Museum officials have stepped forward to shut down swirling rumors that the infamous Annabelle doll — the allegedly demonically possessed Raggedy Ann at the heart of horror legends — has gone missing.
The speculation flared after the Annabelle doll, typically housed at the New England Society for Psychic Research’s (NESPR) Warrens’ Occult Museum, made a May tour stop in New Orleans as part of the Devils on the Run Tour. Visitors claimed they didn’t see the doll on display, sparking online theories that Annabelle had escaped her casing.
Rumors Fueled by Local Fire Incident
Theories intensified following a recent fire at the nearby Nottoway Plantation-turned-Nottoway Resort in White Castle, Louisiana, with some online users suggesting a bizarre link between the blaze and the Annabelle doll’s supposed disappearance.
However, NESPR lead investigator Dan Rivera took to TikTok on Saturday to debunk the rumors.
Museum Reassures Public: Annabelle Is in Place
“I’m here at the museum right now, and I just wanna show you guys that Annabelle is in the Warrens’ Occult Museum,” Rivera said, showing the doll secure in her wooden case. “Annabelle is not missing; she’s not in Chicago.” Rivera also teased that the NESPR team will appear at the 2025 Rock Island Roadhouse Esoteric Expo in Rock Island, Illinois, on October 4.
NESPR further reassured the public with a Facebook post: “It’s a Rumor… Annabelle has NOT been stolen. The doll is safely in place at the Warren Occult Museum.”
Past Annabelle Doll Rumors
This isn’t the first time the Annabelle doll has ignited widespread panic. In 2020, Tony Spera, son-in-law of famous paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren, dispelled similar escape rumors on YouTube. “Annabelle’s here. She didn’t go anywhere. She didn’t fly first class and she didn’t go out to visit her boyfriend,” Spera quipped. “I’d be concerned if Annabelle really did leave because she’s nothing to play with.”
Annabelle’s Infamous Legacy
The Annabelle doll’s haunted reputation began in 1970, when a student owner sought the Warrens’ help after reporting malicious and frightening behavior. The Warrens concluded the doll was “demonically possessed.”
The Annabelle legend grew to international fame through her appearances in The Conjuring (2013) and her own spin-off series: Annabelle (2014), Annabelle: Creation (2017), and Annabelle Comes Home (2019).
Despite the rumors, one thing is clear — Annabelle isn’t going anywhere anytime soon.
