The Haunting in Connecticut – True Story Behind the Movie

The 2009 horror film The Haunting in Connecticut terrified audiences with its portrayal of a family tormented by supernatural forces in a former funeral home. While the movie adapted real events for cinematic effect, the actual case of the Snedeker family in Southington, Connecticut, involves a complex web of reported paranormal activity, prominent paranormal investigators, and persistent questions about authenticity that continue to divide believers and skeptics.

Between 1986 and 1988, Allen and Carmen Snedeker, along with their children and two nieces, occupied a modest rental property at 208 Meriden Avenue. The family had relocated to be near medical facilities treating their eldest son for Hodgkin’s lymphoma, unaware that their new residence had previously operated as the Hallahan Funeral Home for decades. What followed was a two-year ordeal that would eventually inspire Hollywood and cement the house’s place in paranormal lore.

This examination relies solely on documented reports, primary source interviews, and investigative records from the period. No assumptions or speculative conclusions appear in the following account.

Is The Haunting in Connecticut Based on a True Story?

Key Insights

• The property functioned as the Hallahan Funeral Home throughout the 1970s, with embalming equipment and coffin hoists remaining in the basement when the Snedekers arrived.
• Family members reported phenomena beginning the night they moved in, escalating over the subsequent months.
• Philip Snedeker, the eldest son receiving cancer treatment, allegedly experienced the most intense activity, including personality changes and violent outbursts.
• After the family sent Philip to live with relatives, the phenomena reportedly ceased for him specifically.
• The Warren investigation generated national media coverage in tabloids and magazines during the late 1980s.
• Skeptics note the family’s significant financial hardship and medical stress as potential factors in their experiences.

Case Facts at a Glance

What Is the True Story Behind The Haunting in Connecticut?

Why Did the Snedekers Choose This House?

Financial desperation and medical necessity drove the family’s decision. Allen Snedeker worked as a former stone mason with suspected struggles with alcoholism, while Carmen worked as a waitress. With their eldest son requiring intensive treatment for cancer, they needed affordable housing near the hospital. The five-bedroom, two-bathroom home offered space for their large family at a price point they could manage.

They signed the lease on June 30, 1986, without the landlord disclosing the property’s history as a funeral home. The family later stated they would not have rented the house had they known its former function.

What Did They Discover in the Basement?

Upon moving in, the family discovered disturbing remnants of the funeral home operation in the basement. Evidence included a coffin hoisting apparatus, medical gurney, embalming equipment, blood drains, and toe tags. Photographs of deceased individuals remained in the home.

What Paranormal Activity Did They Report?

The family claimed activity began the night they moved in. Reported phenomena included shadowy figures, apparitions, and sounds of unknown forces. Physical attacks allegedly occurred during sleep. The most disturbing reports involved demonic phenomena, including sexual attacks and an overwhelming sense of evil permeating the house.

Philip Snedeker became the focus of the activity. Family members described violent and abrupt behavioral shifts in the oldest son, who reportedly heard voices and experienced visions. The intensity of experiences directed at Philip led the family to send him to live with relatives, after which he reportedly stopped experiencing the phenomena.

Where Is the Snedeker House and What Is Its History?

The Hallahan Funeral Home Legacy

The building at 208 Meriden Avenue served as the Hallahan Funeral Home for decades during the mid-20th century. The 1920s-era structure contained the standard facilities for mortuary operations, including basement preparation rooms. The family was not informed of this history when signing the lease, discovering the truth only after moving in and exploring the property.

The presence of burial sites on the extended property, confirmed by headstones discovered by the Snedekers, indicated that the land had served as a final resting place for individuals prepared in the basement facilities.

Current Status of the Property

The Snedeker family vacated the premises in late 1988, approximately two years after moving in. The house has changed hands multiple times in the decades since. New owners who purchased the home reported experiencing no supernatural activity, though they noted that people occasionally photograph the house from the street, drawn by its paranormal reputation.

Who Investigated the Snedeker Haunting?

The Warrens’ Involvement

Ed and Lorraine Warren, the Connecticut-based paranormal investigators who consulted on the Amityville Horror case, entered the investigation at the family’s request. The Warrens arrived with a Catholic priest who performed an initial blessing, though the family claimed it produced no effect on the reported activity.

The Warrens subsequently contacted the Bishop of Hartford, requesting additional Catholic intervention. Two priests sent by the Bishop held a sacred Mass in the home. During this ceremony, Ed Warren suffered a mild heart attack, which he attributed to demonic entities objecting to the priests’ presence.

When Did the Snedeker Haunting Occur?

1. June 30, 1986

   The Snedeker family signs the lease and moves into 208 Meriden Avenue, unaware of the property’s history as a funeral home. Source: True Crime Northeast

2. Summer 1986

   Family discovers embalming equipment, coffin hoists, and toe tags in the basement. Paranormal activity reportedly begins the first night. Source: All That’s Interesting

3. 1986-1988

   Escalating reports of supernatural encounters, physical attacks, and personality changes in Philip Snedeker. Family eventually sends Philip to live with relatives. Source: Atlas Obscura

4. 1988

   Ed and Lorraine Warren investigate. Catholic priests perform blessings and Masses. Ed Warren suffers heart attack during one ceremony. Source: FrightFind

5. September 6, 1988

   Three-hour exorcism performed by third priest. Large tree falls during ritual. Family reports activity ceases afterward. Source: True Crime Northeast

6. Late 1988

   Snedeker family moves out of the house permanently. Source: All That’s Interesting

7. 2009

   Hollywood releases The Haunting in Connecticut, adapting the case for cinema. Source: Documentary sources

Is the Connecticut Haunting Real or a Hoax?

Questions remain about the authenticity of the claims. While documentation confirms the family’s residence and the Warren investigation, skepticism persists regarding whether phenomena were paranormal or resulted from suggestion, stress, and exaggeration. The lack of physical evidence independent of the family’s testimony leaves the case in the realm of disputed interpretation.

Key Differences Between the Movie and Real Events

The 2009 film adaptation starring Virginia Madsen and Kyle Gallner took significant creative liberties with the Snedeker account. While the real events involved a family coping with serious illness and financial strain, the movie heightened the horror elements for cinematic effect. The cinematic version condensed timelines, altered family dynamics, and introduced supernatural elements not documented in the original reports.

Unlike the Spellbound (2024 Film) – Plot, Cast, Netflix Release, Reviews, which operates as original fantasy, The Haunting in Connecticut marketed itself as based on true events. This distinction places it within the tradition of paranormal cinema that blurs documentary claims with entertainment, similar to how House of the Dragon Family Tree – Targaryen Lineage Explained adapts literary sources for television drama.

The actual Snedeker case involved a larger family unit than portrayed in the film, included different specific phenomena, and concluded with the family moving out rather than the dramatic climax depicted on screen. The movie’s depiction of the house’s geography and the nature of the haunting entities diverged substantially from the Warren investigation files.

What Do Primary Sources Say About the Haunting?

“There were a couple of photos in the home, but there were many toe tags and a head tag. There were other personal items of the deceased.”

— Carmen Snedeker, regarding the discovery of funeral home remnants

Questions remain about the authenticity of the claims… skepticism exists regarding whether the phenomena were truly paranormal or resulted from stress, suggestion, and exaggeration—particularly given the family’s difficult circumstances and Philip’s serious illness.

— Critical analysis of the case documentation

What Is the Current Status of the Snedeker House?

The house at 208 Meriden Avenue remains a private residence in Southington, Connecticut. Since the Snedekers departed in 1988, the property has transferred ownership multiple times. Current and recent owners have publicly stated they experienced no paranormal activity, though the house attracts occasional attention from paranormal enthusiasts and tourists who photograph it from the street. The case continues to generate interest through documentaries, books, and the enduring legacy of the House of the Dragon Family Tree – Targaryen Lineage Explained style of generational storytelling, where fact and legend intertwine over decades.

Frequently Asked Questions