The Perron Family Haunting

Episode of Morbid · April 2, 2026 · 1 h 8 min

Ash Kelley and Alaina Urquhart recount the Perron family's decade of alleged hauntings in a Harrisville, Rhode Island farmhouse that inspired The Conjuring.

Summary

Morbid co-hosts Ash Kelley and Alaina Urquhart opened with extended banter about spilled soy sauce, wedding songs, fidget toys and internet slang such as "aura farming," plus announcements that an excerpt of Urquhart's novel The Butcher Legacy was available on CrimeReads and that tickets were on sale for the show's Radio City Music Hall performance.

Kelley then narrated the story of Roger and Carolyn Perron, who married in a Catholic ceremony, raised five daughters, and moved from Connecticut back to Rhode Island. After a traumatic summer in Cumberland in 1970 — the family puppy Bathsheba was struck by a car in front of all five girls, the family cat died, their house was broken into, and local violent crime rose sharply — Carolyn found a newspaper listing for a nine-room 1736 colonial farmhouse on 200 acres in Harrisville and put down a deposit while Roger was away driving a truck. The family moved in during January 1971, and the groundskeeper, Mr. Kenyon, told them to leave the lights on at night.

Kelley described an escalating series of reported experiences: unexplained noises, the youngest daughter April claiming she was slapped in her sleep, a smoky figure and foul odor near the cellar, a scythe thrown at Carolyn in the barn, and an incident in which Carolyn's daughters and a neighbor said they saw her beaten with a wire coat hanger held by an unseen force. Carolyn later reported a grotesque female apparition emerging from a bureau in her bedroom. Roger, largely absent and skeptical, refused to accept the accounts, which Kelley said drove a wedge into the marriage; a local shopkeeper eventually told Carolyn the house had belonged to Bathsheba Sherman, rumored locally to have been a witch who sacrificed a child.

In 1973 the family contacted paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren, who identified Bathsheba as a demonic presence, publicized the case in lectures, and staged a seance and attempted exorcism that ended when Roger punched Ed Warren and ordered everyone out, calling them "two-bit charlatans." The family remained until 1980. Kelley noted that later residents reported no supernatural activity but were harassed after the 2013 film The Conjuring, and that daughter Andrea Perron now believes the house was haunted while arguing Bathsheba Sherman was unfairly blamed. Urquhart said she believed Roger's denial stemmed from guilt and expressed a wish to visit the Conjuring House, which she said had closed.

Chapters

0:00
Soy sauce, dumplings and opening banter
The hosts joked about Ash spilling soy sauce on a new shirt, squeaky dumpling fidget toys and recording mishaps.
2:16
Book excerpt and Radio City announcements
Urquhart promoted a CrimeReads excerpt from The Butcher Legacy and both hosts plugged tickets and exclusive merch for their Radio City Music Hall show, digressing into wedding songs and internet slang.
6:49
The Perron family's early years
Kelley introduced Roger and Carolyn Perron, their Catholic wedding, their five daughters and their move to Cumberland, Rhode Island in 1964.
10:37
A bad summer in Cumberland
The family puppy Bathsheba was killed by a car in front of the girls, and a local juvenile crime wave, the cat's death and a break-in convinced Carolyn to leave town.
21:42
Finding the Harrisville farmhouse
Carolyn spotted a newspaper listing for a nine-room 1736 colonial on 200 acres for $75,000 and put money down before consulting Roger, who eventually agreed to buy.
26:54
Moving in and Mr. Kenyon's warning
The Perrons moved in during January 1971 with no house keys, and the groundskeeper advised them to leave the lights on at night.
31:52
First disturbances
Carolyn and the girls heard voices and footsteps, sensed a presence, and April insisted someone had slapped and shaken her during a nap.
37:08
Apparitions, the scythe and the coat hanger
Cynthia walked through a smoky figure near the cellar, a scythe was hurled at Carolyn in the barn, and witnesses said they saw Carolyn beaten with a floating wire coat hanger.
44:17
Marital strain and the woman in the bureau
Roger's disbelief pushed Carolyn toward a neighbor confidant, and she described waking paralyzed before a grotesque, broken-necked woman that climbed from her bureau.
53:15
The legend of Bathsheba Sherman
A local shopkeeper told Carolyn the house had belonged to Bathsheba Sherman, whom neighbors believed was a witch who sacrificed a child.
55:51
The Warrens, the seance and the punch
Ed and Lorraine Warren investigated, named Bathsheba a demonic presence, publicized the case, and staged a seance that ended with Roger punching Ed Warren.
1:02:53
Aftermath, The Conjuring and legacy
The Perrons left in 1980 and later divorced, subsequent owners reported harassment rather than hauntings, and the hosts discussed Andrea Perron's views and their wish to visit the house.

Key points

What was said, by whom, with the exact words. Timestamps jump to the moment.

Ash Kelley
Kelley said the Perron family haunting was the inspiration for The Conjuring films.
“apparently was the inspiration for the conjuring movies oh like the first one at least”
Listen from 6:56 · Perron family haunting
Ash Kelley
Kelley noted a coincidence between the Perrons' puppy Bathsheba and the biblical Bathsheba both having five offspring, as Carolyn had five daughters.
“It's interesting because Bathsheba, I looked a little bit into like her origins and she had five kids”
Listen from 11:32 · Pet loss and grief
Ash Kelley
Kelley cited statistics that violent crime in Cumberland, Rhode Island rose more than 60 percent between 1970 and 1974, supporting Carolyn's sense that the town had become dangerous.
“Between 1970 and 1974, violent crime in Cumberland, Rhode Island, increased more than 60%”
Listen from 13:57 · Cumberland, Rhode Island
Ash Kelley
Kelley described the listing Carolyn found: a nine-room colonial farmhouse on 200 acres for $75,000, roughly $600,000 in today's money.
“she came across a listing for a nine-room colonial farmhouse in Harrisville on 200 acres of land. For $75,000”
Listen from 21:56 · Harrisville, Rhode Island
Ash Kelley
Kelley said the groundskeeper told the family the house had been built by a master shipwright in 1736 out of solid oak, which helped it survive hurricanes.
“According to the groundskeeper, the house was actually built by a master shipwright in 1736”
Listen from 24:06 · Harrisville, Rhode Island
Ash Kelley
Kelley recounted that on moving day the groundskeeper Mr. Kenyon told the Perrons to keep the lights on at night, a remark that unsettled Roger.
“He said, leave the lights on at night. Better to light a candle than to curse the darkness”
Listen from 28:30 · Perron family haunting
Alaina Urquhart
Urquhart said the Conjuring House was closed, with its business license revoked and the property having gone up for auction.
“Also, I'm pretty sure the Conjuring house is, like, closed”
Listen from 28:54 · Dark tourism at haunted sites
Linked moment · 35:33Skip to 35:33 using a listen link in the info box.
Ash Kelley
Kelley, citing Joe Nickell, said Roger Perron never truly believed his wife's and daughters' accounts even when he appeared to go along with them.
“Roger eventually seemed to acquiesce, possibly to promote domestic harmony, but he never appears to have truly believed the claims from his wife and daughters”
Listen from 35:33 · Perron family haunting
Ash Kelley
Kelley recounted Cynthia Perron walking into a silky, smoky figure that emerged from the cellar, leaving a foul-smelling cloud that made her ill at school.
“a quote, silky smoky figure emerged from the cellar”
Listen from 38:40 · Perron family haunting
Ash Kelley
Kelley said Carolyn was nearly struck by a hand scythe thrown at her in the barn while she felt paralyzed and unable to move.
“Then out of nowhere, a hand scythe came flying in her direction from above”
Listen from 40:25 · Perron family haunting
Ash Kelley
Kelley described a coat hanger attack witnessed by Carolyn's five daughters and a neighbor, Mrs. Pettigrew.
“see her being whacked across the face, head and neck with a wire coat hanger. Held in the air just like by some unseen force”
Listen from 41:32 · Perron family haunting
Ash Kelley
Kelley recounted the local legend that Bathsheba Sherman, a former resident, was believed to be a witch who sacrificed a child to Satan in exchange for power.
“she was said to be in league with the devil and had sacrificed a child to Satan in exchange for power”
Listen from 54:41 · Witchcraft in New England folklore
Alaina Urquhart
Urquhart said that given the reported events she too would have concluded something terrible had happened in the house.
“I might say I might that might be my first thought, too, is like, you know what? I bet somebody did do some fucked up shit like that”
Listen from 55:42 · Witchcraft in New England folklore
Alaina Urquhart
Urquhart questioned whether Ed and Lorraine Warren were charlatans while acknowledging their reputation.
“that they're good at what they do are they charlatans perhaps”
Listen from 56:27 · Paranormal investigation
Ash Kelley
Kelley said Lorraine Warren identified Bathsheba as the lone demonic presence in the house that controlled all other activity.
“it was she who was the, quote, lone demonic presence in the house, and all the other paranormal activity was drawn to her or commanded by her”
Listen from 57:18 · Paranormal investigation
Ash Kelley
Kelley argued the Warrens helped the family but also turned the case into a public spectacle that served their own interests, bringing strangers and ghost hunters to the house.
“Ed and Lorraine definitely would do their best to help the family, but they also would create a public spectacle that”
Listen from 57:48 · Paranormal investigation
Ash Kelley
Kelley described the October seance as escalating into an attempted exorcism during which Roger punched Ed Warren and ended the session.
“that caused Roger to whip around and punch Ed directly in the face, dropping him down to the ground”
Listen from 1:00:52 · Seance
Ash Kelley
Kelley quoted Andrea Perron's memoir recording that Roger dismissed the seance as ritualistic nonsense and called the Warrens two-bit charlatans.
“He also called the entire scene ritualistic nonsense and shouted at his wife, Do you realize you're being played by a pair of two-bit charlatans?”
Listen from 1:01:38 · Seance
Ash Kelley
Kelley said Andrea Perron later concluded her father's refusal to believe stemmed from not wanting to admit he had endangered the family by buying the house.
“admitted that he didn't want to believe his wife because he didn't want to think that he had put his family in a perilous situation with the purchase of the house”
Listen from 1:02:25 · Perron family haunting
Ash Kelley
Kelley said the Perrons stayed until 1980, when Carolyn told Roger she would not survive another winter in the house.
“they kept living in the house until 1980 when they finally decided it was time to move”
Listen from 1:02:56 · Perron family haunting
Ash Kelley
Kelley said later residents reported no supernatural activity but faced ongoing harassment from visitors after The Conjuring was released in 2013.
“In the decades since they moved out, other people have lived in the house and nobody's reported supernatural activity that's lived there”
Listen from 1:03:16 · The Conjuring (2013 film)
Ash Kelley
Kelley reported that Andrea Perron and local historians now consider Bathsheba Sherman unfairly maligned by history and by the Warrens.
“essentially Bathsheba copped the blame for everything evil, and it simply wasn't the case”
Listen from 1:04:22 · Witchcraft in New England folklore
Alaina Urquhart
Urquhart agreed with Andrea Perron that Roger's denial was driven by underlying guilt, though she said his behavior was poor.
“And I really do believe that this was like, do I think Roger reacted great in all those circumstances? No, it was a little poor”
Listen from 1:04:51 · Perron family haunting
Alaina Urquhart
Urquhart said she badly wanted to visit the Conjuring House and had once been given tickets with a medium as an anniversary gift that went unused.
“I want to go to the Conjuring House so badly”
Listen from 1:05:05 · Dark tourism at haunted sites
Ash Kelley
Kelley said she loves haunting episodes while acknowledging the experiences are horrifying for those who live through them.
“I know they're horrifying for the people who live through them, but I... I love hearing them”
Listen from 1:06:13 · Ghost sightings and hauntings

People

In the conversation

Ash KelleyCo-host of the true crime podcast Morbid
Alaina UrquhartCo-host of Morbid, autopsy technician and author of the Butcher novels

Discussed

Carolyn PerronMother of five who reported extensive paranormal experiences in the Harrisville farmhouse
Roger PerronLong-haul trucker and Carolyn's husband, who largely dismissed the family's accounts
Andrea PerronEldest Perron daughter who wrote memoirs about the family's experiences in the house
April PerronYoungest Perron daughter, who said she was slapped in her sleep and that something bad happened in the cellar
Cynthia PerronPerron daughter who walked through a smoky figure near the cellar door
Ed WarrenParanormal investigator who investigated the Perron house and was punched by Roger Perron during a seance
Lorraine WarrenParanormal investigator and self-described clairvoyant who identified a demonic presence in the house
Bathsheba Sherman19th-century Rhode Island woman rumored locally to have been a witch and blamed by the Warrens for the haunting
Joe NickellAuthor and skeptical investigator whose writing on the Perron case was cited throughout the episode
Mr. KenyonGroundskeeper who told the Perrons to leave the lights on at night
Norma SutcliffeFormer owner of the Harrisville farmhouse who said she was harassed after The Conjuring's release
Hilary DuffAmerican singer and actress mentioned in a tangent about concerts
Harry StylesBritish singer whom Kelley said made eye contact with her at a concert

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From the publisher

When Carolyn and Roger Perron moved into a small farmhouse in Harrisville, Rhode Island, they thought they’d found the perfect house in which to raise their five daughters and enjoy the rest of their lives. Before long, the Perron’s dream home turned into a nightmare. It started small—disembodied voices, unpleasant odors—but soon the unpleasant and obnoxious experiences developed into an all-out attack of ghostly apparitions, assaults from unseen hands, and the presence of something far worse than the spirits of the undead. At first, the Perron family ignored or dismissed the various incidents that disturbed them, but after several years in the house, the experiences had become too numerous and too severe to dismiss. Faced with the unimaginable scenario of losing their house to forces beyond their comprehension, the Perron’s decided to fight back.

Summary, chapters and key points were generated from the episode transcript on September 27, 2026. Quotes are checked word for word against the transcript.

Categories: Society & Culture·Spirituality·True Crime