April 14, 2025 • 32 mins
Discover the chilling true story of Robert the Doll, America's most haunted toy that has terrorized Key West since 1904. This handmade German doll was gifted to young Gene Otto and quickly became the center of unexplained phenomena - mysterious giggles, moving furniture, and changing facial expressions. Now residing at Fort East Martello Museum, Robert curses visitors who photograph him without permission, with hundreds of apology letters as proof. Learn about the voodoo origins, witness accounts, and why this creepy paranormal artifact continues to frighten even the most skeptical visitors today.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:32):
A single flash of light captureshis image.
Those cold, dead eyesstaring back through the lens.
Within days, your car breaks down.
Your relationship falls apart.
You lose your job.
Now you find yourself writing a desperateletter to a century old doll, begging
for forgiveness for a transgressionyou never realized you committed.
(00:55):
I'm Carol Ann.
And welcome to The InBetween.
Key West, Florida.
A Paradise of swaying palm trees,turquoise waters and colorful
Victorian mansions.
But hidden among these picturesque streetslies something far less inviting.
(01:18):
A relic so ominous that grown menhave fled from its presence.
An object so cursed that thousandsof apologetic letters
arrive yearlyfrom people who dared to mock it.
And while Annabelle might have Hollywood'sattention,
ask any paranormal researcher worththeir salt who commands the most respect
(01:40):
in the haunted doll community,and they'll point you to the sailor suited
figure locked behind plexiglassat the Fort East Martello Museum.
His pale, weathered face has gazed
upon over a century of human suffering,
and some say he's caused most of ithimself.
Today we're diving deepinto the mystery of Robert the Doll.
(02:03):
And I should warn you now, if you'rethe type to scoff at the supernatural,
you might want to consider asking Robert'spermission before continuing.
Just to be safe.
Because as thousands of cursed visitorshave learned the hard
way, Robert doesn't forgive.
And he never, ever forgets.
(02:23):
Robert is a nearly four foottall fabric doll with a sailor suit,
blank expression, and beady black eyes,presumably made by the Steiff
company in Germany, the same peoplewho created the teddy bear.
But he wasn't made to be a toy.
He's a one of a kind that researchers
say was made as part of a storewindow display.
(02:45):
But how did this oversize toy
find its way into the hands of EugeneOtto and his family?
Good question.
Like many legends that span generations,
Robert has more than one origin story.
Some accounts claim that Robert was a giftfrom Eugene Otto's grandfather,
who had been traveling through Europe
and wanted to bring back something specialfor his grandson.
(03:09):
A simple story of family affection.
Nothing sinister or supernatural.
But there's another origin storythat's way more creepy.
According to this darkerversion, Robert was given to young Eugene
by a servant working in the Ottohousehold named Emeline Abbots,
who some claim waswell versed in the art of voodoo.
(03:30):
And Emiline was not happywith the Otto family.
Some say she was simply firedfor practicing voodoo.
While others suggest somethinga little spicier involving an affair,
a pregnancy,a miscarriage, and major feelings
of betrayal thrown in for good measure.
See Thomas Otto, Eugene's dad
(03:53):
and presumptivecheater, owned two pharmacies.
The story goes that heperhaps might have been able
to do something to stop the miscarriage,but didn't.
Whether it's true or just wishfulthinking on Emiline's part is unknown.
Now whether Emiline cursed the doll
and gave it to Eugeneas revenge against his father
(04:16):
for the loss of her baby, or Eugenegot the doll from his grandfather
and Emiline just cursedthe doll is anybody's guess.
But shortly thereafter,strange things begin
happening in the Otto household.
The year is 1904and four year old Robert Eugene
Otto loves his new playmate,who's almost as tall as he is.
(04:40):
Little Robert and his dollinstantly become inseparable.
But within weeks, the boy
born as Robert Otto announces one day that
he now wants to be called by his middlename, Eugene.
Of course, his parents ask why,and little Robert tells him
the doll told him that it wanted his name.
(05:02):
And so it is that the doll becomes Robertand the boy becomes Eugene.
A change that will remainfor the rest of Eugene's life.
From the beginning,the relationship between Eugene
and Robert is unusually intense.
The doll is treated not as a toy,but as a member of the family.
He sits in his own chairat the dinner table.
(05:24):
He sleeps in Eugene's bed every night.
The sailor suit that Robert still wears to
this day issaid to have belonged to Eugene himself.
But it isn't long before strange thingsstart to happen in the Otto household.
Eugene'sparents often hear their son in his room,
chatting happily with his dollNothing unusual about that.
(05:46):
It's his friend, right?
The problem comeswhen they hear a second voice
responding to Eugene, a voice much deeper
and more mature than Eugene's.
They ask him about it, but Eugene just
shrugsand says he isn't making the second voice.
It's just Robert talking.
Visitors to the Otto home reportfeeling uneasy in Robert's presence.
(06:10):
Some even swear his expression changeswhen no one is looking directly at him.
Just a subtle shift in the eyes or mouth.
Nothing they can prove,
but enough to make the hairs on the backof their neck stand at attention.
Eugene'sother toys begin to turn up mutilated.
Arms torn off dolls, stuffedanimals ripped open,
(06:31):
wooden toys smashed beyond repair.
When his parents ask him what in the world
is going on, Eugene's response is alwaysthe same.
Robert did it.
One night.
Eugene's parents are jolted awake by thesound of Eugene screaming in terror.
They run to his room,only to find the door won't open.
(06:53):
It's not locked.
Something seems to be physically holdingit shut from the inside.
When they finally manageto barge their way in, they find Eugene
curled up, shaking in his bedwith his room totally wrecked.
The only item untouched in the chaosis Robert
sitting at the foot of the bed,watching with his lifeless button eyes.
(07:17):
Eugene, freaked out, points at the doll.
Robert did it.
He doesn't like my other toys.
And it doesn't stop.
Things in the house move on their own.
Disembodied giggling and footstepson the stairs at night.
Servantsstart to quit without explanation.
They just pack their stuff and go, noteven bothering with their final paycheck.
(07:40):
Finally, Eugene's great aunt had enough.
During a visit to the Otto home,she takes matters into her own hands.
She grabs Robert and takes himup to the attic and locks him in a trunk.
Eugene is inconsolable.
That night, they hear loudknocking sounds coming from the attic,
(08:00):
like something'strying to bust out of that trunk.
By morning, the knocking has stopped.
But then they get the news.
Eugene's great aunt diedsuddenly during the night.
The official cause is listed as a stroke.
But was it?
Or was it Robert's revenge?
If it was Robert,it didn't do him any good.
(08:23):
He stays locked in that trunk.
Eugene eventuallygrows up and moves to Paris to study art.
Robert is seemingly forgotten.
However, strange thingsare still happening in the Otto household.
The sound of small footstepspattering across the attic floor,
giggling echoing through the house,and occasional glimpses of something
(08:44):
small and whitedarting through the shadows.
In 1945, after the death of his mother,
Eugene Otto returns to his childhood homein Key West.
Now a successful artist,he brings with him his wife Annette
Parker Otto, and the two make plansto move into the house,
and Eugene wants to convert the cornerturret
(09:07):
into an art studiowhere he can continue his painting career.
Upon entering the housefor the first time in years,
Eugene suddenly freezesmid-sentence and races upstairs.
Annette, wonderingwhat in the world is going
on, hears the sound of rummagingcoming from the attic,
followed by Eugene'sfootsteps coming back down the stairs.
(09:30):
When Eugene reappears, he istenderly cradling something in his arms.
Robert.
After decades of separation,
Eugene is reunitedwith his childhood friend.
And just like that, this nowgrown man immediately
falls back into his old patterns,treating the doll as a living entity.
(09:52):
He has furniture custom made for Robert.
He speaks to the doll for hours,apparently
receiving responses that only he can hear.
Annette is not exactly on board with thisnew third partner in their marriage.
She never actually saw Robertmove on his own,
but just being around him creeps her out.
(10:13):
There's something about those black beadyeyes that seem to follow her everywhere.
Eugene begins to change, too.
He's more irritable, argumentative,and sometimes even cruel.
Annette confronts him about his behavior.
But Eugene's response echoeshis childhood excuses.
Robert did it.
(10:34):
Eugene and Annette's relationshipdeteriorates
as his fixation on the dollgrows stronger.
Eventually,Annette gives him an ultimatum.
Either Robert goes or I go.
Eugene says, fine, you win.
I'll put him in my studio.
But keeping Robert in that studioturret room
(10:54):
only seems to amplify the weirdnessin the house.
Neighborsand people just passing by see the doll
moving from window to windowwhen the house is supposed to be empty.
The neighborhood kidswalking to school in the mornings
start taking different routes sothey don't have to go by the Otto house,
claimingthat Robert watches them from the windows,
(11:16):
sometimes tapping on the glass or waving.
Inside the house, Annette reportshearing footsteps and child
like giggling coming from the turret roomwhen Eugene is away.
And things around the housestart disappearing
and showing back up again in odd places.
During a dinner party, the conversationcomes to a screeching halt by the distinct
(11:40):
sound of footsteps on the floor above,followed by that unmistakable giggling.
The embarrassed Ottos try to telleveryone, oh, it's just rats in the attic.
You know it's bad when rats are a betterexcuse than a possessed doll.
But their guests aren't convinced.
They're all like, sorry, gotta go now.
(12:02):
And they never come back.
One night,Annette wakes up and Eugene's not in bed.
She goes to look for him and hears voicescoming from the turret room.
Eugene's intermingled with another voiceshe doesn't know.
She walks in and sees Eugene and Robertsitting across from each other,
engaged in what appearsto be an intense conversation.
(12:26):
When she comes in, Eugene abruptlystops talking and looks up at her
with an expression she later describesas “not quite my husband”.
Eugene Otto dies in 1974.
Some say his death is peaceful,while others claim
he is found in the turretroom, slumped before Robert,
(12:46):
as if the doll had exacteda more permanent claim on Eugene.
After Eugene's death, Annette
is a little dismayed to find outshe's been cut out of her husband's will.
All she gets is the houseand the stuff in it.
So she packs Robert back into the trunkin the attic,
sells the house, and is dust in the wind.
(13:09):
Little does she knowthat Robert's influence is far from over.
When Annette sells the house in 1974,the Otto mansion is bought by one
Myrtle Reuter, who apparently is unawareof the house's strange history
or of its infamous residentlurking in the attic.
But it doesn't take long before Myrtlebegins to experience the same phenomena.
(13:33):
At first, it's subtle.
The feeling of being watched, objectsnot being quite where she left them.
Then come the sounds.
Footsteps overhead.
Childlike giggling.
Driven by curiosity, and perhaps
a touch of that human compulsionthat kills the cat every time, Myrtle
decides to investigate the attic,where she, of course, finds the trunk.
(13:58):
She opens it and findsRobert, still dressed in his sailor suit,
staring up at her with those beadyblack eyes.
Rather than it freaking her out,
Myrtle is oddly charmed by the antiquedoll.
You out of your mind?
She brings him downstairs and gives hima place of honor in her living room.
(14:18):
With Robertnow having free reign of the house again,
the odd happenings ramp up.
Neighbors report seeing,through the windows, the dolls position
change throughout the day,even when Myrtle isn't home.
One neighborfinally breaks down and tells Myrtle,
your house has a bit of a history.
(14:40):
He tells her all about Robert's historywith the Otto family,
including how the local kidsavoided the house
because Robert was watching themfrom the windows,
just like he'swatching the neighbors today.
But unlike Annette, who was not afraidto tell people how much she hated
that doll, Myrtle developsa peculiar affection for Robert.
(15:02):
She dresses him in pajamas at Christmasand sets them by the tree.
She talks to him as if he's a friendrather than a 100 year old toy.
But I guess this iswhat Robert was waiting for,
because their cozy little arrangementgoes on for over six years.
Weird. But to each his own.
But in 1980, something changes.
(15:24):
Myrtle decides to move to a new homeon Von Phister Street.
And now that Robert is hers,she just brings him along.
She obviously didn'task him what he wanted.
Big mistake.
Shortly after the move, Myrtlewakes up in the middle of the night.
She gets up to get herselfa glass of water, but the door won't open.
(15:46):
It's not locked, but no matter how hardshe pulls, it won't budge.
As if something on the other sideis holding it closed.
Whatever goes down in that roomthat night is between Robert and Myrtle.
But whatever it is, she's terrified enoughthat the very next morning
she throws him in her car, drivesdirectly to the Fort East
(16:08):
Martello Museum, and says, here,you can have him.
I'm done.
And by the way, he'shaunted by the spirit of a little kid.
Have a nice day.
Three months later, Myrtle Reuter is dead.
The official cause of deathhas never been publicly released,
adding more fuel to Robert's fire.
(16:28):
Is it coincidence?
Or did Robert reallyjust not want to move?
Whatever happenedbecause of Myrtle's donation,
the curse of Robertthe Doll is about to go public.
When Robert arrives at the Fort EastMartello Museum,
staffdoesn't quite know what to do with them.
So they catalog him and put him in storageStack them.
(16:52):
Pack them in. Rocco.
until they can decidewhat to do with them.
But it doesn't take long
for the museum staffto start experiencing strange phenomena.
Security guards report seeing a smallwhite blur moving through the storage area
after hours, and electronics malfunctionwhen brought near the doll.
Some employees claim to feel suddenlyill or dizzy when handling Robert.
(17:16):
One night, a curator is working late
preparing a display case for Robert.
What happens inside that museum?
No one knows. She's not talking.
But other staff memberssee her come running out of the building
screaming, vowing to never, ever workwith that doll again.
(17:36):
Word gets out about shenaniganshappening at the museum,
and visitorinterest in Robert starts to grow.
The museum startsgetting requests from people asking
specifically to see the haunted doll.
Two years after his arrival, Robertis finally given his own display case,
complete with a small stuffedlion as a companion.
(17:59):
This is about when the idea of Robert'scurse begins to take shape.
Visitors trying to take pictures of Robertreport strange technical difficulties.
Camera batteriessuddenly go dead, but work
perfectly againafter they leave the museum.
Photos come backblurry with unexplained light
anomalies, or simply fail to save at all.
(18:23):
Some visitors who laugh at or mock Robertfind themselves
experiencing unusual streaks of bad luckafter leaving the museum.
Car accidents. Broken relationships.
Unexpected illnesses. Job losses.
As these stories spread, a patternemerges.
Those who show respect to Robertby asking his permission
(18:46):
before taking his picture seem to be fine.
Those who do not are not fine.
In response, the museum establishesa protocol for interacting with Robert.
Visitors are now advisedto politely introduce
themselves to the doll, ask permissionbefore taking his photograph,
and thank him before leaving his presence,and warn that failure
(19:10):
to follow these rulesmight result in incurring Robert's wrath.
The wall next to Robert's display case
has become a testament to the power manybelieve he possesses.
It's covered with hundreds of lettersfrom people around the world,
all begging for Robert's forgiveness.
Dear Robert.
(19:30):
I visited your museum three weeks agoand took your picture without asking.
Since then, I've been in a car accident.
Lost my job and my dog ran away.
Pleaseforgive me. I mean you no disrespect.
Robert.
I apologize for laughing at youduring my visit.
I didn't believe in your powers.
After three broken appliances,a flooded basement, and a broken arm.
(19:54):
I'm a believer now.
Please lift this curse.
These letters come from peopleof all backgrounds.
Skeptics, believers, young, old, localsand international visitors.
What unites them is their convictionthat Robert has somehow
reached out across space and timeto punish them for their disrespect.
(20:15):
And that's not even includingall of the apologies
posted to himonline in places like Facebook and Reddit.
In January of 2015, one Reddit
poster named Sleepy Woke Bloke,so we'll call him Blake,
wrote Robert a nasty email thinkingit was pretty funny.
Within a month,
he and his girlfriend get evicted fromtheir townhouse while they're on vacation.
(20:37):
When they come back,they find themselves locked out.
Nothing leftbut the clothes in their backpacks.
With what little they havethey stuffed in Blake's car,
they go stay with a friendwhile they figure things out.
Blake then gets an infectionthat earns him a hospital stay.
While he's in the hospital, his girlfriendcheats on him with his best friend,
(20:59):
and those two run off together,with the rest of Blake's stuff.
So now Blake's living out of his car.
Thankfully, he's 49% owner of a company,so maybe
he'll be able to get back on his feet.Nope.
His business partner, the 51% owner, sellsthe company out from under him
(21:20):
and claims all the profits are eaten upby the company's debt.
Blake finds enoughsmall jobs to keep from starving,
but gets bustedfor having a concealed machete in his car,
something he boughtso he could do landscaping work.
And thingsget even worse for him from there.
However, it's not very family friendlycontent, so we'll just stop there.
(21:43):
But he ends his postsaying that he had totally forgotten
about the ugly email to Robert until now,
and he would be writing an apology
to Robert as quickly as possible.
One of the mostwell known victims of Robert's alleged
curse is rock legend Ozzy Osbourne,who visited the doll with his son Jack
(22:06):
and then promptly destroyeda smaller replica doll,
Yes, a mere $40 can get you a smallerreplica version.
and subsequently experienceda terrible year
that included pneumonia, a serious fallrequiring surgery,
a staph infection in his thumb,and a Parkinson's disease diagnosis.
(22:27):
So please note these smaller replicas
seem to carry the same mojoas the original.
You've been warned.
But perhaps the most chilling case
involves a ghost tour guide named Ed,who worked for Key West Ghost Tours.
After getting a tattoo of Roberton his arm, against his boss's
(22:47):
advice, he's found dead on his couchjust days later.
According to Brant Voss, Ed'sboss at the time,
he and Ed talkjust a few days after Ed gets the tattoo.
Ed tells Brant that he feels sick after
getting the tattoo, saying,“I think I did something wrong.
This Robert the Doll thing.
(23:08):
I don't feel good.” Three days
after that conversation, Ed is dead.
Today, Robert sits behind plexiglass,his blank expression
revealing nothing of the chaoshe's allegedly caused.
Museum staff report that his positionsometimes changes slightly
between closing timeand opening in the next morning,
(23:30):
though no one has access to his caseduring those hours.
Visitors often claim to see his expressionshift or his eyes blink.
Electronic equipmentcontinues to malfunction in his presence.
There's even footage of himcausing a slightly deflated ball,
so it doesn't roll on its own,to fall from the top of his case.
(23:51):
And the letters keep coming.
Desperate pleas for forgivenessfrom those who believe they've fallen
victim to the curse of America'smost haunted doll.
So what exactly is Robert?
A cursed object?
A vessel for a vengeful spirit?
Or simply the focusof our collective imagination and anxiety?
(24:13):
There's several theories about what mightbe happening with this infamous doll.
The first, and perhapsthe most straightforward explanation
is that Robert is indeedhaunted or possessed.
But by whom or what?
If we consider the theory of EmilineAbbotts, the servant who allegedly gives
Robert to Eugene after losing herunborn child, one possibility
(24:36):
is that the spirit of that childsomehow attaches itself to the doll.
David Sloan, an expert on Robertand author of a book about the doll,
believes the entity in Robert is indeed
the spirit of Emiline'smiscarried child, whom he calls Abby.
Since she is the love child of the affair
between Eugene's dad and Emiline,
(24:59):
this would make her Eugene's half sister,
which would then explainwhy she looks out for Eugene.
Several visitors to the museumhave reported
seeing the apparition of a young girlwith curly brown hair near
Robert's displaycase, adding weight to this theory.
But the voice that people would heartalking to
(25:20):
Eugene was a deep male voice,so I'm not sure that this one makes sense.
Another theory suggests that it's EugeneOtto's spirit that inhabits the doll.
The artist's unnatural attachmentto Robert throughout his life
might have created a psychic bondso powerful that, upon death, Eugene's
consciousness transfers into the toythat has been his constant companion.
(25:45):
This would explain why the doll seemsparticularly
vengeful towardanyone who mocks or disrespects it.
They're essentially insultingEugene himself.
Except Eugene has been talking to Robertsince he was a little kid,
so this phenomena has been happeningfor way too long
for it to be Eugene himself.
(26:06):
Of course, there are more skepticalexplanations as well.
The phenomenon known as pareidoliaour tendency to see faces and patterns
where none exist, might explain why
so many people perceive changesin Robert's expression.
The power of suggestion, combined withthe doll's undeniably creepy appearance,
could be enough to trick our brainsinto seeing movement where there is none.
(26:30):
As for the curse itself,
we can't rule outgood old confirmation bias,
chance, and rotten life choices.
Those who believe in Robert's powers
might be more likely to attribute everydaymisfortunes to his influence.
But then again, those who believe in himare usually
(26:52):
the ones who respect himfrom the beginning.
It's the nonbelievers who mock himthat experience
Robert's wrathand come crawling back as believers.
Some paranormal researcherssuggest that Robert might be
what's known as a “thought form”or an “egregore”,
an entity created and strengthenedby collective belief.
(27:14):
So maybe it's not that Robertwas inherently haunted from the beginning,
but rather that decades of fear, belief,
and attention have gradually given hima kind of psychic energy
that can now influence the physical world.
Interestingly, in 1997,
a seance is conductedin the old Otto house.
(27:37):
Paranormal investigators reporthitting an invisible barrier
when attempting to enter the attic,where Robert spent so many years.
When they finally managed to push through,they claimed to witness orbs of light
shooting all aroundand then leaving in different directions.
A psychic who remains downstairsduring this event, reports
(27:57):
feelingthe spirit of Robert passed through them.
That means that evenwithout the physical doll present,
Robert's influence lingers in the homewhere he spent most of his existence.
Whatever the truth behind Robert's powers,one thing is certai.
The effect he has on thosewho encounter him is very real.
(28:20):
Whether it's psychosomaticor supernatural,
the fear he inspires is powerful enoughto send thousands
of letters of apologyflooding into the museum each year.
Today, Robert remainsone of the most visited attractions
in Key West, drawing thousands of curioustourists and paranormal enthusiasts.
(28:41):
But Robert's influence extendsfar beyond the walls of his museum home.
He's become a cultural icon,featured in countless
books,documentaries and paranormal TV shows.
His story has inspired horror films
like Chucky in the Child's Play series,and served
as the blueprint for other fictionalhaunted dolls and pop culture.
(29:04):
The Otto House, nowoperating as a bed and breakfast
called the Artist House, continuesto report strange phenomena.
Guests claim to hear footsteps in emptyhallways, childlike giggling in vacant
rooms, and some have even reportedseeing the apparition of a small boy.
Maybe Eugene.
Running through the house, laughing.
(29:26):
The turret room, where Robert spentso many years with Eugene
is said to be particularly active.
Is it possible that Robert is still
in that houselike the seance participants suggest?
Or is it simply that the legend has becomeso entrenched in local lore
that visitors to the Artist Houseexpect to experience
(29:49):
something strange, and therefore they do?
Museum staff reportthat even after years of working around
Robert, they never quiteget used to his presence.
They maintain a ritual of greeting himevery morning
and saying goodbye every nightjust to be safe.
Some refuse to be alone with himafter dark,
(30:10):
and others won't turn their backson his display case.
And the letters continue to arrive daily.
Desperatepleas from people around the world
who believe they're sufferingunder Robert's curse.
Each one is carefully placednear his display case
in the hope that he might read themand grant forgiveness.
(30:31):
Perhaps most telling of allis that in this age
of skepticism and scientific rationality,
thousands of people still feel compelledto apologize to a doll,
to admit in writingthat they believe this century old toy
has reached across time and spaceto punish them for their disrespect.
(30:53):
Is Robert truly haunted?
Does he harbor a vengeful spirit bent
on teaching the disrespectfula lesson, or is he simply a blank canvas
onto which we project our own fearsand anxieties?
In the end, it doesn't really matter.
Because whether Robert's powercomes from beyond the grave
or from the depths of our own psyches,its effect is the same.
(31:17):
That feeling of uneasinessthat follows you home
after staring at those black glass eyesthrough the glass case,
a lingering doubt that makes you questionwhether that streak of bad luck
you seem to be havingis just coincidence, or something more.
And if you've made itthis far into our story, perhaps you too
(31:37):
might feel a strange compulsion to addressthe sailor suited doll directly
to say, just in case, “I'm sorry, Robert.
I meant no disrespect.” After all,it can't hurt to be polite.
Right.
Now I gotta add Key West to my bucketlist.
(31:58):
Add that to Bold Street, Liverpool,
the pyramids of Giza, the Alaska Triangle,just to name a few.
My bucket list is getting out of control.
Be careful out there.
And I will see youhere again, on The InBetween.
A single flash of light captureshis image.
Those cold, dead eyesstaring back through the lens.
Within days, your car breaks down.
Your relationship falls apart.
You lose your job.
Now you find yourself writing a desperateletter to a century old doll, begging
for forgiveness for a transgressionyou never realized you committed.
(00:55):
I'm Carol Ann.
And welcome to The InBetween.
Key West, Florida.
A Paradise of swaying palm trees,turquoise waters and colorful
Victorian mansions.
But hidden among these picturesque streetslies something far less inviting.
(01:18):
A relic so ominous that grown menhave fled from its presence.
An object so cursed that thousandsof apologetic letters
arrive yearlyfrom people who dared to mock it.
And while Annabelle might have Hollywood'sattention,
ask any paranormal researcher worththeir salt who commands the most respect
(01:40):
in the haunted doll community,and they'll point you to the sailor suited
figure locked behind plexiglassat the Fort East Martello Museum.
His pale, weathered face has gazed
upon over a century of human suffering,
and some say he's caused most of ithimself.
Today we're diving deepinto the mystery of Robert the Doll.
(02:03):
And I should warn you now, if you'rethe type to scoff at the supernatural,
you might want to consider asking Robert'spermission before continuing.
Just to be safe.
Because as thousands of cursed visitorshave learned the hard
way, Robert doesn't forgive.
And he never, ever forgets.
(02:23):
Robert is a nearly four foottall fabric doll with a sailor suit,
blank expression, and beady black eyes,presumably made by the Steiff
company in Germany, the same peoplewho created the teddy bear.
But he wasn't made to be a toy.
He's a one of a kind that researchers
say was made as part of a storewindow display.
(02:45):
But how did this oversize toy
find its way into the hands of EugeneOtto and his family?
Good question.
Like many legends that span generations,
Robert has more than one origin story.
Some accounts claim that Robert was a giftfrom Eugene Otto's grandfather,
who had been traveling through Europe
and wanted to bring back something specialfor his grandson.
(03:09):
A simple story of family affection.
Nothing sinister or supernatural.
But there's another origin storythat's way more creepy.
According to this darkerversion, Robert was given to young Eugene
by a servant working in the Ottohousehold named Emeline Abbots,
who some claim waswell versed in the art of voodoo.
(03:30):
And Emiline was not happywith the Otto family.
Some say she was simply firedfor practicing voodoo.
While others suggest somethinga little spicier involving an affair,
a pregnancy,a miscarriage, and major feelings
of betrayal thrown in for good measure.
See Thomas Otto, Eugene's dad
(03:53):
and presumptivecheater, owned two pharmacies.
The story goes that heperhaps might have been able
to do something to stop the miscarriage,but didn't.
Whether it's true or just wishfulthinking on Emiline's part is unknown.
Now whether Emiline cursed the doll
and gave it to Eugeneas revenge against his father
(04:16):
for the loss of her baby, or Eugenegot the doll from his grandfather
and Emiline just cursedthe doll is anybody's guess.
But shortly thereafter,strange things begin
happening in the Otto household.
The year is 1904and four year old Robert Eugene
Otto loves his new playmate,who's almost as tall as he is.
(04:40):
Little Robert and his dollinstantly become inseparable.
But within weeks, the boy
born as Robert Otto announces one day that
he now wants to be called by his middlename, Eugene.
Of course, his parents ask why,and little Robert tells him
the doll told him that it wanted his name.
(05:02):
And so it is that the doll becomes Robertand the boy becomes Eugene.
A change that will remainfor the rest of Eugene's life.
From the beginning,the relationship between Eugene
and Robert is unusually intense.
The doll is treated not as a toy,but as a member of the family.
He sits in his own chairat the dinner table.
(05:24):
He sleeps in Eugene's bed every night.
The sailor suit that Robert still wears to
this day issaid to have belonged to Eugene himself.
But it isn't long before strange thingsstart to happen in the Otto household.
Eugene'sparents often hear their son in his room,
chatting happily with his dollNothing unusual about that.
(05:46):
It's his friend, right?
The problem comeswhen they hear a second voice
responding to Eugene, a voice much deeper
and more mature than Eugene's.
They ask him about it, but Eugene just
shrugsand says he isn't making the second voice.
It's just Robert talking.
Visitors to the Otto home reportfeeling uneasy in Robert's presence.
(06:10):
Some even swear his expression changeswhen no one is looking directly at him.
Just a subtle shift in the eyes or mouth.
Nothing they can prove,
but enough to make the hairs on the backof their neck stand at attention.
Eugene'sother toys begin to turn up mutilated.
Arms torn off dolls, stuffedanimals ripped open,
(06:31):
wooden toys smashed beyond repair.
When his parents ask him what in the world
is going on, Eugene's response is alwaysthe same.
Robert did it.
One night.
Eugene's parents are jolted awake by thesound of Eugene screaming in terror.
They run to his room,only to find the door won't open.
(06:53):
It's not locked.
Something seems to be physically holdingit shut from the inside.
When they finally manageto barge their way in, they find Eugene
curled up, shaking in his bedwith his room totally wrecked.
The only item untouched in the chaosis Robert
sitting at the foot of the bed,watching with his lifeless button eyes.
(07:17):
Eugene, freaked out, points at the doll.
Robert did it.
He doesn't like my other toys.
And it doesn't stop.
Things in the house move on their own.
Disembodied giggling and footstepson the stairs at night.
Servantsstart to quit without explanation.
They just pack their stuff and go, noteven bothering with their final paycheck.
(07:40):
Finally, Eugene's great aunt had enough.
During a visit to the Otto home,she takes matters into her own hands.
She grabs Robert and takes himup to the attic and locks him in a trunk.
Eugene is inconsolable.
That night, they hear loudknocking sounds coming from the attic,
(08:00):
like something'strying to bust out of that trunk.
By morning, the knocking has stopped.
But then they get the news.
Eugene's great aunt diedsuddenly during the night.
The official cause is listed as a stroke.
But was it?
Or was it Robert's revenge?
If it was Robert,it didn't do him any good.
(08:23):
He stays locked in that trunk.
Eugene eventuallygrows up and moves to Paris to study art.
Robert is seemingly forgotten.
However, strange thingsare still happening in the Otto household.
The sound of small footstepspattering across the attic floor,
giggling echoing through the house,and occasional glimpses of something
(08:44):
small and whitedarting through the shadows.
In 1945, after the death of his mother,
Eugene Otto returns to his childhood homein Key West.
Now a successful artist,he brings with him his wife Annette
Parker Otto, and the two make plansto move into the house,
and Eugene wants to convert the cornerturret
(09:07):
into an art studiowhere he can continue his painting career.
Upon entering the housefor the first time in years,
Eugene suddenly freezesmid-sentence and races upstairs.
Annette, wonderingwhat in the world is going
on, hears the sound of rummagingcoming from the attic,
followed by Eugene'sfootsteps coming back down the stairs.
(09:30):
When Eugene reappears, he istenderly cradling something in his arms.
Robert.
After decades of separation,
Eugene is reunitedwith his childhood friend.
And just like that, this nowgrown man immediately
falls back into his old patterns,treating the doll as a living entity.
(09:52):
He has furniture custom made for Robert.
He speaks to the doll for hours,apparently
receiving responses that only he can hear.
Annette is not exactly on board with thisnew third partner in their marriage.
She never actually saw Robertmove on his own,
but just being around him creeps her out.
(10:13):
There's something about those black beadyeyes that seem to follow her everywhere.
Eugene begins to change, too.
He's more irritable, argumentative,and sometimes even cruel.
Annette confronts him about his behavior.
But Eugene's response echoeshis childhood excuses.
Robert did it.
(10:34):
Eugene and Annette's relationshipdeteriorates
as his fixation on the dollgrows stronger.
Eventually,Annette gives him an ultimatum.
Either Robert goes or I go.
Eugene says, fine, you win.
I'll put him in my studio.
But keeping Robert in that studioturret room
(10:54):
only seems to amplify the weirdnessin the house.
Neighborsand people just passing by see the doll
moving from window to windowwhen the house is supposed to be empty.
The neighborhood kidswalking to school in the mornings
start taking different routes sothey don't have to go by the Otto house,
claimingthat Robert watches them from the windows,
(11:16):
sometimes tapping on the glass or waving.
Inside the house, Annette reportshearing footsteps and child
like giggling coming from the turret roomwhen Eugene is away.
And things around the housestart disappearing
and showing back up again in odd places.
During a dinner party, the conversationcomes to a screeching halt by the distinct
(11:40):
sound of footsteps on the floor above,followed by that unmistakable giggling.
The embarrassed Ottos try to telleveryone, oh, it's just rats in the attic.
You know it's bad when rats are a betterexcuse than a possessed doll.
But their guests aren't convinced.
They're all like, sorry, gotta go now.
(12:02):
And they never come back.
One night,Annette wakes up and Eugene's not in bed.
She goes to look for him and hears voicescoming from the turret room.
Eugene's intermingled with another voiceshe doesn't know.
She walks in and sees Eugene and Robertsitting across from each other,
engaged in what appearsto be an intense conversation.
(12:26):
When she comes in, Eugene abruptlystops talking and looks up at her
with an expression she later describesas “not quite my husband”.
Eugene Otto dies in 1974.
Some say his death is peaceful,while others claim
he is found in the turretroom, slumped before Robert,
(12:46):
as if the doll had exacteda more permanent claim on Eugene.
After Eugene's death, Annette
is a little dismayed to find outshe's been cut out of her husband's will.
All she gets is the houseand the stuff in it.
So she packs Robert back into the trunkin the attic,
sells the house, and is dust in the wind.
(13:09):
Little does she knowthat Robert's influence is far from over.
When Annette sells the house in 1974,the Otto mansion is bought by one
Myrtle Reuter, who apparently is unawareof the house's strange history
or of its infamous residentlurking in the attic.
But it doesn't take long before Myrtlebegins to experience the same phenomena.
(13:33):
At first, it's subtle.
The feeling of being watched, objectsnot being quite where she left them.
Then come the sounds.
Footsteps overhead.
Childlike giggling.
Driven by curiosity, and perhaps
a touch of that human compulsionthat kills the cat every time, Myrtle
decides to investigate the attic,where she, of course, finds the trunk.
(13:58):
She opens it and findsRobert, still dressed in his sailor suit,
staring up at her with those beadyblack eyes.
Rather than it freaking her out,
Myrtle is oddly charmed by the antiquedoll.
You out of your mind?
She brings him downstairs and gives hima place of honor in her living room.
(14:18):
With Robertnow having free reign of the house again,
the odd happenings ramp up.
Neighbors report seeing,through the windows, the dolls position
change throughout the day,even when Myrtle isn't home.
One neighborfinally breaks down and tells Myrtle,
your house has a bit of a history.
(14:40):
He tells her all about Robert's historywith the Otto family,
including how the local kidsavoided the house
because Robert was watching themfrom the windows,
just like he'swatching the neighbors today.
But unlike Annette, who was not afraidto tell people how much she hated
that doll, Myrtle developsa peculiar affection for Robert.
(15:02):
She dresses him in pajamas at Christmasand sets them by the tree.
She talks to him as if he's a friendrather than a 100 year old toy.
But I guess this iswhat Robert was waiting for,
because their cozy little arrangementgoes on for over six years.
Weird. But to each his own.
But in 1980, something changes.
(15:24):
Myrtle decides to move to a new homeon Von Phister Street.
And now that Robert is hers,she just brings him along.
She obviously didn'task him what he wanted.
Big mistake.
Shortly after the move, Myrtlewakes up in the middle of the night.
She gets up to get herselfa glass of water, but the door won't open.
(15:46):
It's not locked, but no matter how hardshe pulls, it won't budge.
As if something on the other sideis holding it closed.
Whatever goes down in that roomthat night is between Robert and Myrtle.
But whatever it is, she's terrified enoughthat the very next morning
she throws him in her car, drivesdirectly to the Fort East
(16:08):
Martello Museum, and says, here,you can have him.
I'm done.
And by the way, he'shaunted by the spirit of a little kid.
Have a nice day.
Three months later, Myrtle Reuter is dead.
The official cause of deathhas never been publicly released,
adding more fuel to Robert's fire.
(16:28):
Is it coincidence?
Or did Robert reallyjust not want to move?
Whatever happenedbecause of Myrtle's donation,
the curse of Robertthe Doll is about to go public.
When Robert arrives at the Fort EastMartello Museum,
staffdoesn't quite know what to do with them.
So they catalog him and put him in storageStack them.
(16:52):
Pack them in. Rocco.
until they can decidewhat to do with them.
But it doesn't take long
for the museum staffto start experiencing strange phenomena.
Security guards report seeing a smallwhite blur moving through the storage area
after hours, and electronics malfunctionwhen brought near the doll.
Some employees claim to feel suddenlyill or dizzy when handling Robert.
(17:16):
One night, a curator is working late
preparing a display case for Robert.
What happens inside that museum?
No one knows. She's not talking.
But other staff memberssee her come running out of the building
screaming, vowing to never, ever workwith that doll again.
(17:36):
Word gets out about shenaniganshappening at the museum,
and visitorinterest in Robert starts to grow.
The museum startsgetting requests from people asking
specifically to see the haunted doll.
Two years after his arrival, Robertis finally given his own display case,
complete with a small stuffedlion as a companion.
(17:59):
This is about when the idea of Robert'scurse begins to take shape.
Visitors trying to take pictures of Robertreport strange technical difficulties.
Camera batteriessuddenly go dead, but work
perfectly againafter they leave the museum.
Photos come backblurry with unexplained light
anomalies, or simply fail to save at all.
(18:23):
Some visitors who laugh at or mock Robertfind themselves
experiencing unusual streaks of bad luckafter leaving the museum.
Car accidents. Broken relationships.
Unexpected illnesses. Job losses.
As these stories spread, a patternemerges.
Those who show respect to Robertby asking his permission
(18:46):
before taking his picture seem to be fine.
Those who do not are not fine.
In response, the museum establishesa protocol for interacting with Robert.
Visitors are now advisedto politely introduce
themselves to the doll, ask permissionbefore taking his photograph,
and thank him before leaving his presence,and warn that failure
(19:10):
to follow these rulesmight result in incurring Robert's wrath.
The wall next to Robert's display case
has become a testament to the power manybelieve he possesses.
It's covered with hundreds of lettersfrom people around the world,
all begging for Robert's forgiveness.
Dear Robert.
(19:30):
I visited your museum three weeks agoand took your picture without asking.
Since then, I've been in a car accident.
Lost my job and my dog ran away.
Pleaseforgive me. I mean you no disrespect.
Robert.
I apologize for laughing at youduring my visit.
I didn't believe in your powers.
After three broken appliances,a flooded basement, and a broken arm.
(19:54):
I'm a believer now.
Please lift this curse.
These letters come from peopleof all backgrounds.
Skeptics, believers, young, old, localsand international visitors.
What unites them is their convictionthat Robert has somehow
reached out across space and timeto punish them for their disrespect.
(20:15):
And that's not even includingall of the apologies
posted to himonline in places like Facebook and Reddit.
In January of 2015, one Reddit
poster named Sleepy Woke Bloke,so we'll call him Blake,
wrote Robert a nasty email thinkingit was pretty funny.
Within a month,
he and his girlfriend get evicted fromtheir townhouse while they're on vacation.
(20:37):
When they come back,they find themselves locked out.
Nothing leftbut the clothes in their backpacks.
With what little they havethey stuffed in Blake's car,
they go stay with a friendwhile they figure things out.
Blake then gets an infectionthat earns him a hospital stay.
While he's in the hospital, his girlfriendcheats on him with his best friend,
(20:59):
and those two run off together,with the rest of Blake's stuff.
So now Blake's living out of his car.
Thankfully, he's 49% owner of a company,so maybe
he'll be able to get back on his feet.Nope.
His business partner, the 51% owner, sellsthe company out from under him
(21:20):
and claims all the profits are eaten upby the company's debt.
Blake finds enoughsmall jobs to keep from starving,
but gets bustedfor having a concealed machete in his car,
something he boughtso he could do landscaping work.
And thingsget even worse for him from there.
However, it's not very family friendlycontent, so we'll just stop there.
(21:43):
But he ends his postsaying that he had totally forgotten
about the ugly email to Robert until now,
and he would be writing an apology
to Robert as quickly as possible.
One of the mostwell known victims of Robert's alleged
curse is rock legend Ozzy Osbourne,who visited the doll with his son Jack
(22:06):
and then promptly destroyeda smaller replica doll,
Yes, a mere $40 can get you a smallerreplica version.
and subsequently experienceda terrible year
that included pneumonia, a serious fallrequiring surgery,
a staph infection in his thumb,and a Parkinson's disease diagnosis.
(22:27):
So please note these smaller replicas
seem to carry the same mojoas the original.
You've been warned.
But perhaps the most chilling case
involves a ghost tour guide named Ed,who worked for Key West Ghost Tours.
After getting a tattoo of Roberton his arm, against his boss's
(22:47):
advice, he's found dead on his couchjust days later.
According to Brant Voss, Ed'sboss at the time,
he and Ed talkjust a few days after Ed gets the tattoo.
Ed tells Brant that he feels sick after
getting the tattoo, saying,“I think I did something wrong.
This Robert the Doll thing.
(23:08):
I don't feel good.” Three days
after that conversation, Ed is dead.
Today, Robert sits behind plexiglass,his blank expression
revealing nothing of the chaoshe's allegedly caused.
Museum staff report that his positionsometimes changes slightly
between closing timeand opening in the next morning,
(23:30):
though no one has access to his caseduring those hours.
Visitors often claim to see his expressionshift or his eyes blink.
Electronic equipmentcontinues to malfunction in his presence.
There's even footage of himcausing a slightly deflated ball,
so it doesn't roll on its own,to fall from the top of his case.
(23:51):
And the letters keep coming.
Desperate pleas for forgivenessfrom those who believe they've fallen
victim to the curse of America'smost haunted doll.
So what exactly is Robert?
A cursed object?
A vessel for a vengeful spirit?
Or simply the focusof our collective imagination and anxiety?
(24:13):
There's several theories about what mightbe happening with this infamous doll.
The first, and perhapsthe most straightforward explanation
is that Robert is indeedhaunted or possessed.
But by whom or what?
If we consider the theory of EmilineAbbotts, the servant who allegedly gives
Robert to Eugene after losing herunborn child, one possibility
(24:36):
is that the spirit of that childsomehow attaches itself to the doll.
David Sloan, an expert on Robertand author of a book about the doll,
believes the entity in Robert is indeed
the spirit of Emiline'smiscarried child, whom he calls Abby.
Since she is the love child of the affair
between Eugene's dad and Emiline,
(24:59):
this would make her Eugene's half sister,
which would then explainwhy she looks out for Eugene.
Several visitors to the museumhave reported
seeing the apparition of a young girlwith curly brown hair near
Robert's displaycase, adding weight to this theory.
But the voice that people would heartalking to
(25:20):
Eugene was a deep male voice,so I'm not sure that this one makes sense.
Another theory suggests that it's EugeneOtto's spirit that inhabits the doll.
The artist's unnatural attachmentto Robert throughout his life
might have created a psychic bondso powerful that, upon death, Eugene's
consciousness transfers into the toythat has been his constant companion.
(25:45):
This would explain why the doll seemsparticularly
vengeful towardanyone who mocks or disrespects it.
They're essentially insultingEugene himself.
Except Eugene has been talking to Robertsince he was a little kid,
so this phenomena has been happeningfor way too long
for it to be Eugene himself.
(26:06):
Of course, there are more skepticalexplanations as well.
The phenomenon known as pareidoliaour tendency to see faces and patterns
where none exist, might explain why
so many people perceive changesin Robert's expression.
The power of suggestion, combined withthe doll's undeniably creepy appearance,
could be enough to trick our brainsinto seeing movement where there is none.
(26:30):
As for the curse itself,
we can't rule outgood old confirmation bias,
chance, and rotten life choices.
Those who believe in Robert's powers
might be more likely to attribute everydaymisfortunes to his influence.
But then again, those who believe in himare usually
(26:52):
the ones who respect himfrom the beginning.
It's the nonbelievers who mock himthat experience
Robert's wrathand come crawling back as believers.
Some paranormal researcherssuggest that Robert might be
what's known as a “thought form”or an “egregore”,
an entity created and strengthenedby collective belief.
(27:14):
So maybe it's not that Robertwas inherently haunted from the beginning,
but rather that decades of fear, belief,
and attention have gradually given hima kind of psychic energy
that can now influence the physical world.
Interestingly, in 1997,
a seance is conductedin the old Otto house.
(27:37):
Paranormal investigators reporthitting an invisible barrier
when attempting to enter the attic,where Robert spent so many years.
When they finally managed to push through,they claimed to witness orbs of light
shooting all aroundand then leaving in different directions.
A psychic who remains downstairsduring this event, reports
(27:57):
feelingthe spirit of Robert passed through them.
That means that evenwithout the physical doll present,
Robert's influence lingers in the homewhere he spent most of his existence.
Whatever the truth behind Robert's powers,one thing is certai.
The effect he has on thosewho encounter him is very real.
(28:20):
Whether it's psychosomaticor supernatural,
the fear he inspires is powerful enoughto send thousands
of letters of apologyflooding into the museum each year.
Today, Robert remainsone of the most visited attractions
in Key West, drawing thousands of curioustourists and paranormal enthusiasts.
(28:41):
But Robert's influence extendsfar beyond the walls of his museum home.
He's become a cultural icon,featured in countless
books,documentaries and paranormal TV shows.
His story has inspired horror films
like Chucky in the Child's Play series,and served
as the blueprint for other fictionalhaunted dolls and pop culture.
(29:04):
The Otto House, nowoperating as a bed and breakfast
called the Artist House, continuesto report strange phenomena.
Guests claim to hear footsteps in emptyhallways, childlike giggling in vacant
rooms, and some have even reportedseeing the apparition of a small boy.
Maybe Eugene.
Running through the house, laughing.
(29:26):
The turret room, where Robert spentso many years with Eugene
is said to be particularly active.
Is it possible that Robert is still
in that houselike the seance participants suggest?
Or is it simply that the legend has becomeso entrenched in local lore
that visitors to the Artist Houseexpect to experience
(29:49):
something strange, and therefore they do?
Museum staff reportthat even after years of working around
Robert, they never quiteget used to his presence.
They maintain a ritual of greeting himevery morning
and saying goodbye every nightjust to be safe.
Some refuse to be alone with himafter dark,
(30:10):
and others won't turn their backson his display case.
And the letters continue to arrive daily.
Desperatepleas from people around the world
who believe they're sufferingunder Robert's curse.
Each one is carefully placednear his display case
in the hope that he might read themand grant forgiveness.
(30:31):
Perhaps most telling of allis that in this age
of skepticism and scientific rationality,
thousands of people still feel compelledto apologize to a doll,
to admit in writingthat they believe this century old toy
has reached across time and spaceto punish them for their disrespect.
(30:53):
Is Robert truly haunted?
Does he harbor a vengeful spirit bent
on teaching the disrespectfula lesson, or is he simply a blank canvas
onto which we project our own fearsand anxieties?
In the end, it doesn't really matter.
Because whether Robert's powercomes from beyond the grave
or from the depths of our own psyches,its effect is the same.
(31:17):
That feeling of uneasinessthat follows you home
after staring at those black glass eyesthrough the glass case,
a lingering doubt that makes you questionwhether that streak of bad luck
you seem to be havingis just coincidence, or something more.
And if you've made itthis far into our story, perhaps you too
(31:37):
might feel a strange compulsion to addressthe sailor suited doll directly
to say, just in case, “I'm sorry, Robert.
I meant no disrespect.” After all,it can't hurt to be polite.
Right.
Now I gotta add Key West to my bucketlist.
(31:58):
Add that to Bold Street, Liverpool,
the pyramids of Giza, the Alaska Triangle,just to name a few.
My bucket list is getting out of control.
Be careful out there.
And I will see youhere again, on The InBetween.
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