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Dan Rivera dies suddenly while on Annabelle 'haunted doll' tour

By T.K. Randall
July 16, 2025 · Comment icon 22 comments
Raggedy-Ann doll
Image: Raggedy Ann Doll (illustrative)
Credit: Bernard Spragg / (PD)
The 54-year-old paranormal investigator died while on his sold-out 'Devils on the Run' tour.
A well known figure in paranormal circles, Rivera had previously appeared in the Travel Channel's Most Haunted Places and served as producer for Netflix's 28 Days Haunted.

His most recent role had been with the Devils on the Run tour that saw him, along with other members of the New England Society for Psychic Research (NESPR), travel around the United States with Annabelle - the infamous haunted doll that inspired some of The Conjuring movies.

He had just finished a three-day sell-out stop in Gettysburg when he was found unresponsive in his hotel room, prompting a call to the emergency services.

Despite the best efforts of paramedics, they were unable to revive him.
According to the coroner's office, his death did not appear to be suspicious, although right now it remains unclear exactly what happened.

His close association with the Annabelle doll has since prompted a great deal of speculation over whether this might have had something to do with it.

The doll itself has been a magnet for paranormal activity since the 1970s when Ed and Lorraine Warren claimed to have witnessed it physically moving.

It has also been associated with disturbing and malicious behavior.

In reality, however, it is extremely unlikely that the doll had anything at all to do with Rivera's death.



Source: NDTV | Comments (22)




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Recent comments on this story
Comment icon #13 Posted by susieice 9 months ago
The tour including Annabelle will continue as planned. This newspaper just went subion on me after this article. It's a Gettysburg regional paper.  Annabelle events to continue after Gettysburg death of Dan Rivera In a press release on Wednesday morning, Pennsylvania State Police said that Rivera had passed away from natural causes at a hotel on Presidential Circle in Straban Township, just outside of Gettysburg.   "Nothing unusual or suspicious was observed at the scene," state police wrote in the release, adding that the cause of death would be pending autopsy results. The Adams County Cor... [More]
Comment icon #14 Posted by openozy 9 months ago
Even if Annabelle isn't evil or possessed, the belief by so many makes it sort of real, like the bible or religions in general and we've seen what carnage that can cause.  
Comment icon #15 Posted by Antigonos 9 months ago
Unfortunately, whether the cause turns out to be natural causes or otherwise, the believers will still claim it was the doll’s fault somehow because “demons” and “possession”.   Thinking which is straight out of the Middle Ages. Pathetic.
Comment icon #16 Posted by Alchopwn 9 months ago
Lemme guess?  Annabelle did it?
Comment icon #17 Posted by susieice 9 months ago
I've seen this doll all over social media. I posted the links earlier but Rivera had all sold out shows in Gettysburg from Friday to Sunday. On Friday, the 911 emergency system went out all across the state. My area was out until Friday night. Then Rivera dies after the last show before the tour was scheduled to move on. It's only a coincidence and news media is treating it like one but a lot of people are going crazy over this doll. The tour is continuing and has left.
Comment icon #18 Posted by Claira 9 months ago
Interestingly sales of the Raggedy Ann doll have not been negatively impacted by Annabelle's alleged antics. I thought for sure they would be given how hysterical some people get. 
Comment icon #19 Posted by 9 months ago
https://nypost.com/2025/07/17/us-news/paranormal-investigator-dan-riveras-friends-rip-trolls-linking-death-to-haunted-annabelle-doll/
Comment icon #20 Posted by susieice 9 months ago
Good of the New York Post to print this. Have some respect for his family and friends and their loss. 
Comment icon #21 Posted by Still Waters 8 months ago
Autopsy released for paranormal expert who died after 'Annabelle' tour in Gettysburg After a months-long investigation to determine 54-year-old Daniel Rivera's final cause of death, Adams County Coroner Francis Dutrow confirmed to CBS 21 that the famed paranormal expert passed away due to a "cardiac-related event." Dutrow noted, however, that Rivera had a history of "cardiac issues" that were synonymous with the results of his passing, ruling his death as natural. https://local21news.com/news/local/paranormal-expert-who-died-after-annabelle-tour-in-gettysburg
Comment icon #22 Posted by Mister Scott 8 months ago
The Bride of Chucky.


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