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First Post
20 minutes ago
- Entertainment
- First Post
Dan Rivera, handler of ‘haunted' Annabelle, dies suddenly: The paranormal investigator & the creepy story of the doll
Dan Rivera, the handler of the infamous Annabelle doll, died suddenly at 54 while touring with the 'haunted' toy. The Connecticut-based paranormal investigator led the New England Society for Psychic Research, the organisation established by legendary demonologists Ed and Lorraine Warren. His death comes months after rumours surfaced that the doll had gone missing read more A US Army veteran turned paranormal investigator, Dan Rivera had spent years working closely with the NESPR, the organisation established by legendary demonologists Ed and Lorraine Warren. Image courtesy: X/@OfficialATU Dan Rivera, the man best known as the real-life handler of the infamous Annabelle doll, has died unexpectedly at the age of 54 while touring with the haunted toy. A Connecticut-based paranormal investigator, Rivera had long been the primary caretaker of the original Raggedy Ann doll, said to be possessed, and which inspired the terrifying Annabelle character in The Conjuring universe. According to the New England Society for Psychic Research (NESPR), which organised Annabelle's 'Devils on the Run' tour, Rivera passed away suddenly over the weekend at a stop in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD His passing has left a void in the world of paranormal research, particularly for those familiar with Annabelle's unsettling reputation. So, who exactly was Dan Rivera, and why was he trusted to care for one of the most notorious haunted toys in the world? Here's a closer look at the man and the chilling story that made Annabelle a horror icon. Who was Dan Rivera? A US Army veteran turned paranormal investigator, Dan Rivera, had spent years working closely with the NESPR, the organisation established by legendary demonologists Ed and Lorraine Warren. Rivera gained popularity through shows like Most Haunted Places on Travel Channel and Netflix's 28 Days Haunted. He also developed a strong online presence, sharing chilling insights and videos about haunted artefacts, including Annabelle, on TikTok. According to a report in the Daily Mail, Rivera's fascination with the paranormal began early in life and only grew stronger with time. After serving in the military, he started his own investigation team. His path later led him to Lorraine Warren, who mentored him and taught him spiritual protection techniques, including how to 'visualise a halo of white light' to shield himself during investigations. Eventually, Rivera became NESPR's lead investigator. In that role, he helped extend the Warrens' legacy, leading investigations into private hauntings, organising community events like the ParaCon convention, and of course, overseeing the safe handling of Annabelle. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Rivera became NESPR's lead investigator. In that role, he helped extend the Warrens' legacy, leading investigations into private hauntings and overseeing the safe handling of Annabelle. Image courtesy: Instagram News of Rivera's death prompted a wave of grief from across the paranormal community. 'Dan truly believed in sharing his experiences and educating people on the paranormal,' NESPR said in a heartfelt statement on Facebook. 'His kindness and passion touched everyone who knew him.' Mary Jo Chudley of Penn Paranormal, speaking to the Daily Mail, remembered him as 'a true legend' and 'one of the kindest, most genuine and funniest guys.' What happenend to Dan Rivera? Dan Rivera was part of the Devils on the Run tour, an event hosted by Ghostly Images of Gettysburg in collaboration with the NESPR. The tour pays tribute to the work of renowned paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren and features the infamous Annabelle doll for those 'brave enough to face her,' according to the organisers' official website. The tour pays tribute to the work of renowned paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren and features the infamous Annabelle doll. Image courtesy: AFP This particular stop in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, was held at the town's Haunted Orphanage. NESPR described the weekend event as 'a night of paranormal history' as Annabelle made her eerie appearance at the famously haunted location. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Tragically, Rivera was found unresponsive in his hotel room on Sunday night, July 14, during the Gettysburg tour stop. Emergency services were called, and although CPR was performed, he was declared dead at the scene. Adams County Chief Deputy Coroner Scott Pennewill told that Rivera's death is not being treated as suspicious. 'The coroner's office and the state police were called to the scene on Sunday night,' he said, adding that Rivera's body was sent for an autopsy, and results are pending. The findings are expected within 60 to 90 days. Interestingly, Pennewill confirmed that the Annabelle doll was not in Rivera's hotel room at the time of his death. He added that the doll may have been secured inside a van in the hotel parking lot, though he could not officially confirm its location. Rivera's death comes just a few months after a wave of rumours falsely claimed that Annabelle had gone missing while the group was touring in Louisiana. At the time, some visitors alleged they hadn't seen the doll during one of the stops, but Rivera had quickly refuted the claims and reassured fans that the haunted object was safe. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The creepy legacy of Annabelle The real-life Annabelle is far from the porcelain, sinister-looking doll made famous by The Conjuring universe. In reality, she's a classic Raggedy Ann doll, red-yarn hair and all, though her backstory has made her one of the most infamous 'haunted' objects in the world. The real-life Annabelle is in a display case at the Warren Occult Museum, which, according to Annabelle's story began in 1970 when the doll was gifted to two nursing students, Lara Clifton and Dierdre Bernard. What started as a quirky present soon turned eerie, as the women claimed the doll would move on its own. Disturbed, they eventually contacted a psychic, who told them the doll was possessed by the spirit of a young girl named Annabelle Higgins. But the behaviour soon turned darker. As recounted by Ed and Lorraine Warren's biographer Gerald Brittle in The Demonologist, the doll allegedly began leaving handwritten notes on scraps of paper—ones that read messages like 'HELP US' and 'HELP CAL.' Especially creepy was that the girls could not find a pencil in the apartment that could have been used for the notes. It eventually found its way to the Warrens, who locked the wide-eyed clown-like doll in a display case at the Warren Occult Museum, which, according to NBC News, is 'secured by crosses and holy water.' It also famously warns visitors never to touch it. Even members of the Warren family are wary of the doll. Chris McKinnell, Ed and Lorraine's grandson, told The Mirror that he doesn't necessarily believe Annabelle is demonic, but does acknowledge its unsettling energy. 'I don't believe it's a demon. But I do believe it has energy… it's reactive, not active,' he said. 'So why doesn't it break out of its case? Because it only responds to people.' STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Annabelle first appeared in 2013's The Conjuring before receiving her own spin-off franchise. Annabelle was released in 2014, followed by Annabelle: Creation in 2017 and the latest entry, Annabelle Comes Home, in 2019. Despite Rivera's unexpected death, the infamous doll now continues its journey. According to the NESPR, Annabelle will still make scheduled appearances in the coming months, with her next stop planned for Augusta, Maine. With input from agencies
Daily Record
an hour ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Record
The creepy history of the real Annabelle doll as handler Dan Rivera dies aged 54
The paranormal investigator was on tour with the 'possessed' doll that has a terrifying history. Paranormal investigator Dan Rivera died suddenly on July 13 while on tour with a 'possessed' doll that inspired horror movies The Conjuring and Annabelle. The New England Society for Psychic Research (NESPR) announced the US Army veteran's death on Facebook. The organisation said: "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." The cause of the paranormal professional's death has not yet been revealed. His tour, named 'Devils On The Run', had gone viral due to its inclusion of the original Annabelle doll. But as the 54-year-old's tragic death makes headlines, questions are being raised on the true story of the 'haunted' doll that he was travelling with. Here is the true story of Annabelle. The haunted history of the real Annabelle doll The first owners of Annabelle While the Conjuring and Anabelle films featured a terrifying china doll, the inspiration for the horror movies was a Raggedy Ann doll- a popular children's toy from the 1970s that had been first released back in 1915. Before the doll was made famous by paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren, who feature in The Conjuring movie, Annabelle was owned by a student nurse named Donna in 1970, according to website Haunted Rooms. The story goes that the doll was bought by Donna's mother for her birthday from a second-hand shop. But the student quickly noticed that things weren't right with the Raggedy Ann doll, who appeared to move around the house of her own accord. When left on the bed, for example, she would be found later on the sofa or the floor, leading Donna and her roommate Angie to believe she was possessed. After a series of creepy notes that reportedly said 'help us', and 'help Lou', who was the girls' male friend, the doll was eventually found with what appeared to be real blood on her hands. The real 'spirit' of Annabelle After the terrifying turn of events, a medium sat down with Angie and Donna. The psychic told the girls that their building was constructed on a field where a seven-year-old girl had died years before. Allegedly, the girl's spirit was fond of the toy and her ghost merged with the Raggedy Ann, becoming the haunted Annabelle doll. Donna and Angie took pity on the girl and decided to keep the doll so she wouldn't be left alone. Annabelle's first 'attack' The girls' male friend Lou was the first to be 'attacked' by the haunted doll. He entered the room where Annabelle was left after hearing something moving around. The doll had moved from the bed to being sat upright on a chair in the centre of the room, and as Lou moved towards her, he felt a sharp pain across his chest. He soon realised that his chest was covered in claw marks, and he saw no other explanation other than he'd been attacked by the haunted toy. This was when the famous Warrens were called in. The Warrens A priest and the pair of renowned paranormal investigators exorcised Donna's flat, and they allegedly discovered that the doll had been trying to possess the student nurse. Ed and Lorraine took Annabelle away, though their car reportedly faced an array of problems on the road as they set out to lock up the possessed doll. Ed even suffered a severe car crash after provoking Annabelle, though he survived. The story says she was even seen levitating in the air in the Warrens' home. While they failed to rid the doll of the spirit, the ghost hunters managed to lock her in a glass case, where she was kept in the Warrens' Occult Museum in Connecticut until its closure. She is now on the Devils On The Run tour, but after Dan Rivera's death, it has not been announced whether the tour will continue. Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'.
Time of India
an hour ago
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Song - Harjana (Female)
Annabelle Tour Ghost Hunter Dies Suddenly: Dan Rivera Found Unresponsive On 'Devils On The Run' Tour Paranormal investigator Dan Rivera has died under mysterious circumstances while on a national ghost tour featuring the infamous Annabelle doll, said to be 'demonically possessed' by the New England Society for Psychic Research. Rivera, 54, was staying in Gettysburg, a town steeped in Civil War hauntings, when emergency responders were called to his hotel for a cardiac emergency. He was pronounced dead shortly after, with no official cause yet confirmed. Rivera had been leading the "Devils on the Run" tour, which took the haunted doll across America, and had just completed a packed, three-day event at Gettysburg's notoriously haunted orphanage. His shocking death has reignited eerie chatter about the so-called 'Annabelle curse' and left the paranormal community in disbelief. 38 views | 29 minutes ago
Time of India
an hour ago
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Experience The New Gujarati Music Video Ajvadi Ankhe Andhara By Janu Solanki
Annabelle Tour Ghost Hunter Dies Suddenly: Dan Rivera Found Unresponsive On 'Devils On The Run' Tour Paranormal investigator Dan Rivera has died under mysterious circumstances while on a national ghost tour featuring the infamous Annabelle doll, said to be 'demonically possessed' by the New England Society for Psychic Research. Rivera, 54, was staying in Gettysburg, a town steeped in Civil War hauntings, when emergency responders were called to his hotel for a cardiac emergency. He was pronounced dead shortly after, with no official cause yet confirmed. Rivera had been leading the "Devils on the Run" tour, which took the haunted doll across America, and had just completed a packed, three-day event at Gettysburg's notoriously haunted orphanage. His shocking death has reignited eerie chatter about the so-called 'Annabelle curse' and left the paranormal community in disbelief. 38 views | 29 minutes ago
Metro
2 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Metro
Paranormal TV investigator Dan Rivera dies suddenly while touring with haunted Annabelle doll
The paranormal community is in mourning following the sudden and mysterious death of Dan Rivera. The well-known ghost hunter and caretaker of the infamous haunted Annabelle doll passed away while on a U.S. tour at 54 years old. Rivera, a lead investigator with the New England Society for Psychic Research (NESPR), was found unresponsive in his Gettysburg, Pennsylvania hotel room on Sunday night. He had been in town for a sold-out stop on his Devils on the Run tour, a controversial cross-country event showcasing the real Annabelle doll, famously linked to demonic possession and featured in The Conjuring universe. Australian horror filmmaker James Wan, who brought Annabelle to global attention in his 2013 hit The Conjuring and its 2014 spin-off, paid tribute to Rivera on social media Wednesday, expressing shock and sadness over the investigator's unexpected passing. Wan, 48, had only recently mourned the loss of another close colleague, Jason Constantine. Emergency dispatch records confirmed a CPR-in-progress call for a man matching Rivera's description, but the official cause of death has not yet been released. NESPR confirmed Rivera's death soon after, prompting an outpouring of grief from fans and fellow investigators across the world. Rivera had become a cult figure in the paranormal world, gaining a devoted following through his eerie investigations, viral content, and direct work with some of the world's most notorious haunted objects. At the center of it all was Annabelle, a seemingly innocuous Raggedy Ann doll believed to be possessed by a malevolent spirit, or worse. Annabelle's legend dates back to the 1970s, when a young nurse claimed the doll moved on its own and left frightening handwritten messages. Paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren concluded the doll was a conduit for a demonic entity and locked it inside a glass case in their private occult museum, where it remained for decades until Rivera and NESPR took it on tour earlier this year. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video The Devils on the Run tour, which began in May, brought Annabelle to cities across the U.S., sparking massive interest as well as widespread concern. Critics accused Rivera of exploiting fear and superstition, while some believers warned that removing the doll from its sealed case could unleash dangerous energy. That fear intensified during a stop on the tour when visitors claimed the three-foot-tall doll inexplicably vanished for several minutes. The moment triggered a flurry of online speculation, with some convinced the doll had escaped or cursed those present. Despite the ominous air of the tour, Rivera was known for his charismatic, light-hearted demeanor and dedication to educating the public about paranormal phenomena. He treated Annabelle not just as a creepy object, but as a symbol of unexplained forces that demanded respect. The original Annabelle doll is a Raggedy Ann-style cloth doll that became the subject of widespread attention due to its alleged involvement in paranormal events investigated by Ed and Lorraine Warren, prominent figures in American demonology and paranormal research. The events began in 1970, when a nursing student named Donna received the doll as a gift from her mother. Shortly after, Donna and her roommate Angie reported unusual activity involving the doll, including changes in its position and location within their apartment. They also discovered handwritten notes on parchment paper with disturbing messages such as 'Help me,' despite not having such paper in the apartment. Seeking an explanation, the women consulted a medium who claimed that the doll was inhabited by the spirit of a deceased girl named Annabelle Higgins. However, the Warrens, upon investigating, concluded that the presence associated with the doll was not that of a human spirit but a malevolent, demonic entity using the doll as a conduit to ultimately possess a human host. Following their investigation, the Warrens removed the doll and placed it in a secure glass case in their Occult Museum in Monroe, Connecticut, with a warning label reading, 'Warning: Positively Do Not Open.' The doll is also associated with a supposed curse. The Warrens recounted an incident in which a museum visitor mocked the doll and challenged its power. According to their account, the visitor died in a motorcycle accident shortly after being asked to leave the museum. This story has contributed to the belief that Annabelle carries a dangerous curse, although no verifiable evidence supports these claims. Gettysburg, the final stop on Rivera's tour, has long been regarded as one of America's most haunted towns as its a former Civil War battlefield steeped in tragic history and ghost lore. The eerie setting added a final layer of mystery to a man who spent his life walking the line between legend and reality. X user @MillsTwitch wrote: 'First of all – Dan Rivera rocked. His passing sucks. Also… PUT THE DAMN DOLL BACK PLEASE.' @SantaCawws posted: 'OMG Annabelle is actually cursed? This is insane RIP Dan Rivera!' More Trending @sweetirpie1970 agreed: 'That's sad and creepy 😞' As news of Rivera's death spread, fans flooded social media with tributes and memories, praising him for his fearless spirit and passion for the supernatural. The future of the Devils on the Run tour remains unclear. So does the fate of Annabelle, the doll that Rivera had guarded so closely until the end. Whether one believes in curses or not, the sudden passing of Dan River has left an unsettling silence in the world he helped illuminate as well as a chilling reminder that some stories may be more than just fiction. Got a story? If you've got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@ calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we'd love to hear from you. MORE: Kevin Spacey begs for release of Epstein files and insists he 'has nothing to fear' MORE: Miley Cyrus won't tour new album because of her mental health and sobreity MORE: Stevie Wonder clears up bizarre rumour that he's not really blind
