuring: Last Rites. But Kenny reports the movie has nothing to do with Smurl family’s claims.

By examining newspaper articles, TV interviews, and in-person interviews from the time, plus historical records, Kenny unravels this case that the Warrens considered “demonic”. Instead, it’s crystal clear how the Warrens exaggerated and at least partially fictionalized this case. As with so many of their other infamous cases, the Warren’s template for “investigation” including grabbing media attention and guiding the Smurls into a book deal and eventually a TV movie (from which the Warrens also reaped benefits). Kenny shreds the 1988 book about the case, The Haunted by Robert Curran.

This was a fun and informative step-by-step examination of the way the Warrens took control of the narrative by crafting (or should we say “conjuring”) several mundane events experienced by the family into an exaggerated and preposterous demon infestation. The total video is about 90 minutes. Check it out.