Latest news with #DevilsontheRunTour
7NEWS
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- 7NEWS
Controversial US comedian Matt Rife buys the Annabelle doll
US comedian Matt Rife and YouTuber Elton Castee announced over the weekend that they've purchased the home the infamous Annabelle doll resides in. The doll was made famous by The Conjuring movie series that was based on the work of famed paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren. The Warren claimed the foll was possessed by an evil spirit. Annabelle resides in the Warren's former home in Connecticut on the east coast of the US. Rife will be the legal guardian of the Annabelle doll, and the entire haunted collection, for at least the next five years. He and Castee plan to open the Warren home — in Monroe, Connecticut — for overnight stays and museum tours. They're doing it so that people can experience and learn all about the building's haunted history, Rife said. 'If you know me, you know I'm obsessed with the paranormal and all things haunted,' Rife said. Rife said The Conjuring films have always been his favourite scary movies. 'I'm incredibly honoured to have taken over one of the most prominent properties in paranormal history,' he said. Tony Spera, the Warrens' son-in-law and co-director of the late couple's organisation, New England Society for Psychic Research, clarified to that he and his wife still own the Warrens' collection, including the Annabelle doll, and are only leasing them to Rife and Castee. 'We have no plans to ever 'sell' the artifacts,' he said in a statement. Ed and Lorraine Warren's paranormal investigations were turned into the horror movies The Conjuring, Annabelle and The Nun. Actors Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga play Ed and Lorraine in the franchise. The Conjuring: Last Rites is the latest film in the series and will be released in September. In the three standalone films about Annabelle, the doll is given as a gift to a nursing student who noticed strange occurrences with the doll. The nurse and her roommate call the Warrens, who pronounce the doll 'demonically possessed,' remove it from the home and encase it 'in a glass box to contain the evil spirited entity', according to New England Society for Psychic Research. Ed Warren died in 2006 at 79, and Lorraine Warren died in 2019 at 92. The New England Society for Psychic Research did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Rife's announcement comes less than a month after paranormal investigator and Annabelle doll handler Dan Rivera died on the Devils on the Run Tour, which features the Annabelle doll. Rivera, 54, was found dead in a Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, hotel room on July 13. According to E! News, a July 16 police report labelled his death as 'natural', but a final cause of death won't be determined until an autopsy is completed.
The Irish Sun
21-07-2025
- The Irish Sun
Shock twist in Annabelle doll handler's sudden death after wild conspiracy blamed US's most infamous ‘haunted' object
A SHOCK twist has been revealed after the sudden death of a paranormal investigator while touring with a 'demonically possessed' doll. Creepy Annabelle has spooked believers for decades - despite the doll being encased in a glass box to 'contain the evil.' 5 Annabelle, the spooky Raggedy Ann doll, pictured sitting in a case inside The Warren's Occult Museum Credit: Shutterstock Editorial 5 Dan Rivera, 54, died of unknown causes on July 13 while handling the doll known as America's most haunted object Credit: Instagram/dan_rivera_nespr The US Army veteran was the lead paranormal investigator of the New England Society for Psychic Research (NESPR), which announced his 'sudden' death. Rivera had been showing the supposedly haunted doll - which inspired film franchise The Conjuring - across multiple states. At the time of his death he had been visiting Gettysburg, where he was leading the Devils on the Run Tour alongside NESPR colleagues. READ MORE US NEWS A Pennsylvania coroner has now confirmed to Francis Dutrow, the Adams County coroner, told the magazine that he didn't notice Dutrow also further confirmed that the doll had not been in Rivera's hotel room at all. The coroner told People that hours before he died, Rivera had been with NESPR colleagues. Most read in The US Sun However, he told them he was returning to his hotel room, as he was feeling sick. The Pennsylvania State Police said on July 16: 'Members from PSP Gettysburg responded to a hotel in Straban Township, Adams County for a report of a deceased [man]. 'Annabelle doll' handler Dan Rivera dies suddenly at 54 while touring with America's most infamous 'haunted' object_4 "The decedent was discovered in his hotel room by workers. 'Nothing unusual or suspicious was observed at the scene." Rivera's cause of death has not as yet been revealed. His autopsy results are expected before the end of September. The The chilling tale of "demonic The original doll, which was locked up inside Ed and Lorraine Warrens' Occult Museum in Monroe, Connecticut, was claimed to have unleashed a reign of terror on a group of flatmates in a chain of events that ended in a man's death Annabelle's chilling story began in 1970 when a mum bought the doll from a hobby shop for her daughter, student nurse Donna, as a birthday gift. Donna took the doll back to the flat she shared with her friend Angie and soon began to notice small hand movements, which they explained away. The doll was then claimed to have begun to move around the flat, appearing outside Angie's room after being placed on Donna's bed. Then things took an even more sinister twist. The girls' close friend, Lou, became very nervous around the doll, believing it to be possessed, but the girls dismissed his fears. Then notes written on parchment paper, reading "Help us" and "Help Lou" in a child's handwriting, began to appear around the flat. The girls finally called in a medium, after Donna came home from work to find the doll had 'blood' on her hands. Annabelle was on her usual spot on the bed but red liquid was seeping from her hands. After holding a séance the medium claimed the apartment was built on the site of a field, where a dead seven-year-old girl called Annabelle Higgins had been found many years before. When the doll was brought to the apartment Annabelle's spirit was apparently in the area and she became fond of the doll, opting to possess it. Donna later called in an Episcopal priest named Father Hegan, who suggested they contact occult experts Ed and Lorraine Warren. The couple told the girls the doll was allegedly being manipulated by an "inhuman demonic spirit." Inanimate objects aren't possessed, they said, but spirits can become "attached." The apartment was 'cleansed' by Ed, using a special Episcopal blessing, and the couple took the doll away and housed it in their museum. A few hours after the priest left their museum, he rang the Warrens, claiming his brakes had failed as he turned on to a busy road. He'd been in an accident, his car was written off and he was lucky to have survived. Ed claimed the doll willed his car's brakes and steering to fail, before he stopped it by throwing holy water on it. Worried, the Warrens moved the rag doll in to a glass box at their museum, secured with a special set of prayers. Lorraine Warren later warned visitors against mocking Annabelle. But one man visiting the museum began bashing on her case, calling on her to scratch him if she was real. Ed threw him out, but later heard a chilling tale from his girlfriend. Lorraine recalled: "[The girlfriend] told us that they were both laughing and joking about the doll when the young man lost control of the bike and crashed head-on into a tree.' He was killed instantly and his girlfriend was in hospital for a year. In a lecture given at Rutgers University in 1987, the Warrens claimed that Annabelle could "slash" people's skin with her psychic powers. Ed Warren died in 2006, and Lorraine passed away in 2019, aged 92. The museum closed following her death. The couple's decades of ghost-hunting cases inspired such frightening films as The Conjuring series and The Amityville Horror. Annabelle also has movies in her own name, including Annabelle (2014), Annabelle: Creation (2017), and Annabelle Comes Home (2019). HAUNTINGS The Warrens founded the New England Society for Psychic Research in Monroe in 1952 to probe suspected hauntings. They investigated more than 10,000 cases in the U.S. and abroad, often writing about their experiences. One such case was that involving the rag doll, with huge black eyes. Lorraine Warren said: "It's not what the doll looks like that makes it scary. It is what has been infused within the doll. Evil." A student nurse who received the 5 A recreation of the doll was made for the movies Credit: Getty His in-laws pronounced the doll as being allegedly "demonically possessed." To protect people, they encased it in a glass box to contain the "evil spirited entity," according to the website. A chilling alert displayed on its case says: "Warning: Positively Do Not Open." US TOUR WARNING Rivera, who was mentored by the couple, took ownership of Annabelle after Lorraine's death in 2019, and hoped to continue their work with his research and tour. His sudden death came after the Warren family had to quash conspiracy theory-style claims that the doll had disappeared. Months before the US tour, Rivera had posted on Facebook about embarking on a 'thrilling and terrifying adventure showcasing the most diabolical items from the infamous Warren's Occult Museum.' Spookily, a woman warned him eight weeks ago: 'I don't understand why you guys would put yourself in danger like this, you really should put that doll back. "And Lorraine Warren said it wasn't supposed to be touched or removed under no circumstances.' 5 Paranormal investigator Dan Rivera on his "haunted" Annabelle doll tour Credit: Instagram/dan_rivera_nespr But another wrote: 'So much superstitious nonsense. Grow up people.' Others said it was a mere 'coincidence' and that 'he didn't die because of a doll.' One woman admonished believers by writing: 'Seriously?! Do you think people are gullible or what?! "I'm sorry this man passed away, but come one, you guys are being silly here.' Dan Rivera's family statement "We as a family are in pieces as we share the news that Dan Rivera has passed away unexpectedly," Sarah Bond Rivera said. "He was the center of this family and a pillar of love and strength. "As a devoted husband, father of four sons, and a staunchly faithful friend, he always had a quiet source of resilience, strength and endless hope. "Daniel carried a light and a brave heart everyday through his life and his work. "We are currently at a loss for words as we process his loss but are extremely thankful for the love, support and respect during this unimaginable time." Source: However, one man claimed: 'When Annabelle got to Gettysburg, we went into a huge blackout for 911! "Everyone's phones were going crazy with the notification for 911 being out, and it's just odd that soon as Annabelle got to Gettysburg that happened, then he dies suddenly.' Another agreed, saying: 'On the day the tour started in Gettysburg, PA had a statewide 911 outage. That thing is evil.' One believer added: 'Most haunted doll on earth. "It was warned 'never to remove' the doll [from] where it was stored, and this guy not only moved the doll but took it on a US tour.' Another added: 'The Warrens kept Annabelle locked up for a reason.' 5 The late Lorraine Warren with Annabel, who she refused to look at inside The Warren's Occult Museum Credit: The Warren's Occult Museum
Scottish Sun
21-07-2025
- Scottish Sun
Shock twist in Annabelle doll handler's sudden death after wild conspiracy blamed US's most infamous ‘haunted' object
The red-haired doll's real-life story dates back to the 1970s NOT IN SIGHT Shock twist in Annabelle doll handler's sudden death after wild conspiracy blamed US's most infamous 'haunted' object Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) A SHOCK twist has been revealed after the sudden death of a paranormal investigator while touring with a 'demonically possessed' doll. Creepy Annabelle has spooked believers for decades - despite the doll being encased in a glass box to 'contain the evil.' Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 5 Annabelle, the spooky Raggedy Ann doll, pictured sitting in a case inside The Warren's Occult Museum Credit: Shutterstock Editorial 5 Dan Rivera, 54, died of unknown causes on July 13 while handling the doll known as America's most haunted object Credit: Instagram/dan_rivera_nespr Dan Rivera, 54, died on July 13 in Pennsylvania while leading a national tour of the allegedly haunted Raggedy Ann doll named Annabelle. The US Army veteran was the lead paranormal investigator of the New England Society for Psychic Research (NESPR), which announced his 'sudden' death. Rivera had been showing the supposedly haunted doll - which inspired film franchise The Conjuring - across multiple states. At the time of his death he had been visiting Gettysburg, where he was leading the Devils on the Run Tour alongside NESPR colleagues. A Pennsylvania coroner has now confirmed to People that the spooky doll was not in the hotel room where Rivera died. Francis Dutrow, the Adams County coroner, told the magazine that he didn't notice Annabelle upon his arrival at the scene on July 13. Dutrow also further confirmed that the doll had not been in Rivera's hotel room at all. The coroner told People that hours before he died, Rivera had been with NESPR colleagues. However, he told them he was returning to his hotel room, as he was feeling sick. The Pennsylvania State Police said on July 16: 'Members from PSP Gettysburg responded to a hotel in Straban Township, Adams County for a report of a deceased [man]. 'Annabelle doll' handler Dan Rivera dies suddenly at 54 while touring with America's most infamous 'haunted' object_4 "The decedent was discovered in his hotel room by workers. 'Nothing unusual or suspicious was observed at the scene." Rivera's cause of death has not as yet been revealed. His autopsy results are expected before the end of September. The doll had been given to late paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren, who kept it in their occult museum in Monroe, Connecticut. The chilling tale of "demonic The original doll, which was locked up inside Ed and Lorraine Warrens' Occult Museum in Monroe, Connecticut, was claimed to have unleashed a reign of terror on a group of flatmates in a chain of events that ended in a man's death Annabelle's chilling story began in 1970 when a mum bought the doll from a hobby shop for her daughter, student nurse Donna, as a birthday gift. Donna took the doll back to the flat she shared with her friend Angie and soon began to notice small hand movements, which they explained away. The doll was then claimed to have begun to move around the flat, appearing outside Angie's room after being placed on Donna's bed. Then things took an even more sinister twist. The girls' close friend, Lou, became very nervous around the doll, believing it to be possessed, but the girls dismissed his fears. Then notes written on parchment paper, reading "Help us" and "Help Lou" in a child's handwriting, began to appear around the flat. The girls finally called in a medium, after Donna came home from work to find the doll had 'blood' on her hands. Annabelle was on her usual spot on the bed but red liquid was seeping from her hands. After holding a séance the medium claimed the apartment was built on the site of a field, where a dead seven-year-old girl called Annabelle Higgins had been found many years before. When the doll was brought to the apartment Annabelle's spirit was apparently in the area and she became fond of the doll, opting to possess it. Donna later called in an Episcopal priest named Father Hegan, who suggested they contact occult experts Ed and Lorraine Warren. The couple told the girls the doll was allegedly being manipulated by an "inhuman demonic spirit." Inanimate objects aren't possessed, they said, but spirits can become "attached." The apartment was 'cleansed' by Ed, using a special Episcopal blessing, and the couple took the doll away and housed it in their museum. A few hours after the priest left their museum, he rang the Warrens, claiming his brakes had failed as he turned on to a busy road. He'd been in an accident, his car was written off and he was lucky to have survived. Ed claimed the doll willed his car's brakes and steering to fail, before he stopped it by throwing holy water on it. Worried, the Warrens moved the rag doll in to a glass box at their museum, secured with a special set of prayers. Lorraine Warren later warned visitors against mocking Annabelle. But one man visiting the museum began bashing on her case, calling on her to scratch him if she was real. Ed threw him out, but later heard a chilling tale from his girlfriend. Lorraine recalled: "[The girlfriend] told us that they were both laughing and joking about the doll when the young man lost control of the bike and crashed head-on into a tree.' He was killed instantly and his girlfriend was in hospital for a year. In a lecture given at Rutgers University in 1987, the Warrens claimed that Annabelle could "slash" people's skin with her psychic powers. Ed Warren died in 2006, and Lorraine passed away in 2019, aged 92. The museum closed following her death. The couple's decades of ghost-hunting cases inspired such frightening films as The Conjuring series and The Amityville Horror. Annabelle also has movies in her own name, including Annabelle (2014), Annabelle: Creation (2017), and Annabelle Comes Home (2019). HAUNTINGS The Warrens founded the New England Society for Psychic Research in Monroe in 1952 to probe suspected hauntings. They investigated more than 10,000 cases in the U.S. and abroad, often writing about their experiences. One such case was that involving the rag doll, with huge black eyes. Lorraine Warren said: "It's not what the doll looks like that makes it scary. It is what has been infused within the doll. Evil." A student nurse who received the Raggedy Ann doll as a gift brought it home where she lived with a roommate, according to NESPR, which is overseen by the Warrens' son-in-law Tony Spera. 5 A recreation of the doll was made for the movies Credit: Getty His in-laws pronounced the doll as being allegedly "demonically possessed." To protect people, they encased it in a glass box to contain the "evil spirited entity," according to the website. A chilling alert displayed on its case says: "Warning: Positively Do Not Open." US TOUR WARNING Rivera, who was mentored by the couple, took ownership of Annabelle after Lorraine's death in 2019, and hoped to continue their work with his research and tour. His sudden death came after the Warren family had to quash conspiracy theory-style claims that the doll had disappeared. Months before the US tour, Rivera had posted on Facebook about embarking on a 'thrilling and terrifying adventure showcasing the most diabolical items from the infamous Warren's Occult Museum.' Spookily, a woman warned him eight weeks ago: 'I don't understand why you guys would put yourself in danger like this, you really should put that doll back. "And Lorraine Warren said it wasn't supposed to be touched or removed under no circumstances.' 5 Paranormal investigator Dan Rivera on his "haunted" Annabelle doll tour Credit: Instagram/dan_rivera_nespr But another wrote: 'So much superstitious nonsense. Grow up people.' Others said it was a mere 'coincidence' and that 'he didn't die because of a doll.' One woman admonished believers by writing: 'Seriously?! Do you think people are gullible or what?! "I'm sorry this man passed away, but come one, you guys are being silly here.' Dan Rivera's family statement "We as a family are in pieces as we share the news that Dan Rivera has passed away unexpectedly," Sarah Bond Rivera said. "He was the center of this family and a pillar of love and strength. "As a devoted husband, father of four sons, and a staunchly faithful friend, he always had a quiet source of resilience, strength and endless hope. "Daniel carried a light and a brave heart everyday through his life and his work. "We are currently at a loss for words as we process his loss but are extremely thankful for the love, support and respect during this unimaginable time." Source: Facebook. However, one man claimed: 'When Annabelle got to Gettysburg, we went into a huge blackout for 911! "Everyone's phones were going crazy with the notification for 911 being out, and it's just odd that soon as Annabelle got to Gettysburg that happened, then he dies suddenly.' Another agreed, saying: 'On the day the tour started in Gettysburg, PA had a statewide 911 outage. That thing is evil.' One believer added: 'Most haunted doll on earth. "It was warned 'never to remove' the doll [from] where it was stored, and this guy not only moved the doll but took it on a US tour.' Another added: 'The Warrens kept Annabelle locked up for a reason.' 5 The late Lorraine Warren with Annabel, who she refused to look at inside The Warren's Occult Museum Credit: The Warren's Occult Museum
Newsweek
21-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Newsweek
Dan Rivera Coroner Shares Update on 'Possessed' Annabelle in Cause of Death
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Adams County coroner Francis Dutrow has spoken out about the whereabouts of the "possessed" doll Annabelle at the time of paranormal investigator Dan Rivera's death. Newsweek reached out to Dutrow via email for comment outside regular working hours on Monday. The Context Rivera, 54, died suddenly on July 13 in a Gettysburg, Pennsylvania hotel room, the New England Society for Psychic Research (NESPR) said. A day prior to his death, Rivera hosted a showing of Annabelle while leading NESPR's sold out "Devils on the Run Tour." Main image, Dan Rivera is seen in an Instagram photo from 2023, while, inset an image, shows a replica "Annabelle" doll at The Hollywood Museum on October 20, 2021, in Hollywood, California. Main image, Dan Rivera is seen in an Instagram photo from 2023, while, inset an image, shows a replica "Annabelle" doll at The Hollywood Museum on October 20, 2021, in Hollywood, California. Dan Rivera/Instagram;What To Know Dutrow said Annabelle, who inspired the movie The Conjuring, was not at the scene of Rivera's death, People reported. In a previous statement to Today, Adams County Chief Deputy Coroner Scott Pennewill said Rivera's cause of death was "nothing suspicious." "The coroner's office and the state police were called to the scene on Sunday night," he told the outlet. "He did go for an autopsy today and it's pending." According to a Pennsylvania State Police report, Rivera "was discovered in his room by coworkers." Annabelle was given as a gift to a nursing student in the 1960s, but was deemed "demonically possessed" by late NESPR founders Ed Warren, a demonologist, and his wife Lorraine Warren, a trance medium. Per NESPR's website, the Warrens placed the doll in a glass box "to contain the evil spirited entity." Annabelle is usually housed at the Warrens' Occult Museum in Monroe, Connecticut but has recently been on tour throughout the United States. What People Are Saying The NESPR wrote in a statement posted to Facebook: "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." Ghost Hunters star Jason Hawes addressed Annabelle rumors surrounding Rivera's death in a message shared to Facebook: "Recently the World lost a good man. Dan Rivera was an Army veteran, a father of four, a husband, and someone who truly cared about people. "What's even harder to see right now are the posts blaming his death on things like the Annabelle doll and attacking places like Ghostly Images of Gettysburg Tours and other locations for having events. That needs to stop. His family shouldn't have to read that kind of nonsense while they're grieving. "Some people are using his passing to push an agenda for profit, and it's just disgusting. Dan was a family man, a respected paranormal investigator, and he left this world way too soon. "Let's focus on remembering Dan for who he was, not turning his death into some made up bull**** story to get clicks or attention. "Honor the man. Forget the garbage." Ghost Adventures star Zak Bagans said in a statement to Us Weekly: "My thoughts and prayers go out to [Rivera's] family and friends. I can only speak to my experiences with Annabelle. I did have the opportunity to investigate Annabelle when the owner brought her to my museum in 2017. I got very affected by her and it kind of caused me to touch the doll. The owner didn't like that too much. It was a demonic infestation and severely affected me, and I was literally in the hospital the next day. It was a two-month-long attachment and one of the worst experiences of my life." What Happens Next The Conjuring: Last Rites, the latest film in The Conjuring franchise, will hit theaters in September. Pennewill said Rivera's autopsy will likely take 60 to 90 days, per Today.
Economic Times
20-07-2025
- Economic Times
Annabelle doll disappears after investigator touring with it dies suddenly. What happened in that hotel room?
Dan Rivera Dies in Hotel Room After Haunted Tour Featuring Annabelle Doll (Image Source: Wikipedia) In a development that has unsettled both skeptics and believers in the supernatural, paranormal investigator and U.S. Army veteran Dan Rivera was found dead in his hotel room in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, just hours after leading a sold-out ghost tour. The 54-year-old had been traveling across the United States as part of the 'Devils on the Run Tour,' a paranormal exhibition that featured the infamous Annabelle doll — a figure long associated with alleged demonic was discovered unresponsive on Sunday night, July 13, in a Straban Township hotel, according to Adams County Coroner Francis Dutrow, who spoke to People magazine . Officials confirmed that Rivera was alone in the room and that no foul play or suspicious circumstances were observed at the scene. The cause of death remains undetermined, pending autopsy results which could take several weeks. What has added to the mystery is the absence of the Annabelle doll, which Rivera had been showcasing as part of his tour. First responders noted the doll was not in the room at the time his body was found. Dutrow explicitly stated that 'there was no Annabelle doll present' when emergency personnel Annabelle doll, which inspired The Conjuring film franchise, has long been at the center of supernatural folklore. As per New York Post , originally given to a nursing student named Donna in 1970, the Raggedy Ann-style toy was soon linked to strange and disturbing events. Paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren, who founded the New England Society for Psychic Research (NESPR) in 1952, claimed the doll exhibited autonomous movements, followed people around, and even attacked a police officer. It was eventually moved to the Warrens' Occult Museum in Connecticut for safekeeping.A psychic medium once suggested the doll was possessed by the spirit of a six-year-old girl named Annabelle. Over time, the doll has become a notorious object in paranormal circles, often blamed for unexplained incidents and accidents involving those who came into contact with there is no official evidence linking Rivera's death to the doll, speculation has been rampant on social media. Conspiracy theorists have drawn connections between Rivera's sudden demise and the supposedly cursed object, despite state police confirming that 'nothing unusual or suspicious' was found during their had been a prominent figure in the paranormal field, with appearances on the Travel Channel's Most Haunted Places and production credits on Netflix's 28 Days Haunted. He was touring with NESPR — the organization founded by the Warrens — to educate audiences about the doll's history and the broader world of the the shock surrounding Rivera's death, NESPR has announced that the tour will continue. In a public statement, the organization said Rivera would have wanted the mission to go on, emphasizing his dedication to sharing knowledge and preserving the legacy of Ed and Lorraine Warren. 'We will carry his spirit in everything we do,' the group stated, underlining their intent to honor Rivera's contributions to the field, as per New York Post . Meanwhile, tributes have poured in from colleagues and fans, including fellow paranormal investigator Ryan Buell, who shared his memories of Rivera and praised his role in introducing a new generation to the Warrens' legacy.
