Snedeker House (A Haunting in Connecticut)

The Snedeker case, widely known as “A Haunting in Connecticut,” stands as one of the most famous and controversial haunting cases in American history. A family renting a former funeral home encountered what they claimed was terrifying demonic activity, leading to an investigation by Ed and Lorraine Warren, a bestselling book, and a major Hollywood horror franchise. Yet the author hired to write the book later recanted, casting the entire case into doubt.

The House on Meriden Avenue

In 1986, Allen and Carmen Snedeker faced a difficult situation. Their oldest son Philip was undergoing treatment for Hodgkin’s lymphoma at a hospital in Southington, Connecticut. The daily commute from their home was exhausting, so they searched for rental housing closer to the medical facility. The house they found on Meriden Avenue seemed perfect: affordable, spacious enough for their family, and convenient to the hospital.

What the Snedekers did not initially realize was that their new home had served as a funeral parlor for decades. The Hallahan Funeral Home had operated from the building, and while the business had closed, remnants of its former purpose remained. When the family explored the basement, they discovered mortuary equipment still in place, embalming tables, tools of the funeral trade, and other disturbing reminders of the building’s history.

The family initially tried to overlook the house’s past. They were focused on Philip’s treatment and simply needed a place to live. But according to their accounts, the house would not let itself be ignored.

The Horror Begins

The Snedekers reported that strange phenomena began almost immediately after they moved in. The activity centered initially on Philip, who began experiencing disturbing visions. He described seeing dark figures in his room, shadowy presences that seemed malevolent. He reported being touched and grabbed by unseen hands. He described entities that appeared partially decomposed, as if the former residents of the funeral home had returned.

The family initially attributed Philip’s experiences to his illness and the powerful medications he was taking. Chemotherapy and radiation can produce hallucinations and psychological effects. But then other family members began having experiences of their own.

Carmen Snedeker reported being sexually assaulted by an invisible entity, an experience that left her traumatized and terrified. Other family members described seeing apparitions, feeling oppressive presences, and witnessing objects move on their own. The temperature in certain rooms would drop dramatically. Foul odors permeated the house without identifiable source.

The Demonic Diagnosis

By 1988, the Snedekers felt they could no longer handle the situation on their own. They contacted Ed and Lorraine Warren, who by this point were among America’s most famous paranormal investigators, known for their work on the Amityville Horror case and numerous other alleged hauntings.

The Warrens investigated the Southington house and reached a dramatic conclusion: the property was not merely haunted but demonically infested. They believed that the decades of death and embalming that had occurred in the house had attracted powerful negative entities. The funeral home had created what they described as a doorway for demonic forces to enter the physical world.

According to the Warrens, the demon had attached itself particularly to Philip, possibly because his illness made him vulnerable. They recommended intervention from the Catholic Church.

The Church Responds

Catholic clergy became involved in the case, performing prayers and blessings intended to cleanse the house and protect the family. The specifics of what occurred during these religious interventions vary depending on the source. The Warrens claimed the activity intensified during attempts at spiritual cleansing, a common pattern in alleged demonic cases.

The family eventually moved out of the house, unable to continue living with the constant terror. According to their accounts, the activity followed them briefly to their new residence but eventually ceased.

The Book and Its Author

The Warrens brought in horror author Ray Garton to write a book about the Snedeker case. “In a Dark Place” was published in 1992, presenting the family’s story as a true account of demonic haunting in a former funeral home. The book was marketed as fact and contributed to the Snedekers’ case becoming one of the most widely known hauntings in American history.

However, Garton later publicly recanted the book’s claims. In interviews, he stated that the Snedeker family’s stories contradicted each other repeatedly. Different family members gave different accounts of the same events. Details changed between tellings. When Garton expressed concern to Ed Warren about these inconsistencies, Warren allegedly told him not to worry about it, to just make the story scary and everything would work out.

Garton has stated that he regrets writing the book and believes the Snedeker case may have been fabricated or at least heavily embellished. His recantation raised serious questions about the validity of not just this case but the Warrens’ other investigations as well.

The Hollywood Treatment

Despite the controversy, or perhaps because of it, the Snedeker case attracted Hollywood attention. In 2002, the Discovery Channel featured the case in a documentary. In 2009, Lionsgate released “A Haunting in Connecticut,” a theatrical horror film based on the Snedeker story. The film was a commercial success, earning over $77 million worldwide.

A sequel, “A Haunting in Connecticut 2: Ghosts of Georgia,” followed in 2013, though this film was based on a different case. The success of the franchise demonstrated the public’s enduring appetite for allegedly true supernatural stories.

The Controversy Continues

The Snedeker case remains deeply controversial within the paranormal community. Believers point to the multiple witnesses, the investigation by the Warrens, and the family’s obvious distress as evidence of genuine phenomena. They suggest that Philip’s illness may have made him susceptible to spiritual attack, creating a situation ripe for demonic exploitation.

Critics note Ray Garton’s recantation, the financial incentives involved in publicizing the case, and the convenient dramatic elements that mirror horror film conventions. They point out that Philip’s hallucinations could be explained by his cancer treatment, and that the “former funeral home” setting seems designed to trigger maximum fear response.

The house on Meriden Avenue still stands in Southington, Connecticut. Subsequent residents have not publicly reported any paranormal activity, though this proves nothing either way. The Snedeker case remains a Rorschach test for belief in the supernatural: believers see evidence of genuine demonic activity, while skeptics see a cautionary tale about the unreliability of paranormal claims.

Sources

• Wikipedia search: “Snedeker House (A Haunting in Connecticut)”
• Society for Psychical Research — SPR proceedings, peer-reviewed psychical research since 1882
• Library of Congress — American Folklife Center — American folklore archive