Paranormal investigator dies after bringing ‘Annabelle doll’ on tour

A paranormal investigator has died while bringing the real doll that inspired the film Annabelle on tour.

Dan Rivera, 54, passed away unexpectedly on Sunday, July 13, while transporting the ‘haunted’ doll on a paranormal tour series called ‘Devils on the Run,’ which reached Gettysburg in Pennsylvania.

He collapsed in his hotel room on Sunday, with paramedics carrying out CPR. He was later pronounced dead at the scene, and his cause of death is unknown, but fears have been reignited due to the nature of his tour.

A paranormal investigator has died while bringing the real doll that inspired the film Annabelle on tour. Pic: Facebook

‘It’s with deep sadness that Tony, Wade, and I share the sudden passing of our close friend and partner, Dan Rivera,’ the New England Society for Psychic Research (NESPR) wrote. ‘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 Raggedy Anne doll, which inspired the Conjuring and Annabelle films, is usually kept behind a glass case due to beliefs that it’s ‘demonically possessed’ after being tied to events in the 1970s that inspired the film series, often considered one of the scariest films ever.

The doll, which inspired the Conjuring films, was thought to be haunted after its alleged involvement in a number of incidents that the previous owners found. Pic: Jessica Moore/Hartford Courant/Tribune News Service via Getty Images

According to research from NESPR, the doll was a gift to a student nurse, who brought the doll home where it lived with her roommate. The pair then noticed a number of strange occurrences, where the pair thought that the doll was possessed by the spirit of a girl called Annabelle.

Paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren were called by the students, who then removed the doll from a glass case where it had remained for the past five decades at the Warren Occult Museum.

It was rumoured that the doll was removed from its glass case back in May, with people warning that there could be new incidents involving the doll. These were then debunked by Mr Rivera, who showed that despite the doll being with him, it was kept sealed in the glass case.

Mr Rivera brought the doll on a tour, but kept it behind the glass case. Pic: Facebook

Tributes have been paid to Mr Rivera, with his family saying that he was ‘a pillar of love and strength.’

‘He was the centre of this family and a pillar of love and strength,’ they wrote. ‘As a devoted husband, father of four sons, and a staunchly faithful friend, he always had a quiet source of resilience, strength and endless hope.

‘Daniel carried a light and a brave heart everyday through his life and his work. We are currently at a loss for words as we process his loss but are extremely thankful for the love, support and respect during this unimaginable time.’