Matt Rife Says He Bought Famous Occult Home Housing Annabelle Doll

He said Ed and Lorraine Warren “arguably put demonology and paranormal into the mainstream and are the very heart of some of the most famous haunted stories of all time.”

“We plan to open the house for overnight stays and museum tours so you yourself can experience and learn all the haunted history surrounding this amazing place,” he added.

Rife purchased the property with viral ghost hunter Elton Castee, both of whom are now the legal guardians of the museum’s artifacts for “at least five years,” according to Rife.

In a statement to TODAY.com, New England Society for Psychic Research director Tony Spera, son-in-law of the famous paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren, clarified that while Rife and Castee purchased the home, he and wife Judy Spera remain the owners of the artifacts. NESPR is a paranormal research group founded by the Warrens in 1952.

“All of the artifacts, including the infamous Annabelle doll, are owned by Judy and myself,” Spera said, later adding, “We have no plans to ever ‘sell’ the artifacts.”

Spera said they are leasing the artifacts to Rife and Castee in an agreement that lasts five years. He added that Rife and Castee have plans to open the museum “off site” from the Warrens’ home.

Castee said on his Instagram story that he will film an “investigation” of the Warren home Aug. 2 at 8 p.m. ET on his YouTube channel.

Days earlier, the two teased on social media that they bought “the world’s most haunted house.”

“We’ve been working on this nearly all year & it is finally happening,” Castee wrote, adding a fire emoji. “I am making sure this will be the best paranormal investigation location on the planet.”

What Is the Annabelle Doll?

The Annabelle doll came into popular culture with the release of a 2014 horror film, which follows the story of a possessed doll haunting a couple nearly to their death.

But the real Annabelle doll was around long before the film — and prior to her first appearance in 2013’s “The Conjuring.”

According to a timeline from NESPR, a nursing student was gifted a Raggedy Ann doll in 1968, which she then shared with her roommate.

The two subsequently “noticed strange occurrences with the doll” in the apartment before a medium told them it was “inhabited by the spirit of a young girl named Annabelle,” the timeline shows.

“The two roommates tried to accept the doll’s spirit and please it only to have it reciprocate maliciousness and violent intent,” the NESPR website says.

Paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren deemed the doll “demonically possessed” and removed it from the house, per NESPR, which is funded by the Warrens’ son-in-law Tony Spera. The couple then “encased it in a glass box to contain the evil spirited entity.”

A representative from the NESPR did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Rife’s post about purchasing Ed and Lorraine Warren’s home.

What’s Next for the Annabelle Doll?

The Annabelle doll notably left the Warren house this year for the “Devils on the Run Tour.” The nationwide tour showed the Warrens’ work and displayed Annabelle.

During the tour, Dan Rivera, a paranormal investigator and handler for the Annabelle doll, died at 54 on July 13 in a Pennsylvania hotel. Adams County Chief Deputy Coroner Scott Pennewill noted “nothing suspicious” surrounded Rivera’s death.

Pennewill confirmed the Annabelle doll was not present at the scene, adding that Rivera was found alone. Rivera’s cause of death has not been released, and at time, Pennewill said Rivera’s autopsy results would likely be available within 60 to 90 days.

The Annabelle doll is scheduled to appear at the Maine Paranormal & Horror Convention in Augusta on Sept. 6 and 7, per NESPR’s website.

After buying the Warrens’ home, Rife and Castee, the doll’s new “legal guardians,” said they plan to host “overnight stays and museum tours so you yourself can experience and learn all the haunted history surrounding this amazing place.”

In a livestream announcing their purchase, Castee walked through the museum for his social media followers and said he wants people to visit to capture any paranormal events to aid in research.