Annabelle doll handler dies whilst on tour with cursed toy that inspired The Conjuring films
Paranormal investigator Rivera was the primary caretaker of the Annabelle doll, a possessed Raggedy Ann doll that was housed in the now closed Occult Museum of Ed Warren and his wife Lorraine Warren located in the back of their house in Monroe, Connecticut.
Rivera was on a tour of the US, titled Devils on the Run Tour, hosted by Ghostly Images of Gettysburg and the New England Society for Psychic Research (NESPR) - which was founded by the late Warrens - when he unexpectedly passed away at the age of 54.
No cause of death has yet been released.
A post on the New England Society For Psychic Research official Facebook page read: "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."
Despite Dan's death, the doll will continue to tour on the remaining dates.
The haunted Raggedy Ann doll - which is based on the character featured in a series of books by American writer Johnny Gruelle - is connected to paranormal events in the 1970s.
It had come into the possession of Donna, a 28-year-old student nurse, from Hartford, Connecticut, who reported the doll behaving strangely and would move around her apartment on its own.
A psychic medium informed Donna and her roommate that the doll was inhabited by the spirit of a deceased six-year-old, but after it began exhibiting malicious behaviour they contacted the Warrens who pronounced it was demonically possessed and took it away to store in a glass case in their occult museum.
The Warrens claimed the doll could give "psychic slashes" to people she didn't like, drawing blood as if she had used a knife.
The Conjuring Universe movies, which are based on the real-life paranormal investigations of the Warrens, made Annabelle a horror icon, albeit with a different design due to copyright issues with the Raggedy Ann doll.
The demon doll is the main protagonist in Annabelle (2014), Annabelle: Creation (2017) and Annabelle Comes Home (2019), whilst also appearing in The Conjuring (2013), The Conjuring 2 (2016), Michael Chaves' The Curse of La Llorona (2019) and The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It (2020).
The Conjuring: Last Rites, the final movie in the current Conjuring Universe, will hit cinemas this September.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Courier-Mail
4 hours ago
- Courier-Mail
Dog the Bounty Hunter's 13-year-old stepgrandson killed by his dad in accidental shooting: report
Don't miss out on the headlines from Celebrity Life. Followed categories will be added to My News. The stepson of Duane 'the Bounty Hunter' Chapman accidentally shot and killed the famed American TV personality's stepgrandson over the weekend, according to a report. The tragedy unfolded at the Naples, Florida apartment of Gregory Zecca – the son of Chapman's wife, Francie Frane – on Saturday night, TMZ reported. Zecca allegedly shot and killed his own son Anthony in what the family described in a statement to the outlet as a 'tragic accident', per the New York Post. The Collier County Sheriff's Office confirmed to the Naples Daily News it was investigating a deadly shooting from Saturday night, calling it an 'isolated incident' without identifying anyone involved. 'We are grieving as a family over this incomprehensible tragic accident and would ask for continued prayers as we grieve the loss of our beloved grandson, Anthony,' representatives for Chapman and his family told TMZ. Anthony Zecca (middle bottom), Dog's stepgrandson, was killed in an accidental shooting. Picture: Instagram The incident occurred on Saturday night. Picture: Instagram Zecca — a member of Chapman's bounty team, according to TMZ — appears to have a passion for firearms. He took his son Anthony to a gun range in 2021 and that same year the father-son duo visited a gun store, according to photos shared on his Instagram. Chapman, 72, married Frane, Zecca's mother, in 2021 shortly after their respective, former spouses died. The Dog was previously married to Beth Chapman for 13 years until she died in June 2019 following a lengthy battle against throat cancer. In part, their families were united by their shared grief and patriotism. 'We understood the pain that the other one was feeling and [in] those tough days and moments, we helped each other stand up. We could cry with each other and talk about what we were feeling,' Frane said in a September 2020 interview with Entertainment Tonight. 'We were able to walk alongside each other through the pain and heartbreak and it brought us together in this amazing way.' The tragedy unfolded at Gregory Zecca's apartment in Naples, Florida. Picture: Instagram Frane and her family, including Zecca, were quick to join in on Chapman's lifestyle. 'I know she's a hunter. Her and her two sons have hunted bow hunt, so they track, they look for things that the prey leaves behind,' Chapman said on The Dr. Oz Show in 2020. 'She just fit right in,' he added about his first bounty hunt alongside his would-be fifth wife. 'She started getting leads and writing them down, so there's more than just tracking and hunting.' Chapman also has 13 children between six different women – but he was only ever married to four of them. The Post has reached out to the Collier County Sheriff's Office for more information. This article originally appeared in The New York Post and was reproduced with permission. Originally published as Dog the Bounty Hunter's 13-year-old stepgrandson killed by his dad in accidental shooting: report
Perth Now
7 hours ago
- Perth Now
The Purge 6 gets exciting update from creator James DeMonaco
The Purge creator James DeMonaco has finished the script for the sixth film. Four years after the latest entry in the horror franchise The Forever Purge hit screens, DeMonaco has revealed he has completed a new draft of the sixth movie's screenplay and has given it to Blumhouse head Jason Blum. He told Bloody Disgusting: 'I just finished a script. My producer, Sébastien Lemercier, has read multiple drafts, given me notes. We just handed it to Jason.' DeMonaco added he was 'really happy' with the script, and was hoping to start filming the sixth Purge movie either at the end of this year or in 2026. He said: 'I'm really happy with it. I hope they like it. I think it's cool and fun. We're hoping next year would be great to shoot, maybe the end of this year if timing works out. 'But now it's with the powers that be, so we'll see what happens.' While he didn't confirm it was Frank Grillo's Sgt. Leo Barnes - who appeared in 2014's The Purge: Anarchy and The Purge: Election Year in 2016 - DeMonaco teased a fan-favourite character would be returning for the next film. He said: 'People's favorite character might be coming back, I can say without naming who that is; a couple of people who could be. 'But someone's coming back who I love and I think the audience loves.' DeMonaco - who has written all five previous Purge flicks as well USA's The Purge TV series - added 'real warrior women' would take centre stage in the next film. He said: 'Then we create some real great female heroes in this one. There's some really amazing women. We've had some great women in the past, but real warrior women come forth here in a way that we haven't really explored on Purge night. 'It's been really fun to write. And I'm writing with my wife, so I'm getting a nice female perspective, and that's been really fun.' The Purge is set in a near-future America where all crime is legal for 12 hours every year. The original 2013 flick starred Ethan Hawke, Lena Headey, Adelaide Kane and Rhys Wakefield. In June 2023, DeMonaco said he had finished the first script for the sixth Purge movie. He told Variety: 'It's not completely different than previous movies, but it's a new America that we're entering into. 'In The Forever Purge, America kind of collapsed, and it's really kind of mapped itself according to different ideologies. 'The states are based on sexuality, religion and ideology. So we've broken apart and the state of discord is at its worst. We enter The Purge in that world.' Reflecting on the series as a whole, DeMonaco explained it was his 'dark indictment of American gun culture' that had inspired The Purge franchise. He said: 'I had this little, strange, dark indictment of American gun culture. I hate guns. 'To me, the scariest thing in the world would be a night when everyone was armed and it was legal to use these firearms. To me, there was nothing scarier than that notion.'
Perth Now
11 hours ago
- Perth Now
Stolen Shoalwater puppy reunited with owner
A young puppy has been reunited with her family, almost three weeks after she was stolen in broad daylight from a Rockingham home. Poppy, an American staffy, was stolen outside her home on Gloucester Street in Shoalwater after a person walked up the driveway about 12.40pm on June 30. Poppy was reunited with her owners last Friday. Credit: WA Police Police on Monday confirmed the pooch was returned to her owner last Friday, and thanked the WA community for their help. 'As a result of community assistance and through social media, Poppy was quickly returned to the owners' residency on Friday 18 July,' a police spokesperson said. 'Poppy's owner, and WA Police would like to thank everyone for their help in this matter.'
