Dan Rivera death: Paranormal investigator linked to haunted Annabelle doll dies of heart problems

Dan Rivera, a paranormal investigator, was found dead in July after he attended an event in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. Rivera was an Army Veteran and worked as the senior lead investigator for the New England Society for Psychic Research. He died on his tour with Annabelle doll on July 13, 2025.

Adams County coroner Francis Dutrow said that Rivera’s death was cardiac-related and that it was a natural death. Dutrow explained that Rivera already had a history of heart problems, and the autopsy findings matched this condition. The coroner also confirmed that Annabelle was not inside the room when Rivera passed away, as per the report by People.

Dan Rivera death report

A report from the Pennsylvania State Police on July 13 said that workers at a hotel in Straban Township, Adams County, discovered Rivera’s body in his room. Nothing suspicious or unusual was found at the scene.


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Earlier that morning, Rivera was feeling unwell and decided to go back to his room. Authorities did not reveal what kind of sickness he felt. At the time of his death, Rivera was on tour with the Annabelle doll, which his society describes as demonically possessed, as stated by the People’s report.

Annabelle doll history

The story of the Annabelle doll started in 1968, when a student nurse was gifted with this doll and she took it to her apartment which she shared with her roommate. The society shared, “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," as reported by PEOPLE.

According to the reports, the women tried to accept the doll’s spirit and keep it happy, but instead, the doll became violent and acted with bad intentions. Ed and Lorraine Warren, the famous paranormal investigators, took away the doll and locked it in a glass box “to contain the evil-spirited entity.” The Annabelle doll and the Warrens later inspired The Conjuring movie series.

FAQs

Q1. What was the cause of Dan Rivera’s death?
Dan Rivera’s death was confirmed as natural and cardiac-related, with a history of heart problems, according to the Adams County coroner.

Q2. Was the Annabelle doll involved in Dan Rivera’s death?
No, officials confirmed the Annabelle doll was not in the room when Dan Rivera passed away.