Comedian Matt Rife on Friday revealed that he and YouTuber Elton Castee purchased “one of the most prominent properties in paranormal history:” Ed and Lorraine Warren's home and Occult Museum.
With this move, he has become “the legal guardian” of all the purportedly haunted artifacts kept in the Warrens' museum for at least the next 5 years. These include the haunted Annabelle doll who gained popularity in The Conjuring series, Rife said.
“If you know me, you know I’m obsessed with the paranormal and all things haunted,” the comedian wrote in a post on Instagram as he shared several photos from his new property with his fans. “You also may know The Conjuring films are my favorite scary movies of all time. So I’m incredibly honored to have taken over one of the most prominent properties in paranormal history.”
“Ed and Lorain 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,” he stated, disclosing the duo's plan to “open the house for overnight stays and museum tours” in a bid to offer his fans the experience of the occult and all the “haunted history surrounding this amazing place.”
Rife kept the amount he spent on his acquisition a secret.
{{/usCountry}}Rife kept the amount he spent on his acquisition a secret.
{{/usCountry}}Mat Rife fans express worry over controversial purchase
Reacting to Rife's purchase, one fan joked, “RIP buddy,” indicating that not all of the people were as thrilled as the two. “I do not claim any negative energy from this post,” another commented.
“DONT TOUCH ANYTHING!! PLEASE FOR THE LOVE OF GOD DONT TOUCH ANYTHING!!” third person wrote.
“Please honor them and don’t turn everything they’ve built into a joke,” a fourth person chimed in.
What we know about Warren home and Occult Museum
After the Warrens passed away, haunted artifacts such as pieces of the downed Eastern Airlines Flight 401 and an organ that can play music on its own were kept on the property.
The demonic Raggedy Ann doll, Annabelle, is also on display at the museum. She was kept sealed in a case with “Warning: Positively Do Not Open.”
The doll is thought to have a "demonic" aura after it purportedly tried to strangle a friend who was sleeping in the flat in the 1970s, left eerie messages, and moved strangely by itself, frightening two roommates.
The doll was most recently a part of the "Devils on the Run Tour," which was led by paranormal investigator Dan Rivera, who died unexpectedly on July 13 in his hotel room.
As part of his trip, Rivera was touring the United States with other members of the New England Society for Psychic Research to showcase Annabelle.
According to state police, "nothing unusual or suspicious" was discovered at the site, and the doll was not present in the room when he passed away.
The cause of Rivera's death is still unknown.