Dan Rivera, a paranormal investigator who was traveling the country with the real-life Annabelle Doll, has suddenly passed away.
Rivera, a 54-year-old US Army veteran and lead investigator with the New England Society for Psychic Research (NESPR), passed away over the weekend while in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, per the New York Post.
Rivera had been traveling across the U.S. with NESPR as part of the “Devils on the Run Tour,” showcasing the allegedly haunted Raggedy Ann doll made famous by The Conjuring films.
The event in Gettysburg, hosted by Ghostly Images of Gettysburg and NESPR, was a sold-out, three-day stop that concluded Sunday.
Emergency responders were called to Rivera’s hotel that night, according to the Evening Sun, and CPR was performed — but Rivera could not be revived. His cause of death has not yet been released.
“It’s with deep sadness that Tony, Wade, and I share the sudden passing of our close friend and partner, Dan Rivera,” fellow NESPR investigator Chris Gilloren wrote in a Facebook tribute alongside a black-and-white photo of Rivera.
“We are heartbroken and still processing this loss. Dan truly believed in sharing his experiences and educating people on the paranormal. His kindness and passion touched everyone who knew him,” he added.
“Thank you for your support and kind thoughts during this difficult time.”
Rivera was well-known in paranormal circles and had appeared on the Travel Channel’s Most Haunted Places.
He also worked as a producer on several shows, including Netflix’s 28 Days Haunted.
Recently, Rivera has used platforms like TikTok to bring global attention to the Annabelle tour and the history of the doll, garnering viral views and renewed curiosity about its dark legacy, per The Independent.
Annabelle’s history traces back to 1970, when the doll was given to a Connecticut nursing student named Donna.
Paranormal legends claim the doll would move on its own, follow people around, and exhibit disturbing behavior.
Ed and Lorraine Warren, the famed investigators who founded NESPR in 1952, even claimed the doll once stabbed a police officer and caused a car crash involving a priest.
A psychic medium once said the doll was possessed by the spirit of a dead six-year-old girl named Annabelle, though the Warrens later described it as demonic.
After Ed Warren's death in 2006 and Lorraine’s in 2019, their occult museum in Connecticut and NESPR operations were taken over by their daughter Judy and son-in-law Tony Spera.
The museum closed to the public in 2019 due to zoning issues, prompting the team to take Annabelle and other artifacts on the road.
That mobile approach also sparked controversy.
In May, rumors swirled online claiming Annabelle had mysteriously vanished while on display in New Orleans.
Some visitors alleged the doll wasn’t present during the tour, and a devastating fire at the nearby Nottoway Plantation-turned-resort fueled conspiracy theories.
Rivera himself addressed the rumors in a TikTok video, saying: “I’m here at the museum right now, and I just wanna show you guys that Annabelle is in the Warrens’ Occult Museum. Let’s go inside and let’s check.”
He then filmed himself walking into the museum and showing the doll inside its wooden case. “Annabelle is not missing; she’s not in Chicago,” he said, shutting down speculation.
Tony Spera later echoed the sentiment, telling the New York Post that Annabelle was never “out of our control” during the New Orleans stop.
Despite Rivera’s passing, the tour is expected to continue.
Annabelle’s next confirmed appearances include Augusta, Maine on September 6 and 7, Rock Island Roadhouse Esoteric Expo in Illinois on October 4, and ScareFest Weekend 17 in Lexington, Kentucky from October 17 to 19.
Our thoughts remain with Rivera's loved ones at this devastating time.