The allegedly haunted doll known as “Annabelle,” that horror fans may recognize from The Conjuring and its follow-ups, was the focus of a “Devils on the Run Tour” when the paranormal investigator hosting the tour suddenly died. Dan Rivera, who was only 54-years-old, passed away unexpectedly during the tour.
As reported by the NY Post, the US Army Veteran was hosting the tour in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania at the time of his death. Firefighters and medics were dispatched to his hotel, and while CPR was performed on Rivera, attempts to resuscitate him were unsuccessful.
Dan Rivera is said to have been the lead investigator for the New England Society for Psychic Research. Additionally, the exact cause of his unexpected death has yet to be confirmed. Fans may have recognized Rivera for being involved with the Travel Channel’s Most Haunted Place as a paranormal investigator. He was also a producer for other similar shows including the Netflix series 28 Days Haunted.
The New England Society for Psychic Research, aka NESPR, reported that Rivera was one of several members from the organization giving tours surrounding the doll known as Annabelle. The outlet adds that Rivera’s “death came after he finished a three-day sellout stop in Gettysburg from Friday through Sunday.” The tour was hosted by the “Ghostly Images of Gettysburg Tours” at the Soldiers National Orphanage.
Prior to its popularity in The Conjuring, which featured a fictionalized version of the doll, Annabelle was a Raggedy Ann doll investigated by Ed and Lorraine Warren in the 1970s. In fact, the Warrens founded the NESPR organization as far back as 1952. The doll was eventually placed in the Warrens‘ occult museum, and it has since been under the ownership of their daughter Judy and son-in-law, Tony Spera, who have toured the doll with their museum in recent years.
Dan Rivera is survived by his wife Sarah and four children. Stay tuned to ScreenGeek for any potential updates regarding the situation as we have them.