Who was Dan Rivera? Beloved paranormal investigator behind Annabelle tour dies at 54
, the man who helped transport the haunted
Annabelle doll
across the country, has died unexpectedly.
Dan Rivera was known for his passion, charisma, and strong belief in defending others against what he referred to as "dark forces."
The
New England Society for Psychic Research
said Monday night that Dan Rivera, 54, its lead investigator and a veteran of the U.S. Army, died suddenly on Sunday, July 13, 2025, while visiting Gettysburg.
An abundance of memorials and tributes started to surface in the paranormal community after Rivera, the
paranormal investigator
, was announced dead.
His death occurred only a few months after he posted about his paranormal tour and discoveries regarding the historic doll on TikTok, which led to his viral fame.
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Who was Dan Rivera?
Dan Rivera was the New England Society for Psychic Research's chief investigator.
The 54-year-old Army veteran and paranormal investigator was on the Gettysburg leg of the sold-out "Devils on the Run Tour" when tragedy struck. The sold-out tour generated social media attention and controversy. He led the viral "
Devils on the Run Tour
." Rivera was a beloved figure in the paranormal world, known for his warmth, wit, and dedication.
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What happened during the Gettysburg tour?
According to the New England Society for Psychic Research, the group that organized the national tour, the visit of a doll steeped in paranormal legend to Gettysburg ended tragically this weekend with the unexpected death of one of the tour's lead organizers.
One of the most well-known faces of the widely shared "Devils on the Run Tour," Rivera and other members of the New England Society for Psychic Research traveled the nation visiting different locations with the purportedly
haunted doll
, Annabelle, as per a report by The Evening Sun.
Over 1,260 tickets were sold over the course of three days on the weekend of Friday, July 11, 2025, and the visit ended on Sunday afternoon.
Through his public outreach, including the production of multiple viral TikTok videos with paranormal investigator Ryan Daniel Buell that garnered millions of views while the doll was being transported across the nation, Rivera had contributed to the tour's international recognition.
In recent months, the tour had received a lot of media attention; in some places, it even caused outrage as people took to social media to share their superstitions about the doll's illustrious past.
Why was Dan Rivera such a respected figure in the paranormal world?
Rivera was well-known for his love of paranormal research and his compassionate character as a friend, husband, and father. He stressed the value of giving guests a good experience and described his precautions against the doll, which included creating a case for it that was stained with holy water and featured three crosses, which stand for the holy trinity.
Dan Rivera stated that the doll did not result in a 911 outage, even during the doll's initial public appearance the day before. According to Rivera, her advice on how to defend oneself against "evil spirits" was essentially meditation. She advised closing one's eyes and visualizing oneself in a white light halo.
According to biographies, Rivera had an "insatiable curiosity" about the paranormal from an early age, which prompted him to start his own paranormal investigation team following his time in the U.S. Army.
Because of his curiosity, Rivera also attended
Lorraine Warren
's lectures. According to biographies, Warren had taken Rivera under her wing and guided him during the final years of her life, which ultimately resulted in his appointment as NESPR's lead investigator in 2011, as per a report by the Evening Sun.
Rivera had received mentoring from Lorraine Warren and led a sold-out tour for guests to see the Annabelle doll.
Ed and Lorraine Warren, who were well-known for their paranormal investigations of the "Enfield Poltergeist," the Annabelle doll, and "The Amityville Horror" house on Long Island, founded NESPR in 1952.
Along with his work with NESPR, Rivera has appeared on television as a paranormal investigator on shows like "Most Haunted Places" on the Travel Channel and as a producer on paranormal TV shows like "28 Days Haunted" on Netflix.
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Over the years, a number of unsettling paranormal attacks have been attributed to the real Annabelle, a Raggedy Ann doll.
The couple mentored Rivera, who assumed responsibility for Annabelle and hoped to carry on their work through his tour and research.
FAQs
Who was Dan Rivera?
?
Dan Rivera was a well-known paranormal investigator, United States Army veteran, and Lorraine Warren's protégé. He was the primary investigator for the New England Society for Psychic Research.
What caused his death?
Rivera died unexpectedly while on tour in Gettysburg. An emergency crew responded to a medical incident, but the exact cause has yet to be determined.
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