a means of spurring some interest (sales) in a book that, frankly, the house is large, much of its square footage comes from the The bed where Ron's 12 year-old brother, Mark died. the "Bloody Shoe Photo," the "Seventh Body Photo" Dawn's body didn't show any such evidence. After a night that particularly frightened two of the children, the Lutzes said they had called a priest they had been in contact with throughout the ordeal, who encouraged them to go somewhere else the following night, just to get some rest (since obviously none of them had been sleeping very well). 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. 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. In general, he spent most of his time doing drugs or drinking, getting into fights, and arguing with his parents. A scary movie about a haunted house that forced a family to flee after just a month, this film has inspired many people to seek out the real Long Island home behind the eerie tale. The John Sowden House The Mystery Of The Black Amityville Horror House The Scene Of The 1974 D Jay Sebring House A House Packed With History! At his trial, DeFeo claimed that "voices" in the house commanded him to kill. The existence of a second culprit has never been proven, although a documentary filmmaker claimed in 2012 that he had found new evidence supporting the theory. Now The Amityville Murders. (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. The Amityville Horror (1979); Amityville II: The Possession (1982) For more information pertaining to this case, please click here. On Nov. 13, 1974, 23-year-old Ronald Joseph DeFeo Jr. serious the shocking demonstration of killing his whole family as they rested in their home in Amityville, New York. But what transpired in his head is an entirely different nightmare. "It's a very tragic story," said Amityville resident Peter Stein. Her work has also been featured in Smithsonian and shes designed several book covers in her career as a graphic artist. And if there wasnt room for a spare bedroom, "I wouldn't go in there at night," Anthony Oldham said. This gives a great insight to how the house looked in 1974, compared to today, which you will be able to see later in the article. hence the black eye and bloody nose. Jay Anson's book, The Amityville Horror, was created using around 45 hours of audio recordings from . 2023 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. Its estimated that the whole thing took a mere 15 minutes from start to finish. The mysterious "7th body." For a decade a mystery has persisted as to why this photo is in the middle of the DeFeo crime scene negatives and the identity of the body. 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. 2018 | Maturity Rating: 16+ | Horror Movies. DeFeo is currently serving six consecutive sentences of 25 years to life. The bodies of Ron Defeo's parents, Ron, Sr. (rt) and Louise (lft) in their bedroom. (laundry area) This photo He reportedly told detectives, "Once I started, I just couldn't stop. He needed help to kill six people. Menu. They arrive at Kathy's mother's house, where they think they are safe. This is him pictured with his nephew Frank Aquilino, he would go on to be an actor who had a part in Goodfellas. February 24, 2023 | 3:17pm. 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. Then, he went about his day. DeFeo Murder Photos at the Amityville House, The Gods 2: The Dark Side (2023) - Movie Review, Watch the Trailer for Ray Romano's Directorial Debut in SOMEWHERE IN QUEENS, Discover the Dangers of Working the Night Shift in Trailer for HUNT HER KILL HER, Plunge Deep into the Branch Dividians Conflict with New Trailer for WACO: AMERICAN APOCALYPSE, Find Out Why You Can Never Go Back Home in New Trailer for THE WRAITH WITHIN, Take a Trip Back in Time with the New Trailer for BACK TO THE DRIVE-IN, Deadly Disneyland - When the Happiest Place on Earth Goes Rogue. In 1974, Butch DeFeo murdered six members of his family. Death bed of John Matthew, Ron Defeo's 9 year-old brother. And after DeFeo mentioned a notorious mob hitman who could have killed his family, police soon found out that the hitman was out of state. Ronald DeFeo, Jr.s lawyer, William Weber, has said that he met the Lutzes, who were interested in developing the demonism aspect of the case, reported the New York Times in 1992. They were George and Kathy Lutz and their children Daniel, 9, Christopher, 7 and Missy 5. She lived there until October 17, 1960, when John and Mary Riley bought the house. On November 21, 1975, DeFoe was found guilty of six counts of second-degree murder. 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. Incredibly boring, The Amityville Murders tells the true-ish story of the 1974 DeFeo murders. The identical positioning of the bodies is creepy enough in and of itself it suggests that all of the victims were arranged that way but there are more facts that make it all even creepier: The police determined that the rifle hadnt been fitted with a silencer, so the gunshots should hypothetically have woken the DeFeos up; however, there was no sign of a struggle, but nor was there any evidence that sedatives had been used to knock the victims out or keep them quiet all of which is incredibly weird. It went so fast." 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. Padover said that the gun was turned over to a crime lab immediately for a forensic ID. 2012 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. (Dennis Caruso/New York Daily News), A long line of mourners file past a row of the six caskets at St. Charles Cemetery in Amityville, New York as the family members were laid to rest after the horrific murder. final diagram is what I believe to be the layout of the DeFeo It seemed as if the family were kind, loving people. 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. In November of 1974, a 23-year-old man ran into a bar on Long Island and exclaimed to the patrons that his mother and father had been murdered, only for them to find that his entire family had been massacred in their picturesque colonial-style house. On the night of November 13, 1974, Ronald DeFeo, Jr. took a high-powered rifle and murdered his entire family as they slept. The Amityville Murders (2018) cast and crew credits, including actors, actresses, directors, writers and more. At his trial, DeFeo claimed that "voices" in the house commanded him to kill. The number two shows what appears to be a After the killing police said that DeFeo used a pillowcase to carry a rifle and other evidence that he took from the house and tossed it all in a storm drain. He reportedly told detectives, "Once I started, I just couldn't stop. The gun is still being examined, but with decay and a lack of a legible serial number it may be impossible to ever identify. The Amityville Murders takes an entirely separate tack to understanding the horror of the house by ending where most . Katzenbach claims that other details from the 1974 police report point to the possibility that someone else helped DeFeo kill his family. The actual footprint Thank you Helix for sponsoring! Ronald also later admitted that he took a bath and got dressed after committing the crime before running to the local bar. Peter DeFeo was the granduncle of Ronald Defeo Jr. Incredibly, there have been over a dozen films based on the murders released since then, but the 1979 movie starring James Brolin and Margot Kidder as George and Kathy Lutz remains perhaps the best known. (New York Daily News), Weapons taken from the DeFeo home are pictured here after DeFeo Jr. was taken into custody for the horrific murder of his six family members. Each member of the family was shot with .35 caliber lever action Marlin 336C rifle around 3:00 in the morning. On November 13, 1974, the property at 112 Ocean Avenue in Amityville, New York, was the scene of a gruesome mass-murder. John Matthew, Ron Defeo's 9 year-old brother. How it all began. The investigation, however, revealed that the murders had occurred in the morning at which point DeFeo began saying that Falini and an accomplice had shown up at the house the morning of Nov. 13, put a gun to his head, and forced him to watch them kill his family. The John Sowden House The Mystery Of The Black Dahlia! This story, however, also didnt hold up to scrutiny, and eventually, DeFeo confessed, saying, Once I started, I just couldnt stop. 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. was hoping for clarification in the second and third editions, 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. While the DeFeo parents were both shot twice, the children were only shot once, yet all were fatal. The couple was bogged down in legal and financial issues, which prompted skeptics to believe they had the motive to create a fantastical story to sell to the public. 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