Just months before the upcoming release of The Conjuring: Last Rites, a tragic incident has cast a shadow over the franchise’s real-life roots. Paranormal investigator Dan Rivera, 54, was found dead in his hotel room on July 13 in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. He was travelling with the infamous Annabelle doll widely believed to be haunted and the inspiration behind The Conjuring universe.
Dan Rivera was touring as part of a team from the New England Society of Psychic Research (NESPR), the organisation originally founded by famed demonologist duo Ed and Lorraine Warren. While the cause of Dan's death has yet to be confirmed pending autopsy results, authorities have reported no signs of foul play.
NESPR issued an emotional statement in the wake of Dan's passing, expressing deep sorrow over the loss of a man they described as “a loyal, compassionate, and devoted friend.” Rivera had been with the group for over a decade and was considered an integral part of its mission and family. Though devastated by his sudden death, the team has decided to continue their tour, believing Rivera would have wanted the work to go on. “His spirit will continue with us in everything we do,” NESPR said in their statement.
The group’s current tour, titled Devils On The Run, features the real Annabelle doll normally housed in a glass case at the Warren’s Occult Museum in Monroe, Connecticut. NESPR is taking the doll across several states, offering visitors what they call a “bone-chilling” experience. The tour is scheduled to conclude in Maine this September, just in time for the next Conjuring installment’s premiere. The late Rivera was also known for his support of Lorraine Warren, staying by her side in the final years of her life. The Warrens’ legacy lives on through both the NESPR’s continued work and the popular horror film series that introduced their stories and Annabelle to global audiences.
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