AMITYVILLE HORROR--FACT OR FICTION

 

Boooo, Happy Halloween! Here's a scary one for you. The Amityville Horror! Tell me what you think?

The address was 112 Ocean Ave., Amityville, NY and the scene  known as the Amityville Horror was one of the most famous-and chilling addresses in the United States. Years later, the address was changed to 108 Ocean Avenue. The Lutz family who'd purchased the house after the Defeo family murders swore the house was haunted. The most notable things they claimed were that of hearing voices and being attacked by a swarm of flies during the month of December. As a result, they fled after living there for 28 days.

Honestly, I can't imagine anyone buying that house. I know I wouldn't. I'm no psychic, but I remember years ago while viewing a house for sale with a realtor who told us the house was being sold after the husband died. He said nothing more, but I couldn't shake the feeling that the man did not die of natural causes when we walked past the wine cellar. I guess at that time, realtors did not have to disclose that it was a suicide and it took place in that wine cellar. I shudder just thinking about it.

Below is a picture of the Defeo residence:

 

At around 6:30 on the evening of November 13, 1974, 23-year-old Ronald DeFeo, Jr. known as Butch burst into Henry's Bar in Amityville, Long Island, New York and declared: "You got to help me! I think my mother and father are shot!" DeFeo and a small group of people went to 112 Ocean Avenue, which was located not far from the bar, and found that DeFeo's parents were indeed dead. One of the group, Joe Yeswit, made an emergency call to the Suffolk County Police, who searched the house and found that six members of the same family were dead in their beds.

 

A gruesome scene, the parents and four of the five children ranging in ages from 18 to 9 years were dead from gunshot wounds. The parents had both been shot twice--the father specifically shot in the torso that traveled to his heart. Although the children had all been killed with single shots., the parents were killed with two shots. An indication of anger.  It was later learned that the mother, Louise DeFeo and her daughter Allison were reportedly the only victims who were awakened by the gunfire at the time of the massacre. Allison, 18 years old at the time, was shot at close range when the barrel of the gun was placed at her temple, the bullet going in one side and out her ear on the opposite side. Other than the mother, all victims were on their stomachs, a clear indication the killer didn't want to see them looking at him.

 

 

 

 

 

Butch, the eldest son of the family was taken to the local police station for his own protection after suggesting to police officers at the scene of the crime that the killings had been carried out by a mob hit man named Louis Falini.

 

During the course of the investigation, the police learned from the school where Butch had been expelled, that he had a troubled childhood--fighting and loud shouting, drugs, etc. That's when police turned the investigation on him instead. The fact that he'd had  a contemptuous relationship with his father seemed to be consistent with his outbursts. But it wasn't just him, the siblings were treated poorly as well. The father had a fierce temper and frequently terrorized the family with his manner of punishment.

 

An interview with DeFeo at the station soon exposed serious inconsistencies in his version of events, and the following day he confessed to carrying out the killings himself. He told detectives: "Once I started, I just couldn’t stop. It went so fast."

 

DeFeo also admitted that afterward he had taken a bath, redressed, and discarded crucial evidence like blood-stained clothes, the Marlin rifle and cartridges on his way. Below is a picture of the entire family.

 

The defendant's attorney wanted Butch to go with an insanity plea, but Butch became angry going so far as to tell the attorney he would strangle him if he pushed the issue. Now, it was the attorney who feared for his life and his request to be recused was granted by the judge. Butch was then given a court-appointed attorney to handle the case.

 

His second attorney posed the same insanity plea to Butch, but in order for that plea to stick, they'd have to prove that the voices became too much and he lost it. But based on Butch's attitude during trial, it was obvious he had no remorse and opposing counsel destroyed that plea. The very fact that Butch had cleaned himself up after the murders, then hid everything outside in a sewerage drain wiped the slate clean and Butch DeFeo was convicted of six counts of second-degree murder and sentenced to 25 years to life. Now, forty years later, he still remains behind bars.

 

So, the question is, who do you believe? Was Butch an insane murderer or a calculating killer? Or was he possessed by a demon? Unfortunately, we may never know, but so long as he's still behind bars, I think we can all rest easy!