Comedian Matt Rife Says He's Now The Legal Guardian Of Annabelle, The 'haunted' Doll

Comedian Matt Rife said he and YouTuber Elton Castee are now nan ineligible guardians of Annabelle, nan doll that famed paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren said was possessed by an evil spirit.

"We are nan ineligible guardians and caretakers of each 750 haunted artifacts and items successful nan Warren Museum, including nan Annabelle doll. I must spell connected grounds and opportunity we do not legally ain items, but we are nan ineligible guardians and caretakers of nan items for astatine slightest nan adjacent 5 years,” Rife said successful an Instagram video connected Saturday.

Rife, 29, announced successful an Instagram station connected Friday that he and Castee, 35, had purchased nan Warrens' location and depository successful Monroe, Connecticut, which includes their full haunted postulation of dolls and artifacts.

Tony Spera, nan Warrens’ son-in-law and co-director of nan precocious couple's organization, New England Society for Psychic Research, clarified to TODAY.com that he and his woman still ain nan Warrens’ collection, including nan Annabelle doll, and are only leasing them to Rife and Castee.

"We person nary plans to ever 'sell' nan artifacts," he said successful a statement.

The Annabelle Raggedy Ann doll successful a lawsuit successful nan Warren's Occult Musem. Hartford Courant/TNS/Getty Images

Ed and Lorraine Warren's paranormal investigations were turned into nan scary movies "The Conjuring," "Annabelle," and "The Nun." Actors Vera Farmiga and Patrick Wilson play Lorraine and Ed successful nan franchise.

"The Conjuring: Last Rites" is nan latest movie successful nan bid and will beryllium released successful September.

"If you cognize me, you cognize I’m obsessed pinch nan paranormal and each things haunted," Rife captioned a photograph of himself and Castee posing pinch nan doll. "You besides whitethorn cognize The Conjuring films are my favourite scary movies of each time. So I’m incredibly honored to person taken complete 1 of nan astir salient properties successful paranormal history. Ed and Lorain Warren arguably put demonology and paranormal into nan mainstream and are nan very bosom of immoderate of nan astir celebrated haunted stories of each time, The Conjuring House, Amityville Horror, et…"

Rife said they scheme to unfastened nan location for "overnight stays and depository tours."

His announcement came little than a period aft paranormal interrogator and Annabelle doll handler Dan Rivera died connected nan "Devils connected nan Run Tour" pinch nan Annabelle doll. Rivera, 54, was recovered dormant successful a Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, edifice room connected July 13.

According to E! News, a July 16 constabulary study branded his decease arsenic "natural," but a last origin of decease won't beryllium wished until an autopsy is completed.

There person been 3 standalone films astir Annabelle, a Raggedy Ann doll fixed arsenic a gift to a nursing student who noticed unusual occurrences pinch nan doll. The caregiver and her roommate called nan Warrens, who "pronounced nan doll demonically possessed," removed it from nan location and "encased it successful a solid container to incorporate nan evil spirited entity," according to New England Society for Psychic Research. Ed Warren died successful 2006 astatine 79, and Lorraine Warren died successful 2019 astatine 92.

The New England Society for Psychic Research did not instantly respond to a petition for remark connected Monday.