The Snedeker House: A Paranormal Landmark

In 1986, the Snedeker family, including parents Carmen and Allen, moved into the house, formerly known as the Hallahan Funeral Home. The house was quickly snapped up by the family as their son, Philip, who was fighting Hodgkin’s lymphoma at the time, could be treated at the nearby UConn Hospital.
Unbeknownst to them, the house’s grim past would soon manifest in terrifying ways.
Shortly after moving in, they discovered leftover mortuary equipment in the basement, such as coffin hoists and gurneys—remnants of the building’s time as a funeral home.
Acording to Carmen, the family had no idea it was a funeral home beforehand, due to the fact the basement was blocked off by builders before they purchased it.
Early Paranormal Signs
The strange occurrences began with cold spots, odd noises, and lights flickering. Their son Philip, who had chosen to live in the basement with his brother, Bradley, experienced severe personality changes, along with frightening apparitions.
These initial signs were soon followed by even more unsettling experiences, including reports of ghostly figures and strange sounds throughout the home. The house’s dark history seemed to unleash an otherworldly presence that the family couldn’t explain, and things soon escalated.
Escalation of Hauntings
As the family settled into the house, the paranormal activity intensified. Carmen reported being physically attacked by an unseen force in the shower, while her niece Tammy witnessed her blankets levitating and experienced disturbing visions. Objects moved on their own, and the home was filled with a constant sense of dread.
With fear mounting, the family sought help from Ed and Lorraine Warren, the famous paranormal investigators who had worked on the Amityville Horror case. They suspected a malevolent force had attached itself to the house.
Ed and Lorraine Warren’s Investigation

Their investigation revealed that the funeral home may have been the site of necrophilic acts by a former worker, potentially triggering the dark energy within the house. This was believed to have invited demonic entities into the home, tormenting the Snedeker family.

Accompanied by their nephew, John Zaffis, the Warrens spent several nights at the house, and Zaffis himself experienced sleep paralysis, further cementing the Warrens’ belief in the house’s dark power.
The situation in the Snedeker house continued to worsen, with reports of blood appearing in mop water and the overwhelming stench of decaying flesh. These disturbing occurrences led the Warrens to seek help from the Catholic Church.
Two priests were sent to the house to bless it and perform a Mass, but the activity persisted. Ed Warren even suffered a mild heart attack during the proceedings, which he attributed to the malevolent spirits in the home.
Ultimately, the Warrens arranged for a full exorcism, which they believed successfully cleared the house of its dark presence.

Media Attention and Film Adaptation
After the exorcism, the Snedekers moved out of the house, and the case gained widespread media attention. The story of their experiences was turned into a film, The Haunting in Connecticut, released in 2009.
While the film dramatized many elements, it introduced the Snedeker haunting to a global audience.
Over time, some skepticism arose, particularly from comments made by Ray Garton, the author of In a Dark Place (the book behind the film), who claimed that he was instructed to embellish the story by the Warrens. In an interview with Damned Connecticut, Ray stated:
When I found that the Snedekers couldn’t keep their individual stories straight, I went to Ed Warren and explained the problem. “They’re crazy,” he said. “All the people who come to us are crazy, that’s why they come to us. Just use what you can and make the rest up. You write scary books, right? Well, make it up and make it scary. That’s why we hired you.”
This was followed up by an interview with the sister of Allen Snedeker, Nancy Boucher. Nancy lived in the house for three months together with her brothers’ family whilst she was between homes.
I did live in the house for a few months a long time ago when my kids were still small and I was homeless. My brother and his wife took me in. When I lived there, it was scary knowing it was funeral home. That is when things first started happening that couldn’t be explained.
Of Ray Garton, Nancy went on to say:
I’ve never met Ray Garton and don’t want to. The $hit he said about my brother and his family really pissed me off.
Despite the controversy surrounding the case, the Snedeker house has cemented its place in paranormal lore, often compared to the Amityville Horror.
The Snedeker House Today
While subsequent owners of the house have reported no paranormal activity, the legend of the haunting endures.
In an interview with Record-Journal in 2009, the then homeowner (Susan Trotta-Smith) said: “We’ve lived in the house for 10 years. Our house is wonderful,” Trotta-Smith told the Record-Journal. “This is all Hollywood foolishness. The stories are all ludicrous.”
The chilling events reportedly experienced by the Snedeker family, combined with the investigation by Ed and Lorraine Warren, and the hollywood horror success, have solidified the Snedeker house as one of America’s most infamous haunted locations.
Today, it stands quietly, with no reports of any hauntings, but its legacy continues to captivate those fascinated by the supernatural. And who knows, maybe there is still something lurking here, waiting to make itself known once more.