James Wan introduced Annabelle to audiences in The Conjuring, making her instantly recognisable as an iconic horror icon. Annabelle terrorizes two roommates and their girlfriend before wrecking havoc at home and church before killing a child – just the start for New Line Cinema’s Annabelle franchise that continues with films like Annabelle: Creation and Gary Dauberman’s Annabelle Comes Home. However, unlike the movie version, real-world Annabelle only seems capable of one death on record compared to movie Annabelle’s seemingly invincibility – at least according to claims made against real world demonic doll.
According to legend, nurse Donna Formes (or Deirdre or Angie) received Annabelle as a birthday present from her mother on her 28th birthday. Soon thereafter, the same terrifying events we see in movies began unfolding at Donna’s apartment – Annabelle would leave mysterious scrawled messages on parchment, strangle one of Donna’s friends, and leave claw marks on another; their experience was so terrifying they turned for help to the Warrens.
Paranormal investigators quickly determined Annabelle was no ghost; rather she contained an evil spirit bound up by Christ. To protect Annabelle, they placed it in a special case made out of bible pages and sprinkled holy water over its surface before beginning an exorcism process to free Annabelle of any harmful influences within.