The Annabelle Raggedy Ann doll sits in a case in the Warren’s Occult Museum. (Jessica Moore/Hartford Courant/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)
GETTYSBURG, Pa. – Dan Rivera, the paranormal investigator who suddenly died in Gettysburg earlier this year while on tour with the infamous Annabelle doll, died of natural causes, according to multiple reports.
The backstory:
Rivera was found dead in a Gettysburg hotel room on July 13, according to a report from the Evening Sun, a local newspaper.
Rivera was part of the New England Society for Psychic Research (NESPR), which owns the doll. The group was leading the Raggedy Anne doll on a tour across the U.S. when Rivera died.
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What we know:
In a statement obtained by E! News on Thursday, Adams County Coroner Francis Dutrow confirmed that Rivera’s death was caused by a cardiac event.
“Mr. Rivera had a known history of cardiac issues, which were consistent with the findings,” Dutrow said in the statement.
Dig deeper:
Dutrow also confirmed that the Annabelle doll was not in the room when Rivera died, dispelling online rumors that had circulated online. Shortly after Rivera’s death, Ghost Hunters star Jason Hawes took to Facebook to vent his frustrations over the rumors.
“Dan was a family man, a respected paranormal investigator, and he left this world way too soon,” Hawes wrote on July 15. “Let’s focus on remembering Dan for who he was, not turning his death into some made up bull*** story to get clicks or attention.”
The Annabelle Doll:
Paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren, the founders of NESPR, declared that the Raggedy Anne doll was possessed back in the 1960s after reports of the doll allegedly moving and sending messages. The Annabelle doll’s story went on to inspire The Conjuring movie franchise.
The Source: Information in this story cites a statement from the Adams County, Pennsylvania, Coroner’s Office obtained by E! News, Facebook posts from the New England Society for Psychic Research and Jason Hawes and previous FOX reports.