‘Annabelle doll' handler Dan Rivera dies suddenly at 54 while touring with America's most infamous ‘haunted' object
FOUND DEAD 'Annabelle doll' handler Dan Rivera dies suddenly at 54 while touring with America's most infamous 'haunted' object
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A PARANORMAL investigator has died while traveling across the US with the real purportedly haunted doll that inspired the horror movie series Annabelle.
Dan Rivera, 54, was found dead inside his hotel room while handling the doll known as America's most haunted object.
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Paranormal investigator Dan Rivera, 54, has died while traveling across the US with a purportedly haunted doll
Credit: Instagram/dan_rivera_nespr
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The Annabelle doll reportedly wreaked havoc on a family in the 1970s and inspired a horror movie series
Credit: Alamy
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A recreation of the doll was made for the movies
Credit: Getty
He had stopped in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, about two hours north of Washington DC, during his Devils on the Run tour when he was found on Sunday night, according to the Hanover Evening Sun.
First responders performed CPR, but he couldn't be saved, the New England Society for Psychic Research, which was hosting the tour, announced.
Rivera's official cause of death hasn't been released.
The investigator has been remembered as a beloved friend who was passionate about educating others on paranormal activity.
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All three of his shows scheduled for the Gettysburg stop were sold out.
"We are heartbroken and still processing this loss," wrote the society.
"Dan truly believed in sharing his experiences and educating people on the paranormal.
"His kindness and passion touched everyone who knew him."
Rivera, who is a US Army veteran, was working as the lead investigator for the society when he died.
His death came just months after he achieved viral fame on TikTok by posting about his paranormal tour and findings on the historic doll.
The real Annabelle, a Raggedy Ann doll, has been blamed by its first owner for a blaze that destroyed the Nottoway Plantation in Louisiana decades ago.
The toy was first given to a student nurse Donna in 1970 as a gift from her mother.
Donna claims that Annabelle would move from room to room without explanation, and wrote eerie notes that said "Help us."
A friend of Donna's mother named Lou even claimed that one time when staying at their home, he woke up to a feeling of being strangled and had scratches on his body.
He remembers watching his horror as Annabelle stared at him during the attack, according to the society.
The New England Society for Psychic Research's full statement on Rivera's death
"It's with deep sadness that Tony, Wade, and I share the sudden passing of our close friend and partner, Dan Rivera.
"We are heartbroken and still processing this loss.
"Dan truly believed in sharing his experiences and educating people on the paranormal.
"His kindness and passion touched everyone who knew him.
"Thank you for your support and kind thoughts during this difficult time."
RIVERA REMEMBERED
Donna's mom and her nurse called a medium, who told them the story of a girl named Annabelle Higgins who was found dead at the age of seven.
They then called paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren, who inspired The Conjuring films, to look into the eerie claims.
The doll was being held at the Warrens' Occult Museum in Monroe, Connecticut, until 2019, when Lorraine died and the museum closed.
Legend has it that a man was killed by the doll after he banged on its case, despite being warned not to touch it.
Rivera, who was mentored by the couple, took ownership of Annabelle and hoped to continue their work with his research and tour.
His sudden death came after the Warren family had to squash claims that the doll had disappeared.
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Rivera's cause of death hasn't been released
Credit: Instagram/dan_rivera_nespr
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