Paranormal investigator Dan Rivera dies at 54 while touring with Annabelle doll; cause of death unknown; fans mourn loss

Dan Rivera, a well-known paranormal investigator died on Sunday while touring with the infamous Annabelle doll in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, as confirmed by his tour organisers.

Rivera was a US Army veteran and lead investigator with the New England Society for Psychic Research (NESPR). He was in the middle of his “Devils on the Run Tour” when emergency responders were called to his hotel. Despite efforts to revive him with CPR, he died at the scene. His exact cause of death remains unknown, New York post reported.

Rivera was known for his appearances on paranormal television shows, including the Travel Channel’s “Most Haunted Places,” and for producing Netflix’s “28 Days Haunted.” He was touring with NESPR members to display Annabelle, a supposedly haunted doll made famous by paranormal legends.

The tour had just completed a three-day sold-out stop in Gettysburg from Friday through Sunday, hosted at the Soldiers National Orphanage by Ghostly Images of Gettysburg Tours .

Rivera often used social media, including popular TikTok videos, to promote the tour and share paranormal stories with a wide audience.

Fellow paranormal investigator Ryan Buell paid tribute to Rivera.

“I have so many amazing memories with this guy. Just as recently as two months ago, we traveled around the country and introduced a whole new generation to Ed and Lorraine Warren’s legacy,” Buell wrote on TikTok.

Annabelle is linked to stories dating back to the 1970s. The Warrens claimed the doll was demonically possessed and responsible for disturbing activities, including moving on its own and causing harm. They moved it to the Connecticut museum for safekeeping.

Ed and Lorraine Warren, who founded NESPR in 1952, gained fame investigating cases like the Amityville Horror. Their work inspired “The Conjuring” film series.

After the deaths of Ed in 2006 and Lorraine in 2019, their daughter Judy and son-in-law Tony Spera took over the museum and NESPR. The museum closed to the public in 2019 due to local government regulations.