3 days ago
Annabelle Doll Handler Dan Rivera's Nature of Death Revealed
Originally appeared on E! Online
Police do not believe foul play was involved in the death of Dan Rivera, the paranormal researcher who passed away while traveling with the supposedly haunted doll Annabelle.
In a Pennsylvania State Police report released July 16, authorities listed the nature of the incident as "death natural."
Furthermore, the department said "nothing unusual or suspicious was observed" at the hotel room where Rivera's body was found on July 13.
"The decedent was discovered in his hotel room by coworkers," the report stated. "This case is pending autopsy results."
His cause of death has yet to be shared.
Ghost Hunters' Jason Hawes also does not believe emerging conspiracies that Rivera's death is somehow linked to Annabelle, whose spooky backstory serves as the inspiration behind the popular The Conjuring movies.
'Recently the World lost a good man,' Hawes wrote in a July 16 Facebook post. '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."
Likewise, Ghostly Images of Gettysburg manager Christina Rowand is brushing off speculation that Rivera's death is related to the allegedly haunted Raggedy Ann toy, telling Inside Edition in a July 17 interview, "There is a logical reason for this. Dan has handled this doll for decades. Why now? Could it not just be natural causes?"
Rivera had been with the NESPR for more than 10 years when he died. According to the organization, he was a "constant presence" for cofounder Lorraine Warren—who first investigated Annabelle with her demonologist husband Ed Warren in the late '60s and early '70s—before her death in 2019.
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Calling the unfounded theories "disgusting," he also encouraged people to stop "attacking places like Ghostly Images of Gettysburg," where Rivera and the New England Society of Psychic Research (NESPR) hosted a viewing of Annabelle shortly before his passing.
"Dan was a family man, a respected paranormal investigator, and he left this world way too soon," Hawes added. "Let's focus on remembering Dan for who he was."
Likewise, Ghostly Images of Gettysburg manager Christina Rowand is brushing off speculation that Rivera's death is related to the allegedly haunted Raggedy Ann toy, telling Inside Edition in a July 17 interview, "There is a logical reason for this. Dan has handled this doll for decades. Why now? Could it not just be natural causes?"
Rivera had been with the NESPR for more than 10 years when he died. According to the organization, he was a "constant presence" for cofounder Lorraine Warren—who first investigated Annabelle with her demonologist husband Ed Warren in the late '60s and early '70s—before her death in 2019.
"He worked closely with Lorraine Warren and remained by her side even as her health declined, always offering a steady hand and unwavering support," the firm noted in a July 15 statement. "His caring nature and sense of purpose made a deep impact on everyone who had the privilege of knowing him."
The NESPR added that they have no immediate plans to cancel the remaining dates in their national tour of Annabelle, who the Warrens deemed to be "demonically possessed."
"We believe with all our hearts that Dan would have wanted the work to continue," the group added in their statement. "We will carry his spirit with us in everything we do."
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