A veteran ghost hunter died suddenly while touring the US with a ‘possessed’ doll in one of America’s most haunted towns.
Dan Rivera, 54, was in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, for his Devils on the Run tour – a chilling cross-country event featuring the infamous Annabelle doll – when he was found unresponsive at his hotel Sunday night.
Emergency dispatch logs confirmed a CPR-in-progress call for a man matching his age, according to the New England Society for Psychic Research (NESPR), where he served as lead investigator. The organization later confirmed his death, though the cause remains unknown.
Rivera had built a loyal fanbase through his ghost-hunting work and viral content reviving the eerie legends of Annabelle and other cursed relics. His final stop – in Gettysburg, a Civil War town long said to be haunted – was completely sold out.
The Annabelle doll gained notoriety through paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren, who kept it locked in a glass case in their private occult museum and famously warned visitors never to touch it.
The couple’s work inspired The Conjuring films and remains central to modern paranormal lore.
The Devils on the Run tour – during which the doll was removed its sealed case for a series of public events – has come under growing scrutiny, with fans fearing its dark energy could be unleashed.
Even the Warrens’ grandson, Chris McKinnell, has spoken out, telling the Mirror that he respects Annabelle’s ‘power.’
McKinnell, who grew up around the family’s haunted artifact collection, called it ‘a prison’ for dangerous objects.
Still, he doesn’t believe Annabelle is demonic.
‘I don’t believe it’s a demon. But I do believe it has energy… It’s reactive, not active. So why doesn’t it break out of its case? It’s reactive, not active,’ he told the Mirror.
The Raggedy Anne Doll’s paranormal legend dates back to the 1970s, when it was apparently given as a gift to nurse in Hartford, Connecticut, before beginning to exhibit disturbing behavior.
Annabelle was thought to be possessed by the spirit of a dead child and was said to move on her own, leave terrifying handwritten notes and even allegedly attacked someone.
The case caught the attention of the Warrens, who concluded Annabelle was being manipulated by a demonic entity.
Due to the popularity of the story and subsequent film franchise, the real Annabelle doll was removed from its secure case and included in the Devils on the Run tour, which began touring in May.
The tour wasn’t just a viral hit – it stirred controversy too. Critics accusing Rivera and his team of exploiting fear and superstition for profit, while believers warned that transporting the doll could unleash real danger.
During one of the stops, visitors claimed the three-foot-tall doll had vanished without explanation, sparking a wave of online panic and conspiracy theories.
Tensions escalated further after a fire broke out at a historic resort in White Castle, Louisiana, and 10 inmates escaped from a New Orleans prison – all within days of Annabelle being exhibited in the state.
Fears snowballed across social media, with some convinced the so-called ‘possessed’ doll had unleashed a curse.
Rivera stepped in to shut down the hysteria in a TikTok video.
Despite the dark nature of his work, Rivera was known for his upbeat, engaging presence – especially when it came to Annabelle.
At the Gettysburg event, Rivera told attendees how he built the doll’s case using wood stained with holy water and embedded with three crosses to represent the Holy Trinity.
He often leaned into the lore while debunking internet hysteria – including rumors that Annabelle caused a statewide 911 outage in Pennsylvania.
Rivera’s fascination with the supernatural began at an early age and never let up.
After serving in the US Army, he founded his own investigation team before being mentored by Lorraine Warren, who taught him how to spiritually protect himself by ‘visualizing a halo of white light.’
He eventually became NESPR’s lead investigator, helping to carry on the Warrens’ legacy – including assisting families with private hauntings and organizing events like the ParaCon convention.
Beyond the haunted doll circuit, Rivera appeared on hit shows like Most Haunted Places on the Travel Channel and helped produce Netflix’s 28 Days Haunted.
The paranormal community responded to Rivera’s passing with an outpouring of love and grief.
‘Dan truly believed in sharing his experiences and educating people on the paranormal,’ said fellow NESPR investigator Chris Gilloren. ‘His kindness and passion touched everyone who knew him.’
Mary Jo Chudley of Penn Paranormal called Rivera ‘a true legend’ and ‘one of the kindest, most genuine and funniest guys.’
Rivera wrote about the afterlife in a touching 2020 tribute to Lorraine Warren.
‘My answer was, in life, we leave a piece of ourselves with loved ones and friends on our journey through life until there are no more pieces to give away. You would think that is the end, but, when you look back at all the pieces you gave away, those pieces will always be remembered,’ he said.
‘So I say I will never die. My journey has only begun.’