Dan Rivera, a well-known paranormal investigator and caretaker of the notorious Annabelle doll, has died at age 54 during a stop on his Devils on the Run Tour in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. The incident occurred on the evening of Sunday, July 13, following a sold-out, three-day event featuring the supposedly haunted doll at the historic Soldiers National Orphanage, organized by Ghostly Images of Gettysburg Tours.
Rivera, a U.S. Army veteran and lead investigator with the New England Society for Psychic Research (NESPR), was found unresponsive in his hotel room just hours after the event concluded. Emergency responders arrived quickly and attempted CPR, but Rivera was pronounced dead at the scene.
Local authorities, including Adams County’s Chief Deputy Coroner Scott Pennewill, have ruled out foul play and confirmed that an autopsy has been conducted, with results pending. The official cause of Rivera’s death remains unknown. Some reports allude to a sudden cardiorespiratory arrest, but this has not been officially confirmed.
Rivera was a prominent media presence in the paranormal field, recognized for his appearances on the Travel Channel’s Most Haunted Places and as a producer on Netflix’s 28 Days Haunted. He frequently used platforms such as TikTok to share stories about haunted artifacts and his investigative work.
The Annabelle doll, which gained fame through the case files of Ed and Lorraine Warren and inspired The Conjuring franchise, was a central feature of the tour. The decision to remove Annabelle from her protective enclosure and take her on the road had sparked concern among paranormal enthusiasts, some of whom cited the Warrens’ cautionary advice against relocating the artifact.
Shortly after Rivera’s passing, his family issued a heartfelt statement, saying:
“We as a family are in pieces as we share the news that Dan Rivera has passed away unexpectedly. He was the center of this family and a pillar of love and strength.”
NESPR, the organization behind the tour, also expressed their grief, calling Rivera a passionate educator and a kind figure whose presence will be sorely missed. The haunted artifact tour is currently under review, with no announcements yet on its continuation.
Rivera is survived by his four children and leaves behind a significant legacy in both paranormal research and entertainment. As investigations into his sudden death continue, the paranormal community mourns the loss of a dedicated and influential figure.
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