Unpacking the Conspiracy Around Dan Rivera's Death, the Annabelle Doll

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Before Dan Rivera's sudden death on July 13, he had dedicated much of his life to investigating the supernatural.

"Dan truly believed in sharing his experiences and educating people on the paranormal," the New England Society for Psychic Research (NESPR) wrote in a July 14 Facebook post announcing his passing. "His kindness and passion touched everyone who knew him."

Born and raised in Connecticut, Rivera spent years working closely with Lorraine Warren, who along with her husband Ed Warren investigated spirits and demonology.

Later on, Rivera brought his passion to the screen—appearing on Travel Channel’s Most Haunted Places and producing Netflix’s 28 Days Haunted. However, paranormal investigations were only part of world. He also served in the U.S. Army and was a family man.

"We understand that Dan’s work inspired fascination and curiosity for man," NESPR's July 15 press release noted, "but above all, he was a father, devoted husband, and loyal friend, someone who meant the world to those closest to him."

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Warning: This may give you nightmares.

According to NESPR's website, Annabelle dates back to around the early 70s when a mom purchased the doll from a hobby store and gave it to her college-aged daughter Donna. Donna and her roommate Angie soon noticed "very strange and creepy" things, according to the site, like "the doll mysteriously seemed to move about the house" and messages asking for help that looked like they were "written by a small child" supposedly appeared.

The duo reportedly contacted a medium and were told about a young girl named Annabelle, who was allegedly found dead in a field where their apartment building was later built.Eventually, the site continued, Donna and Angie reached out to the Warrens, who deemed the doll "demonically possessed" and removed Annabelle from the apartment (placing the figure in a box).

The story captured the attention of horror movie fans and inspired films like The Conjuring and Annabelle.

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While working with the Warrens and NESPR, Rivera helped run events and tours involving Annabelle. In fact, he often was the one to move the doll in and out of her case with gloves.

"I take great precautions of moving that doll," Rivera told radio station i95Rock in 2022. "I mean, I have to go to the church, I have to go to confession, I have to have a priest do a blessing over me before I can even touch that doll."

And there have been unusual incidents.

"After I moved that doll from the case that I had built back into Ed's original case, because I needed to do repairs on it, I had to leave the museum that evening," he added. "Because my leg started shaking—I mean, really bad—and I started getting these cold sweats. So I had to leave the museum, and I never felt anything like that before."

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To be clear, an official cause of death has yet to be revealed.

Rivera was on tour with the Annabelle doll when he was found in a hotel room in Gettysburg, Pa., on July 13, Adams County Chief Deputy Coroner Scott Pennewill told Today.com. He was 54 years old. 

And as Pennewill told the outlet, Rivera's "death was nothing suspicious."

Plus, per the coroner, the Annabelle doll was not in the hotel room and Rivera was alone when he was found. In addition, a police report listed the nature of the incident as a "natural" death.

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Paranormal investigators have shared their own personal experiences with Annabelle.

Like Zak Bagans. "I did have the opportunity to investigate Annabelle when the owner brought her to my museum in 2017," the Ghost Adventures star told Us Weekly July 16. "I got very affected by her and it kinda caused me to touch the doll. The owner didn’t like that too much."

Meanwhile, Ghost Hunters alum Jason Hawes reminded fans to not spread conspiracy theories.

"Recently the World lost a good man," he wrote on Facebook July 15. "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," Jason added. "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 bulls--t story to get clicks or attention."

Instagram/Dan Rivera

Following Rivera's death, his son David created a GoFundMe page, noting the money raised would go to covering costs of the funeral and care for Rivera's four kids.

"He was famous for his work as lead paranormal investigator of NESPR, where he helped countless people out of dark times and brought comfort and a sense of safety to those who needed it," David wrote in a message posted to the site. "But more importantly, he was my father, a great man who loved deeply and lived fully."

"He had a passion for working on classic cars while listening to classic rock and old school hip hop, enjoyed camping, and cherished spending time with family," he added. "He lit up every room with his smile, kindness and sarcastic witty humor. I was only blessed to spend time with my dad for 25 years and I wasn’t prepared mentally, physically or financially to let him go this young."