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16th July 2025
08:28am BST
The real-life handler of the infamous Annabelle doll, Dan Rivera, has died aged 54.
The man from Connecticut was also a paranormal investigator and the primary caretaker for the Raggedy Ann doll.
A Facebook post from the New England Society for Psychic Research (NESPR), hosts of the Annabelle tour, said that Rivera died suddenly at the event with the doll this weekend.
So far a cause of death is yet be confirmed.
Fellow investigator Chris Gilloren, who is part of the tour, said: “It’s with deep sadness that Tony, Wade, and I share the sudden passing of our close friend and partner, Dan Rivera.
“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.”
Rivera was a part of a group currently on the Devils on the Run Tour, hosted by Ghostly Images of Gettysburg and NESPR.
According to NESPR’s website, the event, held in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, this past weekend, was a “night of paranormal history as the infamous Annabelle doll visits Gettysburg’s Haunted Orphanage.”
The doll will continue on her tour in the coming months.
The news of Rivera's death follows on from rumours in May that Annabelle had disappeared while in Louisiana after visitors said they didn't see the doll on their tour.
A fire at a nearby plantation only added fuel to the flames, metaphorically.
Rivera, however, quickly quashed any theories in a TikTok video at the time.
“I’m here at the museum right now, and I just wanna show you guys that Annabelle is in the Warrens’ Occult Museum,” he said. “Let’s go inside and let’s check.”
He then proceeded to show the doll in her wooden case.
“Annabelle is not missing; she’s not in Chicago,” he told fans.
The doll first appeared in The Conjuring in 2013 before receiving her own spin-off franchise.
According to the well-known paranormal investigators, the doll is responsible for two near-death experiences, one fatal accident, and a string of demonic activities that lasted some 30 years.
