![A porcelain clown A porcelain clown](https://api.time.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/nj-woman-burns-clown-doll-sleeps-with-knife.jpg?quality=85&w=2400)
What would you do if a spooky clown doll mysteriously appeared in your backyard? For Renee Jensen of New Jersey, the only logical approach was to burn the doll, sage her property and sleep with a knife.
According to North Jersey Record, Jensen said she was relaxing in her backyard with her boyfriend when the doll, a seeming toy replica of Pennywise, the murderous clown from Stephen King’s It, was thrown onto their property. The doll had blood on its face and mysterious markings on its forehead, which scared Jensen so much that she reported the doll to the police, whom she claims refused to touch it.
“I was freaking out. It was creepy and it had weird … I don’t even know what the writing was. It looked culty,” she said.
Jensen, who owns a reiki and intuitive healing business in Ridgewood, opted to take matters into her own hands when it came to the clown.
“They left, and then I burned the thing,” she said. “I tried to burn it with a lighter. The stupid thing would not light, because it has the flame retardant. Then I put olive oil on it. Still wouldn’t light. Then I put newspaper on it and light it up on fire.”
After the doll was reduced to ashes, Jensen burned sage and walked around her home to cleanse it. And just in case that wasn’t enough, she also slept with a knife that night.
“I didn’t want this thing on my property,” she said. “I know people think it’s crazy but…it’s creepy.”
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Write to Cady Lang at cady.lang@timemagazine.com