Dan Rivera, a well-known paranormal investigator, died on July 13 at the age of 54, we learn from a post in the Facebook group Unknown Knowledge and Facts. He was found unconscious in his hotel room while on tour with the Annabelle doll in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania.
Attempts to resuscitate him were unsuccessful.
The cause of his death has not yet been officially confirmed, but Pennsylvania police say there are no unusual or suspicious circumstances. An autopsy is pending.
Dan Rivera was a U.S. Army veteran and lead researcher for the New England Society for Psychic Research (NESPR). He was on the "Devils on the Run Tour", introducing the Annabelle doll. Despite his tragic death, the tour organizers announced that the tour would continue in his honor.
The Annabelle doll is one of the most famous and eerie paranormal objects in the world, made famous mainly thanks to the "The Conjuring" horror film series. and "Annabelle".
The true story of the Annabelle doll begins in 1970, when a young nursing student named Donna received a rag doll from her mother for her birthday. The doll was a "Raggedy Ann" type. Donna lived with her roommate Angie.
Shortly after the doll enters their home, strange things begin to happen:
* Doll Movement: Donna and Angie notice that the doll moves on its own. They often find it in different poses or in other rooms, even though they left it in a specific place.
* Notes: They begin to find notes written on parchment paper with messages such as "Help us!" or "Save Lou".
* Blood: In some cases, drops of blood appear on the doll.
After being unable to explain these phenomena, Donna and Angie contact a medium. The medium tells them that the doll is inhabited by the spirit of a little girl named Annabelle Higgins, who died in the house years ago. The spirit supposedly wants to stay with them because it feels loved. The girls, feeling compassion, allow the spirit to remain in the doll.
Despite their good intentions, things soon escalate. The girls' friend, Lou, is attacked by the doll and suffers deep scratches. This leads them to seek the help of renowned paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren.
After investigating the case, the Warrens conclude that the doll was not possessed by the spirit of a child, but by a demonic entity that posed as a little girl in order to gain their trust. The demon's goal was to possess one of the residents of the house.
The Warrens move the doll to their Occult Museum in Monroe, Connecticut. There, Annabelle is placed in a special glass case, on which a prayer for protection is written, in order to "keep" the evil entity inside.
Annabelle today
The real Annabelle doll, unlike the one in the movies, is an ordinary rag doll with red hair. It is much less sinister in appearance, but is said to be just as dangerous. The Warren Museum where it was kept is now closed, but the doll remains part of the collection, which is kept by Ed and Lorraine's heirs.
Although many people are skeptical of paranormal phenomena, the story of Annabelle continues to attract attention and inspire awe.
Dan Rivera has carried a real Annabelle doll with him on his "Devils on the Run Tour".