Dan Rivera, a 54-year-old paranormal investigator, died suddenly while on tour with the famous haunted Annabelle doll. He was in Pennsylvania, wrapping up his sold-out “Devils on the Run” ghost tour.
Dan was found dead in his hotel room in Gettysburg, just hours after finishing a three-day stop. The event was hosted by “Ghostly Images of Gettysburg Tours” and took place at the historic Soldiers National Orphanage.
Rivera was a well-known figure in the paranormal world. He appeared on the Travel Channel’s Most Haunted Places and helped produce Netflix’s 28 Days Haunted. He was also a member of the New England Society for Psychic Research (NESPR), the same group founded by Ed and Lorraine Warren — the famous duo behind The Conjuring movies.
According to reports, emergency services rushed to his hotel after a call about CPR being performed. But it was too late. Rivera was already gone by the time help arrived.
The cause of death is still unclear. However, the local coroner said it didn’t seem suspicious. He was alone in the room, and there were no signs of foul play.
The haunted Annabelle doll has a long and creepy past. In the 1970s, it was given to a nursing student named Donna. Soon after, strange things started happening. The doll would move on its own. It would change positions. People said they saw it raise its arms. Some even claimed it followed them around.
The Warrens believed the doll was not just haunted — they said it was possessed by a demon. The doll was blamed for attacks on a police officer and a car crash involving a priest.
They locked Annabelle away in a glass case inside their museum in Connecticut. But that hasn’t stopped the fear.
This year, rumors spread online that the doll had escaped. Some even said it was linked to a fire and prison escape in Louisiana. But experts later denied these stories, saying Annabelle was never “out of control.”
Still, the death of Dan Rivera — just after touring with the doll — has left fans and followers spooked.
Was it just bad timing? Or something darker?
Dan Rivera was a US Army veteran who turned his life toward exploring the unexplained. Now, his sudden end has become another mystery in the world he loved.
The Annabelle doll tour will likely go on, but many are asking if this cursed object has claimed another victim.
