A paranormal ghost hunter has just passed away while on tour with a supposedly possessed Raggedy Ann doll named Annabelle.
Dan Rivera was a lead investigator for the Connecticut-based New England Society for Psychic Research, or NESPR.
Rivera’s passing has stunned the community of believers and is reopening the discussion on whether the doll is evil.
Dan Rivera lost his life while on tour with a supposedly haunted doll
According to local media, firefighters and medical personnel were called to a hotel in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, on Sunday, July 13th, around 8pm.
54-year-old Dan Rivera was pronounced deceased by Adams County Coroner officials, who said the cause of his passing will not be made public until after an autopsy is conducted, which could take months.
Local media also report that officials said Rivera’s passing did not appear suspicious, and that he was found alone in his hotel room.
Rivera had been on the Devils on the Run tour in which he and other members of NESPR had brought the allegedly haunted doll, Annabelle, across the country to various locations.
“Dan truly believed in sharing his experiences”: Family, friends remember Rivera as devoted to his cause
Members of the society said they were heartbroken in an announcement of his passing on Facebook, where Rivera was described as a kind person.
“Dan truly believed in sharing his experiences and educating people on the paranormal. His kindness and passion touched everyone who knew him,” the statement read.
Rivera’s family also put out a statement on social media to celebrate Rivera’s life as a devoted husband, father of four sons, and a staunchly faithful friend.
“We are currently at a loss for words as we process his loss but are extremely thankful for the love, support and respect during this unimaginable time,” the family’s statement read in part.
Members of the Ghostly Images of Gettysburg, the group that hosted the Gettysburg leg of the Devils on the Run tour also expressed their condolences in a statement.
“As we mourn the loss of a dear friend, we reaffirm our dedication to preserve the rich history and paranormal encounters that make Gettysburg extraordinary,” the statement said.
Annabelle’s history dates back to the 1970s
@fogofunknowns Jul 15, 2025 Dan Rivera, a respected paranormal investigator and U.S. Army veteran, died suddenly at the age of 54 while touring with the infamous Annabelle doll, believed by some to be demonically possessed. Rivera was in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, for a sold-out stop on his “Devils on the Run” tour when emergency responders were called to his hotel. Despite efforts to revive him with CPR, Rivera was pronounced dead. His cause of death remains unknown. Rivera served as lead investigator for the New England Society for Psychic Research (NESPR), the organization founded by renowned demonologists Ed and Lorraine Warren. He also appeared on the Travel Channel’s Most Haunted Places and helped produce Netflix’s 28 Days Haunted. His final appearance was during a three-day event at Gettysburg’s Soldiers National Orphanage. Rivera, who used viral TikToks and social media to engage a new generation of fans, leaves behind his wife Sarah and four children. Fellow investigator Ryan Buell remembered him as a passionate, warm-hearted colleague dedicated to preserving the Warrens’ legacy. Annabelle, the allegedly haunted Raggedy Ann doll, was central to the tour and is infamous for her links to supernatural occurrences. She is housed in the Warrens’ occult museum, now maintained by their daughter and son-in-law. Rivera’s sudden death has left a void in the paranormal community. Supporters and fans continue to honor his contributions to the field and his role in keeping the stories behind Annabelle and other haunted legends alive. What are your thoughts on this tragic and unexpected event? Was it merely coincidental, or could it have been influenced by supernatural or paranormal factors? . . . . . #BreakingNews #news #newsvideo #newsstories #headlinenews #tiktoknews #latestnews #hollywood #Celebrities #CelebrityNews #DanRivera #AnnabelleDoll #Annabelle #ParanormalInvestigation #paranormal #GhostTour #Gettysburg #HauntedDoll #Supernatural #EdAndLorraineWarren #HauntedAmerica #TrueParanormalEvents #Netflix #movies #Pennsylvania #FogOfUnknowns #FOUNews ♬ original sound – FOU News
The Devils on the Run traveling tour is sponsored by NESPR and showcases Annabelle, a doll that NESPR claims is “demonically possessed” in various cities across the country.
The doll’s notoriety dates back to the 1970s when it was gifted to a nursing student who began to notice strange occurrences.
According to NESPR, the student and her roommate consulted a medium who claimed the doll was inhabited by the spirit of a young girl named Annabelle.
After initially trying to welcome the spirit, the story goes, the women were soon confronted with increasingly disturbing events.
That’s when they turned the doll over to Ed and Lorraine Warren, a pair of well-known ghost hunters in New England.
Ed, who claimed to be a demonologist, and Lorraine, who said she was clairvoyant, set up a museum on the back of their Connecticut house.
Annabelle was placed under lock and key at the Occult Museum for years until this Spring when she was taken on tour.
“Y’all took it on tour”: Netizens say the doll should never have gone on tour
The mystery surrounding Annabelle has only grown in recent years.
As the star of no less than three horror films, including Annabelle (2014), Annabelle: Creation (2017), and Annabelle Comes Home (2019), the doll is a fixture in The Conjuring Universe, which includes eight horror films on similar topics.
But strange things started happening when Annabelle was taken on tour this year.
Shortly after visiting New Orleans in mid-May, a terrible fire destroyed a historic plantation, Nottoway Plantation House, located between Baton Rouge and New Orleans.
And then, 10 inmates escaped from the Orleans Justice Center. Coincidence or the work of an evil doll?
For some believers, the events in New Orleans and elsewhere, plus the recent passing of Rivera, are evidence that the tour should be canceled going forward.
“The tour is too risky,” one person said. “Put it back where it was supposed to stay!” one person begged.
“They said don’t move the doll. And y’all took it on tour,” said another, referring to the Warren’s original warning about not moving or touching the doll.
According to NESPR, Annabelle’s next scheduled visit will take place in Rock Island, Illinois, from Oct. 4 until Oct. 5.
Netizens have their own opinions about Rivera’s passing while on tour with a supposedly haunted doll
