July 20, 2025: Paranormal investigator Dan Rivera, 54, was discovered dead in his hotel room earlier this week, just hours after leading a sold-out ghost tour at the haunted Soldiers National Orphanage. The event, known as the Devils on the Run Tour, featured the infamous Annabelle doll — a relic believed to be cursed and linked to a string of paranormal activities since the 1970s.
Adams County Coroner Francis Dutrow revealed that when first responders found Rivera’s body on Sunday night, the Annabelle doll was missing from the room. Rivera, a US Army veteran and member of the New England Society for Psychic Research (NESPR), passed away under mysterious circumstances. The cause of death remains unknown pending autopsy results.
Rivera was touring with NESPR, an organization founded by famed paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren, known for their work on haunted artifacts like Annabelle. The tour aims to showcase the haunted doll across the US, continuing the Warrens’ legacy.
The Annabelle doll’s dark history dates back to 1970 when it was given to a nursing student named Donna. Reports from Ed and Lorraine Warren describe the doll exhibiting frightening behaviors, such as moving on its own, following people around, and causing accidents, including one involving a police officer and a priest. The doll was later secured in a Connecticut museum maintained by the Warrens.
Despite Rivera’s sudden death and the doll’s disappearance, NESPR has expressed intentions to continue the tour. “We believe with all our hearts that Dan would have wanted the work to continue — bringing people together, sharing knowledge, and honoring the memory of Ed and Lorraine Warren,” the group said. “We will carry his spirit in everything we do.”
Conspiracy theories linking Rivera’s death to the haunted doll have surfaced online, though police have stated that “nothing unusual or suspicious” was found at the scene. A psychic medium has even claimed that the doll is possessed by the spirit of a 6-year-old girl named Annabelle.
As the investigation continues, the paranormal community watches closely — wondering whether the cursed relic is truly at the center of this chilling mystery.