Dan Rivera was the New England Society for Psychic Research's chief investigator.

The 54-year-old Army veteran and paranormal investigator was on the Gettysburg leg of the sold-out "Devils on the Run Tour" when tragedy struck. The sold-out tour generated social media attention and controversy. He led the viral "Devils on the Run Tour." Rivera was a beloved figure in the paranormal world, known for his warmth, wit, and dedication.

Rivera was well-known for his love of paranormal research and his compassionate character as a friend, husband, and father. He stressed the value of giving guests a good experience and described his precautions against the doll, which included creating a case for it that was stained with holy water and featured three crosses, which stand for the holy trinity.

Dan Rivera stated that the doll did not result in a 911 outage, even during the doll's initial public appearance the day before. According to Rivera, her advice on how to defend oneself against "evil spirits" was essentially meditation. She advised closing one's eyes and visualizing oneself in a white light halo.

According to biographies, Rivera had an "insatiable curiosity" about the paranormal from an early age, which prompted him to start his own paranormal investigation team following his time in the U.S. Army.