BURRILLVILLE, R.I. (WPRI) — Brian Dansereau says he was fired from the house featured in the film “The Conjuring” after his boss said she was told by its 19th-century owner Dansereau had been stealing money.
The Burrillville, Rhode Island, farmhouse – also known as the Old Arnold Estate – has been an international draw for paranormal enthusiasts ever since it was made famous by the 2013 supernatural horror movie “The Conjuring.”
Dansereau said he worked at the home, which is open to visitors, until current owner Jacqueline Nuñez fired him abruptly last month. Dansereau said she told him the spirit of John Arnold — who owned the home with his wife Abigail in the 1800s — said Dansereau stole about $3,000. Dansereau denied the theft.
“She said, ‘John Arnold told me you’ve been stealing money out of the cash box for the past two months,'” Dansereau said in an interview, showing text messages of the conversation. “I literally stopped and I had to correct her like, ‘John Arnold, one of the original owners?'”
Nuñez, a self-described medium and channel, confirmed she fired Dansereau and that spirits of “the most famous haunted and active locations in the world” told her he’d been stealing. Nuñez also said she’d been informed of “other matters that are untoward from previous staff and even mischievous guests.”
“It does not matter whether you believe in the paranormal or not,” Nuñez said in a statement. “I and every person is entitled to experiences that bring understanding and meaning to our lives, including being informed or warned about wicked actors and actions. As far as Brian goes my experience with him devolved quickly, culminating in his at-will employment termination.”
“The Conjuring” film was created after Andrea Perron wrote the “House of Darkness: House of Light – The True Story, Vol. 1.” The book is about the paranormal activity she experienced living in the Arnold Estate, which her family owned in the 1970s.
Perron said the family was haunted by Bathsheba, a spirit that was unleashed during a “séance gone horribly wrong.” Perron said paranormal activity happened all the time.
“It started the first day we moved into the house,” Perron said during a 2013 interview. “We saw a man standing in the dining room who seemed fixated on dear old Mr. Kenyon, who sold the property to my parents. I walked passed him and said, ‘Good morning,’ and he didn’t respond.”
Dansereau — who worked as a paramedic before getting hired at the house — recalled his own paranormal experiences, such as hearing voices, footsteps and even his own voice talking back to him in the basement.
“One of the weirdest things was being in the basement by myself in the store room and literally hearing me call me from the other side of the basement,” he said.
In another experience, Dansereau said a closed door opened up for him as he walked toward it with an armful of boxes. Dansereau said the experience still makes him smile, and that he was sure to say, “Thank you.”
But Dansereau said he has serious doubts about John Arnold ever telling Nuñez he was a thief.
“For a spirit to go after a staff member in that manner, I’ve never heard of such a thing at any haunted venue let alone the ‘Conjuring’ house,” he said.
Dansereau this week filed a complaint seeking unpaid wages with the Rhode Island Department of Labor and Training, estimating Nuñez owes him $9,000 for uncompensated work. The state agency confirmed it received the complaint.
Nuñez said her books back up the allegation of theft, showing discrepancies between merchandise orders and cash sales. Nuñez also denied owing Dansereau any money, saying he’s been made whole when “counting the stolen money as part of his compensation.”
Nuñez said she’s now planning to file a complaint with state officials and Burrillville because Dansereau “committed further egregious acts by appearing in YouTube videos slandering me personally and trying to damage my reputation and business at the Conjuring House.”
“This is all I will say on this matter,” she added.
Dansereau described the entire experience as “horrible,” saying the stress of it all is causing him anxiety and keeping him up at night.
“This was going to be my sunset job,” he said. “In all my career, I’ve never been accused of stealing.”