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DeFeo Jr. changed his alibi several times, from claiming he was at the bar during the time of the murders to mob hitman Louis Falini killing his family while forcing DeFeo Jr. to watch. He eventually confessed that he gunned his own family down, and stood trial on Oct. 14, 1975. It was this claim, and the murders themselves, that spawned the notion that 112 Ocean Avenue itself was haunted — and that the DeFeo family as a whole were victims of the house. However, a look at DeFeo Jr.'s life provides an alternative reading of the events.
The Amityville Horror True Story
Early on the morning of Nov. 13, 1974, a 23-year-old auto mechanic named Ronald DeFeo took a high-powered rifle and killed all six members of his family — two parents and four siblings — as they lay drugged in their beds. George’s stepson, Christopher Quaratino, who was 7 when he lived in the house, came forward in 2005 to say that events in “The Amityville Horror” books and movies had been stretched to the point of fiction. Many people expressed doubts about their horror story, which fell under even more scrutiny after DeFeo’s defense attorney, William Weber, admitted he and the couple came up with the tale over several bottles of wine.
What Happened To The Real Amityville Horror House?
Numerous other films, documentaries and books were created about the Amityville house, and that’s why all future owners of the property had trouble keeping people away. Listen to this week's episode of our haunted house podcast, Dark House, for exclusive ghost stories and insights into the home's twisted history. The cliche became so pervasive that people tend to ascribe it even to stories that don't contain that element.
The Real 'Amityville Horror': Chilling Facts About the Crime and Haunted House - Biography.com
The Real 'Amityville Horror': Chilling Facts About the Crime and Haunted House.
Posted: Wed, 14 Oct 2020 07:00:00 GMT [source]
Movie #3 That Made the Amityville Horror: The Amityville Horror (
In an interview with Newsday the following year, the Cromartys revealed just how bad the situation had gotten, saying that because so many “visitors” came late at night, they were barely sleeping. The home’s horror house reputation even followed 14-year-old Joyce Cromarty to school, where classmates harassed her and asked repeatedly if she’d seen any ghosts since moving in. "Our critics are people who've never been in the house, just people who read a book," Lutz told The Washington Post in 1979. The story of what happened to the Lutz family over 28 harrowing days in December 1975 and January 1976 has been retold many times and has morphed slightly with every telling.
With five bedrooms, three and a half bathrooms, and a boathouse on a canal off the Long Island Sound, the house can command a high price and attract wealthy buyers. To this day, countless people still seek to get inside the Amityville Horror house just to get a taste of its supposed terrors. It has changed hands for decades, with nothing but price fluctuations and a change in address serving as notable incidents. But even after the Amityville Horror house's address changed, the public fascination never let up. Though attorney William Weber tried to enter an insanity plea, the prosecution argued DeFeo Jr. was a mere drug addict who was well aware of what he was doing that night.
Beset upon by illness after his encounter with the haunted home, Mancuso is even paired with a law officer, just like the priests in The Exorcist, in this case the character of Suffolk County Sergeant Gionfriddo. The film also clearly felt the priest was a crucial part of the story, casting Academy Award-winner Rod Steiger as Father Francis 'Frank' Delaney. The book wasn't just a bestseller; it also had the benefit of being "based on a true story," while having the cinematic narrative propulsion Anson added through his years of experience in the film industry. As Anson's eventual The Amityville Horror stresses, money was tight for the Lutz family.
'The Amityville Horror' is a solid horror flick - Lock Haven Express
'The Amityville Horror' is a solid horror flick.
Posted: Wed, 09 Aug 2023 07:00:00 GMT [source]
Talking about their experiences subsequently, they reported that it was as if they "were each living in a different house". On November 13, 1974, Ronald DeFeo Jr. shot and killed six members of his family at 112 Ocean Avenue, a large Dutch Colonial house situated in a suburban neighborhood in Amityville, on the south shore of Long Island, New York. He was convicted of second-degree murder in November 1975 and sentenced to six terms of 25 years to life in prison. After doing so, however, Ronald says that he left the home to pursue their friend who had fled the scene. While he was gone, Dawn also murdered the children as a means to silence them. Upon returning, Ronald fought with Dawn and then ended up shooting her as well.
Other books
A relatively normal-looking family that recently relocated from Brooklyn to Long Island – the DeFeo’s. The darker shingle siding was swapped for lighter colors, while the creepy little top windows were removed. The 1922 Dutch colonial also features a basement, fireplace, boathouse, and 2 decks (one of which has a view of the water).
Films
Not a single owner since the Lutzes has reported experiencing paranormal activity in the home. As the days get shorter and the leaves fall, it's the time of year to work on curating your Halloween viewing list of scary season favorites. In the category of "haunted house" stories, a modern favorite remains The Amityville Horror.
Kaplan went on to write a critical book titled The Amityville Horror Conspiracy with his wife Roxanne Salch Kaplan. If you’ve ever watched The Conjuring 2 (2016), the events at the start of the film were allegedly inspired by their experiences at the Amityville house. Additionally, she also admitted she would never enter the Amityville house again. Following their extensive investigation of the home, both Ed and Lorraine agreed the hauntings were not a hoax. Famed paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren were one of the first to actually investigate the Amityville hauntings. In a 2013 interview with Yahoo Movies, Lorraine found it difficult to speak on the events that took place there.
The home, now with a new address of 108 Ocean Avenue, features 5,000 square feet of living space and amenities like a modern kitchen, a redesigned basement, high-end security systems, a large boat house, swimming pool, and a two-car garage. Just 28 days after they moved to Amityville, they left the house but insisted that they didn’t plan for it to be their last night there. The couple claimed that soon after they moved into the Amityville house, strange things started happening, and they got increasingly creepier as the days went by. He shot each family member point blank, then took a shower and went out to town claiming that someone had broken into his house and killed his family. At 3.15 AM on the night of November 13th, 1974, Ronnie, for reasons we’re not sure of even today, grabbed a shotgun and killed his entire family in just 15 minutes.
In 1979, William Weber, Ronald DeFeo’s former attorney, claimed he and the couple concocted the story during an evening of drinking. At the time, however, Weber had had a falling out with George and Kathy over money. Additionally, the priest – who appeared in the book – reportedly denied the activity he was said to have experienced in the story.
By December of 1978, the constant barrage of visitors proved to be too much for the family, who decided to move out and put the house on the market for $100,000. By the time The Amityville Horror starring James Brolin and Margot Kidder hit theaters in July of 1979, the Cromartys had yet to find any serious buyers. Meanwhile, the new wave of curiosity sparked by the movie was affecting the entire community.
Yes, the real life Amityville house is a 5-bedroom, 3 bathroom home in Amityville, Long Island. If it weren’t for its gruesome past, the 3,600 square foot property could easily be considered prime real estate. Much like its movie counterpart, the Amityville house is located along the waterfront and features its own boat dock.
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