Annabelle became a household name in 2014 when a horror film followed the story of a doll that became possessed, haunting a couple nearly to their death.
Now, the real doll that inspired the movie and its sequels — also called Annabelle — is in the spotlight.
Dan Rivera, a paranormal investigator, died in a Pennsylvania hotel while bringing the doll on a national tour on behalf of the New England Society for Psychic Research, a group founded by the late paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren.
The cause of death has not been released. Adams County Chief Deputy Coroner Scott Pennewill told TODAY.com that Rivera’s death was “nothing suspicious.”
Read on for more on Annabelle and why the doll is back in the spotlight.
What is the origin story of the Annabelle doll?
Until recently, the Annabelle doll was kept in an occult museum in Monroe, Connecticut, founded by paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren. The museum is now closed to the public.
The New England Society for Psychic Research recounts its alleged origin story and how it came to be in the Warrens’ possession.
In 1968, a nursing student was gifted a Raggedy Ann doll, which she brought back to the apartment she shared with a roommate, according to a timeline from the New England Society for Psychic Research.
The roommates subsequently “noticed strange occurrences with the doll” before a medium told them it was “inhabited by the spirit of a young girl named Annabelle,” per the timeline.
“The two roommates tried to accept the doll’s spirit and please it only to have it reciprocate maliciousness and violent intent,” the NESPR website says.
The Warrens deemed the doll “demonically possessed” and removed it from the house, according to NESPR. The couple then “encased it in a glass box to contain the evil spirited entity.”
What happens in the ‘Annabelle’ movie?
The doll made its debut in the 2013 movie “The Conjuring,” based on the Warrens’ real-life investigation of the Perron family home.
The 2014 movie “Annabelle” tells the doll’s backstory, though makes changes from the tale laid out in the New England Society for Psychic Research‘s website.
The movie’s Annabelle is an eerie-looking porcelain doll resembling a child, compared to the Raggedy Ann-style doll found in the Connecticut museum.
In the first “Annabelle” movie, a man named John gives his wife Mia a doll as a gift. The doll only becomes possessed when Satanic cultists break into the pair’s home in an attempt to kill John and Mia.
Though the cultists end up dead, the blood of one named Annabelle Higgins lands on the doll, prompting it to start engaging in paranormal — and eventually evil — acts.
The “Annabelle” franchise has two additional prequels: “Annabelle: Creation” and “Annabelle Comes Home.” The three movies are part of the greater “Conjuring Universe.”
Why was the Annabelle doll on tour?
The doll was part of the “Devils on the Run Tour,” according to a post from the New England Society for Psychic Research.
The “Devils on the Run” tour celebrates the work of Ed and Lorraine Warren and displays Annabelle “for those brave enough to face her,” per the NESPR.
“One of the tour’s key highlights is the infamous Annabelle doll, which, despite its seemingly innocent appearance, has been the cause of numerous terrifying incidents. The doll has reportedly brought misfortune, injury, and even death to those who have interacted with it improperly,” the tour’s description says.
In May, Annabelle was rumored to have been missing from the Connecticut museum. Rivera took to TikTok to assure viewers of the doll’s whereabouts.
“I want to assure you guys that Annabelle is in the Warrens’ occult museum. Let’s go inside and check,” he said. He then brought the camera into the museum and filmed the doll behind glass.
Tony Spera, the Warrens’ son-in-law, also spoke to NBC News in May, saying Annabelle was not missing, but rather on the national tour.
“The fact of the matter is that doll was never out of our sight, never out of our control. It’s in a protective case. Many precautions were taken to make it safe,” Spera said.
What happened to Dan Rivera?
The handler for the Annabelle doll, paranormal investigator Dan Rivera, died at age 54 on July 13.
Rivera was found in a hotel room in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, according to Adams County Chief Deputy Coroner Scott Pennewill, who noted “nothing suspicious.”
Rivera had completed a stop on the “Devils on the Run” tour called “Annabelle in Gettysburg” earlier that day.
“The coroner’s office and the state police were called to the scene on Sunday night … he did go for an autopsy today and it’s pending,” Pennewill said July 15.
Autopsy results will likely be available within 60 to 90 days, Pennewill said.
Where is the Annabelle doll now?
The Annabelle doll was not present at the scene, Pennewill noted, adding that Rivera was found alone.
He said Annabelle could have been inside a van in the hotel parking lot, though he was unable to confirm the doll’s location to TODAY.com.
This story first appeared on TODAY.com. More from TODAY:
