Our worst nightmares may have come true in 2025 when Annabelle, the haunted doll, was rumored to have gone missing. Most horror fans already know that the doll inspired the figurine from The Conjuring films and their spinoffs Annabelle. To make matters even worse this year, paranormal investigator Dan Rivera, who helped lead the “Devils on the Run Tour” featuring Annabelle with the New England Society for Psychic Research, mysteriously died on July 13 at the age of 54.
So, is Annabelle real, and is she actually haunted?
Learn all about Annabelle’s story and what allegedly happened to her in 2025.
Is the Annabelle Doll Real?
Yes, Annabelle is real. She does not look anything like the doll from The Conjuring or the Annabelle movies, though. Instead of a porcelain, wide-eyed, pig-tailed figurine with angular, rosy cheeks, the real Annabelle is a Raggedy Ann doll with the brand’s iconic red hair, a white and multi-patterned dress and a face with wide-set eyes and a triangle nose.
Is Annabelle Really Haunted?
If you believe in the supernatural, yes — Annabelle was declared demonically possessed in the 1970s by Ed and Lorraine Warren. According to the late paranormal investigators, a student nurse was given the doll, and it exhibited odd and inexplicable behavior. After taking it to a psychic, the student was told that it was possessed by a spirit named Annabelle. Despite all attempts to nurture the doll, the student couldn’t handle the alleged eerie behavior, and the Warrens kept the doll locked inside a glass case.
We can relax folks…the Annabelle doll is safely secured back at the Warren Occult Museum. 🫣#AnnabelleDollMissing pic.twitter.com/sq1KTdgrTQ
— Countdown City Geeks (@CCG_Podcast) May 24, 2025
Where Is Annabelle?
Annabelle had lived inside the Warrens’ Occult Museum in Connecticut, which comedian Matt Rife claimed he purchased in August 2025. To this day, she is kept inside a glass case. In July 2025, she was at the Soldiers National Orphanage by Ghostly Images of Gettysburg Tours in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, for the “Devils on the Run Tour.”
Annabelle is scheduled to appear in Rock Island, Illinois, on October 4 and October 5, 2025, as part of the “Devils on the Run Tour.”
Did Annabelle Go Missing in 2025?
No, Annabelle never went missing, despite social media rumors that exploded in May 2025. Paranormal investigator Rivera debunked the rumors by appearing in a social media clip, showing that Annabelle was intact and still in her glass case.
“I just wanna show you guys that Annabelle in the Warrens’ Occult Museum, and let’s check,” Rivera said while recording the inside of the Warrens’ Occult Museum. “Annabelle’s not missing,” Rivera added while filming the doll in its display case.
A social media user who shared Rivera’s clip to Facebook captioned their post, “Some wild and crazy internet rumors this morning claiming that we lost Annabelle. She/it is NOT lost and here’s Dan Rivera with NESPR proving she is back home inside the museum in Connecticut.. for now. And no, Annabelle is not supposed to be in Chicago.”
Dan Rivera’s Cause of Death
The cause of death for Rivera was officially confirmed in early September 2025. The Adams County coroner ruled his passing cardiac-related and natural, consistent with his known history of heart issues. No foul play was suspected.
“Mr. Rivera had a known history of cardiac issues, which were consistent with the findings,” Francis Dutrow, the Adams County coroner, said.
TMZ previously reported that Rivera informed his coworkers he was feeling ill the day he died.
Was Annabelle Near Dan Rivera When He Died?
No, Annabelle was not in the Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, hotel room where Rivera was found dead. The Adams County Coroner also added, “It is also confirmed that Annabelle was not present in the room at the time of his passing.”