The Annabelle Doll's Real Family: 7 People Who Lived With The Cursed Object And Where She Is Now In 2025

The infamous Annabelle doll is one of the most chilling and popular figures in modern paranormal lore, but the real story is far different from the terrifying porcelain monster seen on screen. The true "family" of Annabelle isn't a single unit, but a series of people whose lives became irrevocably linked to the malevolent Raggedy Ann doll after she was acquired in 1970. This article, updated for December 2025, delves into the biographies of the key individuals—the owners, the victim, and the custodians—who came face-to-face with what paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren deemed a non-human demonic entity.

The latest and most compelling update on the doll's whereabouts confirms that the real Annabelle is currently on a special exhibition tour, a development that has generated massive public interest and fresh controversy in 2025. Far from being locked away forever, the haunted artifact is once again traveling, ensuring her dark legacy continues to evolve.

The Original Family: Donna, Angie, and Lou (The First Victims)

The story of Annabelle begins not with a creepy movie set, but in a Connecticut apartment in 1970 with a group of young, unsuspecting adults. These three people were the first to experience the doll's unsettling activity, forming the initial "family" unit that the entity seemed to target.

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Biography of the Original Owners

• Donna: A 28-year-old student nurse who received the Raggedy Ann doll as a birthday gift from her mother in 1970. She was the doll's primary owner and the first to notice its strange movements.
• Angie: Donna's roommate, also a student nurse. She witnessed the doll's increasing activity, which began with minor movements and escalated to more deliberate acts.
• Lou: A close friend of both Donna and Angie. He was the most skeptical of the group but became the primary target of the doll's aggression, suffering a physical attack that convinced the group of the danger.

The initial incidents were minor: the doll would change positions and locations in the apartment when no one was home. This escalated when Donna and Angie began finding small pieces of parchment paper with messages like "Help Us" written in a child's handwriting.

Believing the doll was inhabited by the spirit of a deceased seven-year-old girl named Annabelle Higgins, they consulted a medium. This was a critical mistake. According to the Warrens, by showing compassion and giving the "spirit" permission to inhabit the doll, the nurses unknowingly invited a demonic entity into their lives.

The climax of the haunting came when Lou was violently attacked. He reported being scratched across the chest multiple times, leaving behind deep, claw-like marks that bled. This terrifying physical assault was the catalyst that finally prompted the nurses to seek professional help from a priest, who in turn contacted the renowned paranormal investigators, Ed and Lorraine Warren.

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The Custodial Family: Ed and Lorraine Warren and Their Legacy

The second, and most famous, "family" connected to Annabelle is the Warren family. Paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren took possession of the doll and housed it for decades, effectively becoming its lifelong custodians. Their commitment ensured the doll was kept safe from the public and prevented from causing further harm.

Biography of the Custodians

• Ed Warren (1926–2006): A self-taught demonologist and author. Ed was the only non-ordained demonologist recognized by the Catholic Church. He performed the exorcism ritual on the doll before placing it in their museum.
• Lorraine Warren (1927–2019): A professional clairvoyant and light trance medium who worked closely with her husband. She was instrumental in assessing the doll's malevolent nature and confirming the presence of a demonic entity.
• Chris McKinnell (Grandson): The current steward of the Warrens' legacy and the Occult Museum's artifacts. He is the person responsible for the doll's security and public appearances today, making him the newest member of Annabelle's custodial family.

The Warrens immediately recognized the entity was not a child's spirit but a manipulative, dangerous, non-human spirit—a demon—that was using the doll as a focal point, or a conduit, to possess a human host. Upon taking the doll, Ed Warren drove it back to his home in a locked box, reportedly experiencing car troubles and near-accidents, which he attributed to the doll's influence. He eventually placed it in a specially constructed glass case at their home.

For decades, the real Annabelle doll resided at the Warrens' Occult Museum in Monroe, Connecticut. The glass case, affixed with a sign that reads "WARNING: Positively Do Not Open," was intended to contain the entity's influence.

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The Annabelle Doll's 2025 Status: On Tour and Under Scrutiny

The most recent and compelling information regarding the Annabelle doll centers on her current location and public appearances, a development that has captured global attention in late 2024 and throughout 2025.

Contrary to the popular myth that she is permanently locked away, the real Annabelle doll—the large, tattered Raggedy Ann doll—has been confirmed to be on a special exhibition. This move is managed by the Warrens' family and legacy holders.

• The "Devil's on The Run Tour": Beginning in May 2025, the Annabelle doll was featured as part of a traveling exhibition, known as the "Devil's on The Run Tour." This decision to move the doll from its long-time resting place in the Occult Museum has sparked intense debate among paranormal enthusiasts and demonologists.
• San Antonio Appearance: A key stop on the tour was the Psychic & Spirit Fest in San Antonio, Texas, in 2025. This appearance provided a rare opportunity for the public to view the actual doll that inspired the movies, although she remains secured in her containment case.
• Security and Containment: The doll is never removed from her specially constructed, blessed, and secured glass display case. The current custodians maintain that the case itself is part of the containment ritual performed by Ed Warren, and opening it would release the entity's full power.

The ongoing public display of the doll, even behind glass, serves as a testament to the Warrens' enduring legacy and the public's insatiable curiosity about the paranormal. The current "family" of custodians, led by Chris McKinnell, continues the tradition of protecting the public from the doll while simultaneously sharing its terrifying history, ensuring the legend of Annabelle remains fresh and relevant in 2025. The doll's presence on tour underscores the fact that this cursed object is still considered an active threat, requiring constant vigilance and spiritual protection, a commitment passed down through the Warren family.