Definitely one of the most lasting images of the Conjuring franchise, Annabelle, the cursed doll, has become something of a pop culture icon. So much so that with the release of Annabelle Comes Home, there are now more films based around this haunted toy than there are actual Conjuring films. Despite all three entries in this trilogy being complete works of fiction, the real history and stories surrounding Annabelle, are arguably far more terrifying.

The Arduous Drive Home

Ed and Lorraine Warren’s book, “The Demonologist” contains many references and stories about Annabelle herself (or rather itself). The original Conjuring does a great job in its prologue scene of telling the story of Annabelle, and how the Warrens came to the aid of the nurses who were being tormented by the doll’s demonic force. What that film doesn’t show however, is the drive the Warrens took back to their home in Monroe, CT.

Their book details how the car kept on stalling, especially at sharp turns. And that it almost felt as if the malevolent spirit using the doll was attempting to cause a traffic accident. It’s not the only time they mention something like this happening, especially when transporting, shall we say, “possessed cargo”. If one is to believe everything in their books, we can assume that demons don’t have the ability to kill a person outright, but they can mess with things (like a car) to try to get something bad to happen. You’ll also notice motor vehicles to be common theme here.

An Arrogant Priest

The second incident the Warrens describe is that of a priest whose arrogance nearly got the better of him. In the immediate years that followed the Annabelle case, the doll was kept sitting on a stool in their basement (the glass case was built a few years later). While the priest was over for a visit with Ed, he proceeded to pick up the doll and throw it on the ground.

Flabbergasted, Ed demanded to know why the priest would do something like that. The priest declared, “God is more powerful than the devil.” To which Ed replied, “Yes, but you’re not”. Later that very day, the priest got into a car accident, totaling his brand new car. The Warrens themselves often said that this anecdote illustrates the importance of never challenging the demonic. Bad things happen to those that do; as we’ll see in this next chilling story.

Real Life Murder?

For years, the Warrens ran tours of their Occult Museum based out of their home. But as we’ll see, whenever something is open to the public, it’s often unpredictable of what might happen. Allegedly there was a man present during the tour who found the story of Annabelle to be amusing. He then proceeded to bang on the glass case and say something to the effect of, “If you’re real, put a scratch on me.”

Ed Warren then immediately kicked him out for his blatant display of disrespect. As the story goes, the man and his girlfriend were riding home on a motorcycle from the Warrens’ house, when they were struck by a car. The man who issued the taunt was killed, while his girlfriend survived with injuries. Unfortunately, it’s very difficult to confirm this story. It’s recalled on the Warrens’ website, but it’s never mentioned in their books. But it’s interesting, as well as unsettling to think about.

The Annabelle films have contained many deaths and disturbing scenes, but at the end of the day, we all know that’s just Hollywood filmmaking. However, if any of these three stories are true (which many believe they are), then we live in a world far more mystical and terrifying that we could ever imagine!