Yesterday, Dan Rivera, a U.S. Army veteran and lead investigator for the New England Society for Psychic Research (NESPR), died suddenly during a tour in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. Rivera, 54, was headlining the sold-out “Devils on the Run Tour,” a paranormal event centered around the infamous Annabelle doll, which inspired the Conjuring film series. Emergency responders performed CPR at his hotel, but Rivera was pronounced dead at the scene. Exact cause of death is unclear. The irony? Rivera died while promoting one of the most notorious cases of alleged demonic possession in American folklore.
Annabelle is no carnival sideshow. The Raggedy Ann doll was housed in the now-defunct Occult Museum founded by Ed and Lorraine Warren, the couple who brought demonic cases into the public eye long before Hollywood did. According to the Warrens, Annabelle had a history of real violence. Not metaphorical, but physical harm that left actual wounds. She caused slashes that drew blood. In one case, a priest who defied the doll reportedly crashed his car into a tree shortly after leaving. In another, a detective who came into contact with the doll was allegedly stabbed and forced into early retirement.
The Warrens took no chances. They sealed Annabelle in a locked glass and wood cabinet, built specifically to contain her. A large sign at the top read, “WARNING: POSITIVELY DO NOT OPEN,” and a crucifix was affixed nearby for protection. The case was blessed regularly by a Catholic priest, and the Warrens made it clear: no one was to touch the case, mock the doll, or treat her as a curiosity. The museum, as they described it, was not a showcase of artifacts; it was a containment zone for objects they believed were spiritually dangerous. And Annabelle was its most volatile resident. Ed Warren died in 2006, Lorraine in 2019, and after their deaths, Annabelle remained in the care of their son-in-law, Tony Spera. According to the New York Post article published on July 15, 2025, “In 2019, the museum closed to the public over zoning issues, and in recent years, they have toured around the US instead.” However, perhaps touring the country with a possessed doll wasn’t the greatest idea.
Annabelle’s case isn’t just a bizarre footnote in paranormal lore but a stark example of what happens when human curiosity crosses into forbidden territory. The line between fascination and spiritual danger is thinner than most people think
Flirting with Evil Is Not Harmless Curiosity
The Catholic Church has been blunt on this issue for centuries: do not engage with evil or attempt to communicate with it. The Church doesn’t take demons lightly because it understands their nature and knows they don’t play fair. Their goal is the destruction of body, mind, and soul.
Rivera’s death is not the first time a paranormal investigator has died while engaging in their work. In 2016, prominent demonologist Lorraine Warren warned publicly that even decades-old “cleansed” objects and locations still carried spiritual residue. In her words, the influence of evil does not simply go dormant, it waits.
Zak Bagans, host of Ghost Adventures, once had to close off a room in his Las Vegas museum containing what’s become known as a dybbuk box. Visitors reported nausea, blackouts, and even strokes after encountering it. One man died of a heart attack just hours after taunting the box on camera. The term “dybbuk box” refers to a modern, supposedly haunted object, often described as a wine cabinet that houses a malicious spirit rooted in Jewish folklore. Traditionally, a dybbuk is a dislocated soul believed to possess the living. However, the concept of trapping one in a box is a recent invention with no basis in authentic Jewish theology. The box was first popularized through a viral eBay listing and later sensationalized by paranormal media.
The Conjuring: A Fictional Mirror of a Spiritual Reality
Hollywood loves the Conjuring universe. Ghosts, demons, and haunted dolls are box office gold. But what people forget is that the source material isn’t fiction. These were real cases documented by the Warrens. And the “entertainment” factor trivializes the spiritual warfare at the heart of these phenomena.
This is where the deception lies. Evil often presents itself as fascinating and seductive—something to be conquered or controlled. But actual demonic entities are predatory. The more one invites them in, the greater the chance of a devastating outcome.
Dan Rivera’s Legacy: A Cautionary Tale
No one questions Rivera’s bravery or passion. But we must question the wisdom of his choices. Spiritual warfare is real. Whether Rivera’s death was directly supernatural or not is ultimately beside the point. The fact is, he died while immersed in the darkest corners of the supernatural, and he is far from the first.
The Church’s warnings aren’t outdated superstition: do not make a spectacle of evil. Do not exploit evil for entertainment. Some doors should stay shut.
Tantric Deception 