The visit of the infamous Annabelle doll—surrounded by eerie paranormal legends—to the historic town of Gettysburg ended in tragedy this past weekend. One of the lead organizers of the national tour died suddenly during the event, according to the New England Society for Psychic Research, the organization behind the tour.
Dan Rivera, 54, a U.S. Army veteran and lead investigator for the Society, passed away unexpectedly on Sunday, July 13, 2025, while in Gettysburg. The announcement was made by the organization on Monday night.
Rivera was a prominent figure in the viral “Devils on the Run Tour,” which took the allegedly haunted Annabelle doll to various locations across the country, drawing widespread public and media attention.
Dispatch scanner records from Adams County show that emergency responders were called to a hotel in Gettysburg around 8 p.m. Sunday for a report of CPR in progress on a male patient matching Rivera’s age.
Adams County Coroner Francis Dutrow confirmed to the Evening Sun that, as of Tuesday afternoon, the cause of death remained undetermined pending autopsy results — a process that may take several months.
Officials noted that the death did not appear suspicious. Rivera was found alone in his hotel room, and both the Pennsylvania State Police and the County Coroner’s Office conducted a standard investigation, which is routine for sudden, unexplained, or unattended deaths in the county.
The Gettysburg leg of the tour, hosted at the historic Soldiers National Orphanage by Ghostly Images of Gettysburg Tours, had completely sold out. Organizers reported that over 1,260 tickets were sold across the three-day event, which concluded Sunday afternoon.
Rivera played a key role in the tour’s rise to prominence, appearing in several viral TikTok videos alongside fellow paranormal investigator Ryan Daniel Buell. The videos, featuring the doll’s travels, garnered millions of views and helped spark international interest.
Despite its popularity, the tour was not without controversy. It drew backlash in various communities, with many on social media raising concerns tied to the doll’s dark folklore and alleged supernatural history.
In the hours following the announcement of Dan Rivera’s death on Monday night, a wave of tributes and memorials began to pour in from the paranormal community. Rivera was remembered not only for his passion in sharing the world of the paranormal with others, but also as a loving husband, father, and friend.
According to the Evening Sun, which covered the event in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, Rivera was leading one of the sold-out tours on Saturday, guiding guests to see the infamous Annabelle doll. Throughout the evening, he was full of charisma, joking with attendees about the tour’s viral popularity and emphasizing his commitment to creating a positive and unforgettable experience.
“I want you all to have a good time,” he told the group gathered at the old orphanage, smiling.
Rivera, who was mentored by the renowned paranormal investigator Lorraine Warren, told attendees about the precautions he had taken to “protect” them from the Annabelle doll — including the custom case he had personally built to contain it.
He explained that the case was constructed with three crosses, symbolizing the Holy Trinity, and was painted with a finish that included holy water for spiritual protection.
With his signature sense of humor, Rivera joked, “We didn’t burn that plantation,” and “We didn’t release those prisoners,” referencing viral social media rumors that attempted to link various strange events to the doll’s cross-country journey.
Later in the tour, Rivera clarified that Annabelle was not responsible for the power outage in the 911 system, which the day before had sent wireless emergency alerts to all cell phones across Pennsylvania, including during the doll’s initial exhibitions.
Speaking about his late mentor, Rivera shared with the audience that her advice for protecting oneself from “evil spirits” involved something akin to meditation.
“What Lorraine would say for protection,” Rivera explained, “was to close your eyes and imagine yourself surrounded by a halo of white light.”
Biographies of Rivera describe an “insatiable curiosity” about the paranormal from a very young age, which led him to found his own paranormal investigation group after serving in the U.S. Army.
This passion also drove Rivera to attend lectures by Lorraine Warren, whose biographies state that she welcomed and mentored him during the final years of her life, ultimately leading to his appointment as lead investigator for NESPR in 2011.
Rivera’s death understandably sent shockwaves through the paranormal research community, where he was a beloved figure. In a statement posted on the New England Society for Psychic Research’s Facebook page, colleague Chris Gilloren paid tribute to his friend and fellow investigator.
“Dan truly believed in sharing his experiences and educating people about the paranormal,” he wrote. “His kindness and passion touched everyone who had the chance to know him.”
A U.S. Army veteran, Rivera will be deeply missed by his family, friends, and fans, who mourn the loss of a man celebrated for his “insatiable curiosity” about the mysteries of the unknown.
