could have been taken inside the DeFeo residence. The Lutz family barely escapes 112 Ocean Ave. Now James Brolin memorably portrayed George Lutz in the 1979 film, real-life horror stories thatll make your skin crawl, 55 of historys creepiest pictures and the disturbing backstories behind them. Physical evidence at the scene suggests that his mother and 13-year-old sister Allison were awake at the time of their deaths. from the same crime scene, but the woman in the photo Still, no one expected that Ronald DeFeo Jr.s troubles would lead him to commit the Amityville Murders. are three pictures of the west third of the basement, while The murders were popularized in several novels and films, including The Amityville Horror: A True Story. The parents were killed first, having both been shot twice, while all four children were killed with single shots. (RED/AP Photo), A body of one DeFeo Jr.'s victims is removed from the house in Amityville, New York after police and investigators arrived on the scene. the west third. The body of Ron Defeo's sister, Dawn, 18. When asked, he told detectives he thought the murders may have been carried out by Louis Falini, a mafia hit man. The house as depicted in the Amityville horror movies. Murderer Ron, who's still alive and serving six 25-year-life sentences at a New York correctional facility, claimed he heard voices urging him to kill his family. But what transpired in his head is an entirely different nightmare. The house with the iconic double-windows, white siding, and chimney at 112 Ocean Avenue is the home to the one of the most horrific family massacres in history, as well as an . The Amityville Murders It was the middle of the night on Nov. 13, 1974, when 23-year-old Ronald DeFeo Jr. killed six of his relatives with a .35 caliber rifle while they were asleep: parents Louise and Ronald DeFeo Sr., siblings 18-year-old Dawn, 13-year-old . It all unfolded on Nov. 13, 1974, when 23-year-old Ronald DeFeo Jr. used a high-powered rifle to shoot and kill his parents, two younger sisters, and two younger brothers, while his victims lay sleeping in their beds. The "Amityville Horror" murders occurred exactly 40 years ago today. Still, though its impossible to talk about the alleged haunted house without talking about the murder, and vice versa. "It's a very tragic story," said Amityville resident Peter Stein. But of course, he didnt just kill his father. We may earn commission from links on this page, but we only recommend products we back. The answer may never be known. The Horrific True Story Of Ronald DeFeo Jr. And The Amityville Murders. final diagram is what I believe to be the layout of the DeFeo This is the story of the real Amityville Horror. These days, the haunted house story is largely believed to be a hoax, although for their part, George and Kathleen stuck to their guns about it throughout their entire lives. Ron Defeo's sister, Allison, 13. Then, check out 55 of historys creepiest pictures and the disturbing backstories behind them. When we talk about the Amityville Horror case, were really talking about two cases: The mass murders committed by Ronald DeFeo, Jr. in November of 1974, and the experiences Kathleen and George Lutz claimed to have had after they moved into the house where those murders took place in December of 1975. And about a year after the slaughter, a new family moved into the home where the murders took place. Here creepy facts about the Amityville Horror case. Furthermore, rigormortis sets in about two to three hours after death. However, the psychiatrist testifying for the prosecution successfully argued that DeFeo actually had antisocial personality disorder, which meant he would have been perfectly aware of what he was doing; he just had no regard for what was right or wrong. Instead, much of their money came from Louises father, Michael Brigante, who purchased the familys home for them, allowing them to move out of their small Brooklyn apartment. It went so fast." . The house would later become entangled in the Amityville horror imbroglio which was featured in the Hollywood movie, The Amityville Horror. According to an interview George Lutz gave to Ghost Village in 2005 one of his last major interviews before his death in 2006 they didnt realize at the time that when they headed out the door, they would never come back; We didnt get up to leave that morning, you need to understand that, Lutz said. I guess the Amityville Horror really is supposed to be me, DeFeo once said. This photo was definitely Other, less paranormal explanations include it being an accidentally captured image of a member of the investigation team, or just someone speedy enough to play a good trick. You dont need Photoshop to convincingly fake a ghost photo. Front row: Dawn and Ronald Jr. On the outside, the DeFeos appeared to live happy lives on Long Island during the early 1970s. Well where is it in the photo? Eventually, on July 7th, the judge assigned William Weber to act as Ronnie DeFeo's attorney. (laundry area) This photo There have been 14 movies made based on the murders, with the first and most famous film, "The Amityville Horror," being released in 1979. Burns, Marie. George and Kathy Lutz and their three children, Daniel, Christopher and Missy , move into their new home, "High Hopes", on Ocean Avenue, in the affluent village of Amityville, New York. New evidence suggests that there could have been a second shooter. The Amityville Horror House has been the subject of over twenty movies, and a number of different books and documentaries. "People are very creative and the Internet allows them to pull up items that they think are facts, when in fact, they're not facts," said Detective Lt. Gerard Pelkofsky, Homicide Chief for the Suffolk County Police Department. Ronald DeFeo during an interview in 2014. Oldham said that the murders were an "open and shut case," but documentary film maker Ryan Katzenbach begs to differ. Because of marital problems, the Rileys divorced and sold the house to the DeFeos on June 28, 1965. Shattered Hopes is a multi-part docudrama based on The Night the DeFeos Died and released in late 2011. (Richard Drew/ASSOCIATED PRESS) Ronald . He's seen here leaving a hearing on Nov. 15, 1974 where he was ordered to be held without bail on one count of second-degree murder. February 27, 2012 / 11:49 PM Scroll down to view the Amityville House murder photos where the entire Defeo family was murdered by Ron Defeo (but be forewarned, it is quite gruesome. In four parts, "The Making of a Haunting: The Amityville Murders" covers the true history behind the scary stories told in the book and film series The Amityville Horror. Indeed, Osuna did not feel the body in this photo was that of a seventh victim, but rather one of the DeFeos repositioned. On November 13, 1974, the estate was the scene of mass murder. No part(s) of this site may be duplicated or used without permission. By the next day, Ronald DeFeo Jr. had confessed to the crime. he actually thinks that the picture of the couch (taken on 11-13-74) Since the grisly murders, the story has been published in books and movies with varying accounts. The insanity plea was supported by the psychiatrist for the defense, Dr. Daniel Schwartz. On the Nov. 13, 1974, 23-year-old Ronald Joseph DeFeo Jr. committed the grisly act of murdering his entire family as they slept in their home in Amityville, New York. is Dawn DeFeo. (Bettmann/Getty Images), Ronald DeFeo Jr. is currently held in the Sullivan Correctional Facility in Fallsburg, New York. walls. 2023 BDG Media, Inc. All rights reserved. Im the one they say who did it, Im the one thats supposed to be possessed by the devil.. the east third had the pool table, a TV, a couch, and several He was taken into the local police station for protection, where he told them he believed it was a mob hit. His defence lawyer, William Weber, mounted an affirmative defence of insanity. The Amityville Horror House as it looked in 1974, the year of the murders. But there also might not have been; the jurys still out on this one. Butch was also bullied at school for being overweight, with kids calling him names like Pork Chop and The Blob. By his teenage years, he had lost most of that weight through his use of amphetamines, which he had come to rely on, along with alcohol, as a coping mechanism. Their Dutch Colonial home had a swimming pool and a nearby boat dock. In the fall of 1974 troubled teenager Ronald DeFeo Jr. is slowly driven mad by an . On August 30, 1976, the Lutz family returned the house to Columbia Savings and Loan. On the night of November 13, 1974, Ronald DeFeo, Jr. took a high-powered rifle and murdered his entire family as they slept. Ronald DeFeo Jr., the Long Island man serving a life sentence for slaughtering his parents and four siblings . While the infamous house was on the market for $850,000 in 2016 after last being sold for significantly more in 2010, it was sold for $605,000 - over $200,000 less than its initial asking price - in February 2017. The following year, Amityville builder Jesse Perdy constructed the five-bedroom, three-bathroom Dutch Colonial house that still stands there today. Neighbors told CBS 2's Jennifer McLogan that they remain spooked by the infamous house. In other words, Weber said, it was a hoax.. The most financially successful film was released in 2005 and starred Ryan Reynolds. DeFeo began trial on Oct. 14, 1975 where his lawyer mounted a case claiming that he was insane and killed his family in self-defense from the voices in his head. . (Anonymous/AP Photo), On Nov. 21, 1975, DeFeo was found guilty on six counts of second-degree murder, and a few weeks later, he was sentenced to six concurrent sentences of 25 years to life. She lived there until October 17, 1960, when John and Mary Riley bought the house. In support of his motion, DeFeo asserted that Dawn and an unknown assailant, who fled the house before he could get a good look at him, killed their parents and Dawn subsequently killed their siblings. By Greg Evans. / CBS New York. Her work has also been featured in Smithsonian and shes designed several book covers in her career as a graphic artist. Would you like to make this site your homepage? The Amityville Horror House as it looked in 1974, the year of the murders. The body of Ron's 12 year-old brother, Mark. If "This crime did not happen the way it is commonly accepted," he said. not from the same crime scene, although, according to Ric, they are not only View of the home of Ronald DeFeo Sr.,the car salesman, his wife, two daughters and two sons were found shot to death on Nov. 14 1974. Paul Hawthorne/Getty ImagesThe Amityville Horror House at 112 Ocean Avenue in Amityville, New York, where the Amityville Murders took place. How it all began. of police misconduct, possibly as part of an attempt to frame Over the years, the name Amityville has conjured up images of murder and the supernatural, with the infamous house's formerly triangular-eyed windows casting a shadow on countless posters, movies and books covers. DeFeo initially claimed to the police that the murders had likely been a mob hit, and his act was apparently so convincing that he was taken to a local station for protection. Thirteen months later, the Lutz family purchased the home at a drastically reduced price of $80,000 (due to the murders) but only lasted 28 days before leaving it. The Story Of Claw Shaw, The Only Person Ever Put On Trial For JFK's Assassination, 23 Chilling Photos Taken By History's Most Depraved Serial Killers Before And After They Killed Their Victims, What Stephen Hawking Thinks Threatens Humankind The Most, 27 Raw Images Of When Punk Ruled New York, Join The All That's Interesting Weekly Dispatch, Listen above to the History Uncovered podcast, episode 50: The Amityville Murders, also available on. While viewing the DeFeo crime scene negatives, Osuna noted that there were . To be fair, I cant really blame them; for one thing, it probably makes it feel a little less spooky to live there, and for another, it likely makes it more difficult for dark tourists to hunt down the house and hound the occupants. Was there a second shooter? George Lutz, his wife Kathy, and their three children stayed at the residence for just 28 days before fleeing the property in terror claiming that the house was haunted by the spirits of the deceased DeFeos. (Dan Godfrey/New York Daily News), A police department diver enters the swimming pool at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Ronald DeFeo in Amityville, N.Y. on Nov. 14, 1974, where they were searching for the gun used to kill the entire DeFeo family. While the infamous house was on the market for $850,000 in 2016 after last being sold for significantly more in 2010, it was sold for $605,000 - over $200,000 less than its initial asking price - in February 2017. wasn't selling too well. In the New York village of Amityville sits arguably the most infamous murder-scene house to have ever stood. So, I decided to look into this matter further. The Amityville Horror is a book by American author Jay Anson, published in September 1977. AMITYVILLE HORROR" IS A REGISTERED TRADEMARK, UNAUTHORIZED USE IS A VIOLATION Starring: John Robinson, Chelsea Ricketts, Paul Ben-Victor. It went so fast.. He and his father continued to fight frequently Butch once pulled a gun on Ronald Sr. and although Butch was technically employed at his familys dealership, he rarely showed up to work and left early when he did. The Amityville Murders (2018) cast and crew credits, including actors, actresses, directors, writers and more. And if there wasnt room for a spare bedroom, "It's a very tragic story," said Amityville resident Peter Stein. Regardless, his requests for parole have all been denied. Expand. He was taken into the local police station for protection, where he told them he believed it was a mob hit. Lived with his family in the Amityville house in the late 1970s, during the Cromarty's ownership period. three pictures to go on, it was difficult to visualize the exact According to deeds and information compiled by the Amityville Historical Society, the Ocean Avenue property had once been farmland belonging to the Irelands, one of Amityvilles most prominent and influential families. It went so fast.". link at the bottom of the page, which will take you to a thread All rights reserved. Its estimated that the whole thing took a mere 15 minutes from start to finish. He has tried to file motions to go back to court, but they have all been denied. At around 6.30 PM, on the evening of November 13, 1974, Ronald DeFeo Jr. walked into Henrys Bar in Amityville, Long Island, New York, and declared You got to help me! it was apparent that there couldnt have been room for a After learning the true story of the Amityville Murders, read more real-life horror stories thatll make your skin crawl. Here are some of the weirder aspects of both of these cases. In picture C, the photographer After moving into the Amityville house less than a year after the murders, the Lutz family reportedly experienced terrifying paranormal events at the home. stripe painted on a spout. Evidence like a photograph of a pillow case found in a trash can next to the canal. The furniture from the previous owners is . The body of Ron's 12 year-old brother, Mark. how the top of the baseboard heater bends outward, and also note The Amityville Murders This quiet suburban street looks like a normal New York suburb but Lutz family who were the main characters in The Amityville Horror book went through hell in their newly purchased dream home. The FBI definition of a serial murder is the unlawful killing of two or more victims by the same offender(s), in separate events but the DeFeo murders occurred during the same event, not separate ones. This is their story. They passed. Biography and associated logos are trademarks of A+E Networksprotected in the US and other countries around the globe. Ronald DeFeo Jr., the notorious killer at the "Amityville Horror" house a dwelling whose mystique continues to fascinate the public in the wake of a subsequent book and film franchise . Listen above to the History Uncovered podcast, episode 50: The Amityville Murders, also available on Apple and Spotify. Katzenbach said that the missing gun is the one that his team pulled out of the canal. DeFeo killed his parents, Ronald DeFeo, Sr. and Louise DeFeo, and his four younger siblings, Dawn, 18, Allison, 13, Marc, 12, and John Matthew, 9. Burkin, Lucy. The body was that of what appeared to be a female. The John Sowden House The Mystery Of The Black Dahlia! but no such luck. only do the tops not bend outward, but the openings are much larger Their spine-tingling tales of paranormal activity are what propelled the legend of the Amityville Horror and spawned a torrent of books, documentaries and films. DeFoe is currently housed at the Sullivan Correctional Facility in Fallsburg, New York. According to Zillow, the house sold for $605,000 in February of 2017. Here The back of the house looking down to the boathouse. "I wouldn't go in there at night," Anthony Oldham said. On November 13, 1974, the property at 112 Ocean Avenue in Amityville, New York, was the scene of a gruesome mass-murder. In 1974, Butch DeFeo murdered six members of his family. Photo: Getty Images. The owners of the Amityville Horror House have had to put up with tourists, ghost hunters, and all sorts of other folks trying to find the property. According to some sources, it was still in the exact same places it had been the night of the murders. Over the years he has changed his account of the murders numerous times. Burch, Frank. At his trial, DeFeo claimed tha. 2023 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. When The Amityville Murders. "How could a person walk through a three-story Dutch colonial and shoot six different victims, on two separate levels and no one got out of bed, no one put up a struggle?" He told the police, Once I started, I just couldnt stop. The Amityville Horror House today has undergone quite the transformation, it has even changed address from 112 Ocean Drive to 108 Ocean Drive in an attempt to stop people from visiting the house. This was followed by many sequels and other movies that had no connection to the original movie other than its reference to the town of Amityville. At his trial, DeFeo claimed that . Sometimes, truth really is stranger than fiction. At his trial, DeFeo claimed that "voices" in the house commanded him to . While There was no window of that size or position in the basement, not help illustrate this, look in the lower left corner of picture (Here are selected photos on this topic, but full relevance is not guaranteed.) The grave of the DeFeo family at Saint Charles Cemetery. The last time the house went up for sale (the summer of 2016, for the curious), Jerry ONeill, owner of realty firm Coldwell Banker Harbor Light, told the Washington Post that it has been owned by four different families in the decades since the murders, one of which asked that the address be changed. Since being convicted, DeFeo has changed his story multiple times. Like the "Bloody Shoe Photo," the "Seventh Body Photo" is another picture in Ric Osuna's book "The Night the DeFeos Died" which seems to be included (in a later edition) as a means of spurring some interest (sales) in a book that, frankly, wasn't selling too well. He remained in prison until the day he died at age 69 in 2021. the bed she was also killed in, however, the photo shows no evidence of blood or DeFeo killed his parents, Ronald DeFeo, Sr. and Louise DeFeo, and his four younger siblings, Dawn, 18, Allison, 13, Marc, 12, and John Matthew, 9. The first photo below is a crime scene When John and Catherine Moynahan died, their daughter, Eileen Fitzgerald, moved in with her own family. Inside the house, there were life-sized portraits of the family hung on the walls. DeFeo killed his parents, Ronald DeFeo, Sr. what's more Louise DeFeo, and his four more youthful kin, Dawn, 18, Allison, 13, Marc, 12, and John Matthew, 9. The Amityville franchise is a series of films and books that are about a certain Haunted House (and later other objects associated with it) that resides in 112 Ocean Avenue, Amityville. He has tried to file motions to go back to court, but they have all been denied. (Richard Drew/AP Photo), On the Nov. 13, 1974, 23-year-old Ronald Joseph DeFeo Jr. committed the grisly act of murdering his entire family as they slept in their home in Amityville, New York. On their arrival, a search of the house confirmed the worst every member of the Defeo family, save for Butch, were dead. NOT taken at 112 Ocean Ave. and the woman in the photo is definitely NOT one of But police quickly determined that the bodies had been shot sometime in the early morning, well before DeFeo would have gone to work. Because Im the one that got convicted of killing my family. Oct 15, 2016 at 11:23 am. He died while serving his sentence 25 years to life at Sullivan Correctional Facility in New York on March 12, 2021, according to Newsday. is another picture in Ric Osuna's book "The Night the DeFeos Now, its worth noting that ghost photos are easily faked; indeed, spirit photography has been within the purview of con artists since its beginnings in early 1860s, when it was discovered that a ghostly effect could be achieved with a simple in-camera technique called double exposure. After committing the crime, DeFeo ran to a nearby bar where he screamed for help, claiming that he didn't know who shot his parents. Katzenbach claims that other details from the 1974 police report point to the possibility that someone else helped DeFeo kill his family. Look back at the grisly murders that shook the nation and spawned a pop cultural phenomenon. The Amityville Horror (1979); Amityville II: The Possession (1982) "Ghosts and demons never dwelled in the Amityville house," says author Ric Osuna. Husband and wife Ronald DeFeo, Sr. and Louise DeFeo had both been shot twice with a .35 caliber Marlin 336C rifle; the four children, meanwhile Dawn, Allison, Marc, and John Matthew were each shot once. So, the west third A newspaper article from the time of the murders. He would later be sentenced to six consecutive sentences of 25 years to life in prison. In 1977, Jay Ansons book The Amityville Horror was released. The Lutzes repeatedly denied that their story was a hoax; additionally, Daniel Lutz, who was 9 when his mother and stepfather moved their family into the house, maintained in a 2013 documentary that what the Lutzes said they experienced while living there absolutely happened possibly because George dabbled in the occult. If you do not like such things, please move on.) Juror on the Ronnie DeFeo murder trial; excused halfway through. The DeFeos Were All Found In The Same Position. . This is their story. For decades, The Amityville Horror has captivated audiences. This is him pictured with his nephew Frank Aquilino, he would go on to be an actor who had a part in Goodfellas. While fleeing Amityville, they are attacked, but got away. After an interview with Ronald exposed some inconsistencies in his story, he eventually confessed to the murders. NEW YORK DAILY NEWS. Here, police remove one of the bodies from the home the following night. On the Nov. 13, 1974, 23-year-old Ronald Joseph DeFeo Jr. committed the grisly act of murdering his entire family as they slept in their home in Amityville, New York. Some of the few Amityville movies that have been released over the years. Christopher Quarantino, Daniel's brother, said to the Seattle Times in 2005 when the remake of the original film was released that the haunting wasn't a hoax, but had been greatly exaggerated by George. to mention that the wood paneling is not the same color or pattern. Here, we meet Ronnie (Paul Ben-Victor: Tombstone 1993, Daredevil 2003) and Louise (Diane Franklin: Amityville II: The Possession 1982, Better Off Dead 1985) DeFeo and their family.There are the two eldest children, 24-year-old son Butch (John Robinson: Lords . He also turned the gun on his mother, Louise DeFeo. The book is based on the 28-day period during December 1975 and January 1976 when George and Kathy Lutz and their three children lived at 112 Ocean Avenue. spare bedroom, I wanted to be sure. look in the lower right corner of picture Byou can see The gun is still being examined, but with decay and a lack of a legible serial number it may be impossible to ever identify. It seems to show a small boy with glowing eyes in the doorway to the left of the frame, even though there were no children in the house at the time. Starring: John Robinson, Chelsea Ricketts, Paul Ben-Victor. In 1979, the film-adaptation of The Amityville Horror was released, it became the highest-grossing independent film of all time, holding the record until 1990. The Real 'Amityville Horror': Chilling Facts About the Crime and Haunted House, Idaho Murders: What Led Police to Bryan Kohberger, Your Privacy Choices: Opt Out of Sale/Targeted Ads. DeFeo actually reported the murders himself, initially telling police that when he arrived home from work the evening of Nov. 13., he discovered that someone had broken into the house and killed every member of his family. Most often, he took his anger and frustration out on his eldest child, Ronald DeFeo Jr., who usually went by Butch. And as Butch grew up, he struggled to find any common ground with his father, according to Biography. B, the photographer is facing southeast. A team of underwater archeologists, hired by Katzenbach, have found a gun in the canal behind the house. (Robert Rosamilio/New York Daily News), Hundreds attended the funeral for the DeFeo family as six caskets filled the aisel of St. Martin of Tours Catholic Church in Amityville, during Mass of the Resurrection. On his way to work, he threw the evidence including the gun into a storm drain. If you find that some photos violates copyright or have unacceptable properties, please inform us about it. All six victims were found lying face-down in their beds. The Amityville Murders takes an entirely separate tack to understanding the horror of the house by ending where most . The Amityville Murders is probably the BEST telling of the Defeo Murders that took place in November of 1974. this is truly the bed she was originally found in, then my guess is that this is The woman in the photo appears to have been beaten up, I think my mother and father are shot!. photo from the basement of the DeFeo home and shows what the basement looked In the meantime, DeFeo made multiple attempts to free himself, growing increasingly resentful of the attention he received in prison. In 1990, Ronald DeFeo Jr. filed a 440 motion, a proceeding to have his conviction vacated. CAST: John Robinson, Chelsea Ricketts, Paul Ben-Victor. Died" which seems to be included (in a later edition) as 2000; High Hopes (book), 1981; Murder in Amityville (book), 1979; The Night the DeFeos Died (book), 2002 . Authorities had no idea how all six victims had died in their sleep without a struggle. A police department diver enters the swimming pool at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Ronald DeFeo in Amityville, N.Y. on Nov. 14, 1974, where they were searching for the gun used to kill the entire DeFeo family. Jim and Barbara Cromarty sat by the pool in 1979. The bedroom of Ronald DeFeo, you can see the distinctive eye window(s) which were later removed from the house. The real-life horror story began on November 13, 1974, when a 23-year-old man named Ronald DeFeo Jr. fatally shot his parents and his four younger siblings while they were asleep in their home in Amityville, New York. Hearst Magazine Media, Inc. Site contains certain content that is owned A&E Television Networks, LLC. The actual footprint Just a month after his conviction, the Lutzes moved into the house, and, well as they tell it, things didnt exactly go as planned. Ronald DeFeo Sr. and Louise DeFeo had both been shot twice, and their children had been shot one time each. I Katzenbach maintains that evidence was overlooked once the police found a suspect and got a confession. He then went to work as usual. Other paranormal activity: A nearby garage door opening and closing; an invisible spirit knocking a knife down in the kitchen; a pig-like creature with red eyes staring down at George and his son Daniel from a window; George waking up to wife Kathy levitating off their bed; sons Daniel and Christopher also levitating together in their beds. (Dan Godfrey/ New York Daily News), A Suffolk County policeman uses mine detector as he sweeps through dead leaves of the Amityville home. According to The New York Times, one of their neighbors described them as a nice, normal family.. For one thing, there were still mysteries surrounding the case. The sunroom was recently added to the back of the house.
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