About this episode
Called Pennsylvania’s “Amityville Horror,” the Smurl family’s nightmare of demonic possession is the subject of both the current motion picture, Conjuring: Last Rites, and this book. Venturing far beyond the West Pittston coal region, author Maxim W. Furek’s narrative explores the dark crawlspaces of High Hopes, the Hindsdale House, the damned Welles House, and good and evil, as seen through the eyes of history’s foremost exorcists and psychics, such as the mysterious Fr. Alphonsus Trabold O.F.M and Alexander Tanous. There was something of the supernatural channeling through Furek that inspired him to write this book. The 92-year-old West Pittston Smurl duplex was a half-hour drive from his home, and, during their 15-city book tour promoting The Haunted, the author befriended Ed and Lorraine Warren. And sadly, Furek met Annabelle handler Dan Rivera, the day before he died during the 2025 “Devils on the Run” Tour in Gettysburg. Furek: “It wasn’t a coincidence. It was destiny. I believe that psychic energies were being channeled through me to allow this thing to take shape and manifest. I only know that it flowed and had energy and a life of its own and that I was placed at the right place at the right time.” Bio Maxim W. Furek is an avid student of the paranormal. His eclectic background includes aspects of psychology, recovery from addictions, and rock journalism. He has a master’s degree in communications from Bloomsburg University, and a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Aquinas College. He has been called “The John Keel of the 21st century,” due, in part, to his diverse background and varied interests. The author has been featured on countless American, Canadian, and European podcasts including George Noory’s Coast to Coast, Exploring the Bizarre with the legendary Timothy Green Beckley (Mr. UFO) and Tim R. Swartz (Commander X), and Midnight in the Desert with Heather Wade. He is a contributor to Fate Magazine, Paranormal Underground, and Strange Knocks, and a frequent guest speaker at paranormal conferences. https://www.maximfurek.com/ https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0FMK9L9HM https://www.pastliveshypnosis.co.uk/ https://www.patreon.com/ourparanormalafterlife My book 'Verified Near Death Experiences' https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DXKRGDFP Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.