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Celebrity Deaths: 2025’s Fallen Stars
A paranormal investigator's sudden death has sparked a new mystery.
Dan Rivera—who was hosting a national tour of the original Annabelle doll, popularized in The Conjuring movie franchise—died suddenly following a stop with the New England Society of Psychic Research (NESPR) in Gettysburg, Penn. He was 54.
"It’s with deep sadness that Tony, Wade, and I share the sudden passing of our close friend and partner, Dan Rivera," NESPR lead investigator Chris "Jeek" Gilloren wrote on the group's Facebook page July 14. "We are heartbroken and still processing this loss."
Gilloren went on to reflect on Rivera's legacy, sharing, "Dan truly believed in sharing his experiences and educating people on the paranormal. His kindness and passion touched everyone who knew him."
He added, "Thank you for your support and kind thoughts during this difficult time."
Rivera's cause of death wasn't shared. The Adams County Coroner listed it as "pending," according to records viewed by USA Today.
Authorities were called to a local Gettysburg hotel on the evening of July 13 and responded to a report of a CPR in progress of a 54-year-old man, according to Adams County dispatch scanner archives obtained by the outlet.
One day prior, NESPR hosted a showing of the Annabelle doll, which inspired the chilling character in the Conjuring horror film franchise.
The doll is normally kept at the Warrens' Occult Museum in Monroe, Conn., which was created by NESPR founders Ed Warren, a demonologist, and his wife Lorraine Warren, a trance medium (played by Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga in the movies).
According to the organization's website, the haunting story behind Annabelle began in 1968, when a nursing student was given a Raggedy Ann doll as a gift.
"She brings it home where she lives with a roommate," reads the NESPR website. "Almost immediately, the roommates noticed strange occurrences with the doll and they were introduced to a medium who told them the doll was inhabited by the spirit of a young girl named Annabelle. The two roommates tried to accept the doll’s spirit and please it only to have it reciprocate maliciousness and violent intent."
At the time, the Warrens were called to investigate, determining that the doll was "demonically possessed."
"They removed the doll from the house," the site states, "and encased it in a glass box to contain the evil spirited entity."
NESPR's Devils On The Run Tour advertises a "chilling experience" with the doll that has "reportedly brought misfortune, injury, and even death to those who have interacted with it improperly."
Barry Chin/The Boston Globe via Getty Images
Rivera was involved in paranormal research and investigations for over a decade before his death, according to his bio on the NESPR website.
"At an early age he was introduced to haunting phenomena," reads his bio, "having witnessed paranormal events occurring in his home."
In addition to being a U.S. army veteran, the Connecticut native considered himself to be "an expert in the rites and rituals of Santeria."
According to the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom, "Santería is a syncretic religion based significantly in the traditions of the Yoruba and incorporating elements of Catholicism. Today, roughly 70 percent of Cubans observe one or more Santeria or other religious practices based in an African tradition."
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