NationStates Jolt Archive

On Novemeber 13th of 1974, Ronald DeFeo Jr. used his marlin rifle to kill his family. Mother, father, both brothers and both sisters. What happened soon after that would not only turn a small New York town upside down, but cause another family to flee from the house in horror.

A year after the murders, the Lutz family moved into 112 (now 108) Ocean Ave. They claim that they only stayed for 28 days. After they fled from the house, they contacted Ronald's attorney. Exactly what they talked about was never disclose, but both the attorney and the Lutzs have their own verison of the story. Whatever happened between them prompted the Lutz to go public with their story. This caused a whirlwind of media coverage. News station all around the area, and the country came to the small town of Amityville to see the famous horror house. The Lutz soon wrote a book with Jay Anson, titled "The Amityville Horror." This book was turned into a movie, and 8 sequels followed, including a 2005 remake of the original "The Amityville Horror". During this time, Stephen Kaplan, a self proclaimed vampireologist went to see the house, but was turned away by George Lutz. The Lutzs then contacted Ed and Lorraine Warren, who did an invesigation of the house and found it to be haunted. However, Ed and Lorraine creditibility as paranormal experts was called into questions.

Soon after the whirlwind, the Lutz sold the house, and all of their possession except for a few items and moved to California. Today George is still doing tours telling his story about the Amityville Horror. Not only has the murder of six people turned the small town upside down, but the infamous Lutz's story and the media coverage did it's damage too.

So, what really did happen that night Ronald DeFeo Jr. killed his family? Was he really "Possessed" by demons? Was there anyone else involved in the murders, if so, who? Did the fact that the DeFeo's were a dysfunctional family play into the murders? Also, how creditable is the Lutz's story? The fact that no one ever saw the Lutz's habiat the house speaks volume for itself. Did the Lutz's buy the house, full well knowing that it was a crime scene and decide to profit off of it? I think it's important before we start discussing this is to list the facts.

Facts
Ronald DeFeo Jr. did kill his family members on Novemember 13, 1974.
He is now serving six back to back life sentances.
A year later the Lutzs did buy the house.
About a year after, the Lutzs decide to sell the house.
The Warrens and the Kaplans were both invited to see the house.
George and Kathy Lutzs did take and pass a lie detector test.

Above are known facts, the rest, either pure speculations or part of the stories that cannot be verified. However it is intriging to know that Ronald DeFeo Jr. never cough up to committing the crime, and that he keeps on changing his story.

Discuss! :)

It was the 70's...

Ahh I'll leave it to Hunter S. Thompson (aka. Raoul Duke):

We had two bags of grass, seventy-five pellets of mescaline, five sheets of high-powered blotter acid, a saltshaker half-full of cocaine, and a whole multi colored collection of uppers, downers, laughers, screamers... Also, a quart of tequila, a quart of rum, a case of beer, a pint of raw ether, and two dozen amyls. Not that we needed all that for the trip, but once you get into a serious drug collection, the tendency is to push it as far as you can. The only thing that really worried me was the ether. There is nothing in the world more helpless and irresponsible and depraved than a man in the depths of an ether binge, and I knew we'd get into that rotten stuff pretty soon.

http://www.snopes.com/horrors/ghosts/amityville.asp

http://www.snopes.com/horrors/ghosts/amityville.asp

Snopes isn't always right.

Snopes isn't always right.

http://www.snopes.com/computer/internet/snopes.asp

http://www.snopes.com/computer/internet/snopes.asp

The URL doesn't work.

The URL doesn't work.

Indeed. Suspicious, ain't it? Almost as if they have something to hide.

Indeed. Suspicious, ain't it? Almost as if they have something to hide.

X-files theme song plays

Worked fine for me. Probably because I don't believe in ghosts and the like, which now that I think about it kinda sucks; I can't go and become a Ghostbuster now:(

Worked fine for me. Probably because I don't believe in ghosts and the like, which now that I think about it kinda sucks; I can't go and become a Ghostbuster now:(

Of course you can still become a ghost buster, you just got to send $500 to the offical Ghost Buster School in California! They share the same building of the Scienctology freaks!

I think it was just a case of they bought a house they couldn't afford, so after a night drinking and talking shite hit upon the idea of cashing in on the whole 'demon-exorcist-haunting' craze that was going on at that time.

I think it was just a case of they bought a house they couldn't afford, so after a night drinking and talking shite hit upon the idea of cashing in on the whole 'demon-exorcist-haunting' craze that was going on at that time.

That could be the case, most of the house in Amityville are expensive, and I do mean expensive.

That could be the case, most of the house in Amityville are expensive, and I do mean expensive.

One of the claims tossed at the Lutzs was they made up the story to draw interest on their house in an attempt to sell it....

What I find amazing was that George and Kathy were the only one that actually spoke for the family, we would rarely hear from the children. Also another intresting note, 30 years later George is still sticking to his story. Kathy did too, but she died in 2004.

What I find amazing was that George and Kathy were the only one that actually spoke for the family, we would rarely hear from the children. Also another intresting note, 30 years later George is still sticking to his story. Kathy did too, but she died in 2004.
Well, he is still making money from telling the story, so he does have a reason to keep the pretence going.
Also, after 30 years of telling it, I wouldn't be surprised if he doesn't now believe it did all happen.

Well, he is still making money from telling the story, so he does have a reason to keep the pretence going.
Also, after 30 years of telling it, I wouldn't be surprised if he doesn't now believe it did all happen.

That's true, and I think it's worthy to note that other resident of the famous house haven't had any problems, well, ghost wise. Looky loo's and people tresspassing on PRIVATE property is another thing.

You know, I find it sad that the Lutzs story covered up the real horror of Amityville, the murder of the DeFeos.

Yeah, the Defoes murder is a way more interesting story than a bunch of crap about leaky plumbing and doors that wouldn't shut properly.

George Lutz has admitted to making up the story in the past, although his deceased wife Kathy, never did.
He has also re-canted his story, and currently maintains the events did indeed happen.

The children, now all grown, all refuse to have anything to do with the story, and insist George is not being fully forthcoming with all the events, even if they dont outright call him a liar.

Ronald DeFeo however, has admitted to certain events, and insists that there were never any demonic forces at play, or any other supernatural nonsense concerning the murders.

The onlt true mysteries surounding the Amityville house, is the story of those murders, and wether or not Ronald DeFeo had any accomplices.
Detectives believe he did, as every one of the victims was face down, and prone, even though several gunshots would have been heard previous to almost all the murders.
This implies they were held down, and killed execution-style.

The surving sister has been implicated, but Defeo has not come clean, and so far, still refuses to do so.


Sadly, the hauntings were faked, to get the Lutzes out of a home they couldnt afford, when George's business was failing.

Okay, the lawer for the crazy guy admited(after the trial) that he had made the story up to try to get his client off. He also admited that he had paid the family to buy the house and say it is haunted. Then he recanted, then admited again and recanted again. I don't beleive it becuase the only people that claim anything happend were the family(#1) that lived there just after the dead family(original).
No family after said family #1 has had anything happen.
I don't believe it.