Very Scary People: The Amityville Murders delved into the unsettling crime in a sleepy town and the potential reasons behind it. One that left a family dead and the only surviving member of the family and the killer behind bars for the rest of his life. Copyright 2023 Newsday. The whole thing was a con, except for the crime.. He had spent the last 45 years of his life imprisoned on six counts of second-degree murder. Ronald DeFeo Jr., the killer in "The Amityville Horror" case, has died, according to a spokesperson for the New York State prisons department. The 1974 massacre in Amityville, Long Island, horrified America and saw DeFeo jailed for life. We want to hear from you! New York, and had been taken to the hospital on February 2nd. Ronald "Butch" DeFeo, who committed the murders at the heart of theAmityville Horrorbook and movies, has died in New York state custody. During their initial investigation, police reported that DeFeo told them "the voices of the house" compelled him to commit the crime. Crime News is your destination for true crime stories from around the world, breaking crime news, and information about Oxygen's original true crime shows and documentaries. Others figured that the voices he'd heard were a result of taking LSD, which DeFeo had admitted to using. The year prior, the Lutz family, doing business as Amityville Enterprises, filed legal documents to remove Dimension Films option on the franchise from the court-supervised sale of Weinstein Co. assets. The 1979 horror movie classic of the same name starring James Brolin and Margot Kidder became a big-screen hit. His 43-year-old parents, Ronald and Louise, were both shot twice. But suspicion quickly fell on him and, when the mob hitman he accused of being the killer was proven to have an alibi, he confessed to being the gunman. Mother of the DeFeo family and wife of Ronald DeFeo, Sr. Main > Ronald DeFeo Jr. Tue, 16 March 2021 . DeFeo, who had been serving a 25 years-to-life. Back then, it was reported that Butch had a tense relationship with his father because Butch was known to use drugs, drank, and often got into fights. On December 21, 1975, DeFeo was convicted of six counts of second-degree murder and sentenced . Victims were found in their nightclothes and were shot in the back, apparently while they were asleep. Ronald DeFeo's Wife. DeFeos lawyer had argued his client was insane when he killed his family. Ronald DeFeo's cause of death. 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. In the dead of night, he murdered his family, including both parents and four younger siblings evidence suggests his mother and 13-year-old sister Allison were awake when he turned his gun on them. Other books and films based on the murders would follow. March 16, 2021 10:30am. FALLSBURG, New York (WABC) -- Ronald DeFeo Jr., who was convicted of killing his entire family inside their Amityville home in 1974, . Copyright 2023 Meredith Corporation. DeFeo, who was 23 at the time of the murders, would have been eligible for a parole hearing in July. The movie was based on claims by the Lutz family, who bought the house following the DeFeo murders, and said they had been forced to flee after being terrorized by paranormal activities. DeFeo, 69, died March 12, 2021, while receiving. Condemned to six sentences of 25 years to life, DeFeo died in prison on March 12, 2021. As recently as 2019, a new take called Amityville 1974 was given a greenlight. The house stood empty for 13 months until the Lutz family bought for $80,000 in December 1975 they thought it was a bargain. Ronald DeFeo Jr., the Long Island man serving a life sentence for slaughtering his parents and four siblings in a 1974 crime that would inspire The Amityville Horror book and movie franchise, died March 12 at the Albany Medical Center in New York. Murder Victim. In a 1986 interview, Butch attempted to shift the blame onto his sister and mother. Robert DeFeo JR. Ronald DeFeo Jr., whose 1974 murders of his Long Island, N.Y., family inspired the horror movie franchise The Amityville Horror, has died in prison at age 69, state officials said Monday. According to The New. There were no signs of a struggle inside the home, where a sign hanging outside the main entrance read, High Hopes.. DeFeo was ordered held . The Lutzes, who moved into the house after the murders, later claimed that the house was haunted. 0. Although DeFeo attempted to defend his actions in court through insanity and self-defense, the prosecution successfully argued that he was aware of the consequences of his actions. In 1974, he used a rifle to kill his father, Ronald . He was convicted of six counts of second-degree murder. DeFeo kicked the bucket at 69 years old. Ronald "Butch" DeFeo, who committed the murders at the heart of the Amityville Horror book and movies, has died in New York state custody. So, lets find out more about this case then, shall we? "As far as I'm concerned, if I didn't kill my family, they were going to kill me," DeFeo reportedly said at trial. In a 1986 interview with Newsday, DeFeo even claimed his sister, Dawn DeFeo, had carried out the murders with an accomplice. As recently as 2019, a new take called Amityville 1974 was given a greenlight. [7] He 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, Louis Falini. To see all content on The Sun, please use the Site Map. The six victims were later buried in nearby Saint Charles Cemetery in Farmingdale. DeFeo was tried and convicted for the 1974 killings of Nissa Burkhalter Bio She was the ex of Ronald DeFeo who was an American mass executioner. Credit: Barry Sloan. While demenologists Ed and Lorraine Warren came to the opposite conclusion during their 1976 investigation, during which an infrared photograph of a ghostly child was captured at the bottom of the staircase. Those details, and others, have come under scrutiny, reported the Washington Post in 1979. But just to be safe, they decided to have a priest come and bless the property as they unpacked which is where their nightmare began. He was 69. All rights reserved. The cause of his death wasn't revealed at the time. "People didnt think of Long Island as a place where mass murder happens. A prosecution expert testified that while DeFeo was an admitted LSD and heroin user, he was sane at the time of the murders. Ronald "Butch" DeFeo Jr. was born on September 26, 1951, in Brooklyn, New York. Since the Lutz family moved out, subsequent owners of the house have changed its address number and appearance to deter visitors. The Article: Copy here March 16, 2021. Pam Grier reflects on her most iconic roles, from Coffy to Jackie Brown. "From a former investigators standpoint, I couldnt imagine the scene that the cops had to witness," he said. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. And over the years, before his March 2021 death, DeFeo's story had changed a few times. Soon after, Father Pecoraro fell ill with flu-like symptoms and his hands began to bleed, while the Lutzs began to notice unsettling phenomena in their new home. At around 6.30pm that evening, DeFeo went into a nearby bar asking for help, pretending to have just discovered the bloodbath. During his 1975 trial, DeFeo admitted the killings. DeFeo was serving 25 years to life in prison at the Sullivan Correctional Facility. The case inspired the book and film versions of The Amityville Horror. They'd been told about the massacre during a house viewing but decided it wasn't enough to put them off snapping up a five-bed home with a boat house for such a low price. DeFeo was transferred to Albany Medical Center and pronounced dead at 6:35 p.m. An autopsy will be performed to determine the cause of death, officials said. DeFeo initially claimed the murders were connected to organized crime, but confessed under interrogation the day after the killings. In the book, the Lutzes fled the house in terror after 28 days of windows slamming, an oozing slime occurring, and ghoulish visions appearing. He pleaded insanity, but was found guilty of the murders and sentenced to 6 separate sentences of life in prison. During the interview, DeFeo changed his story and blamed his sister and mother for the deaths. Watch a mini documentary about Ronald DeFeo Jr and the Amityville murders here:. In the aftermath it has been churned into books and a hit movie series, "The Amityville Horror.". DeFeo . A cause of death has not yet been announced, but will be determined by the Albany County coroner. accessed ), memorial page for Ronald DeFeo Jr. (26 Sep 1951 . He also alleged that his wife, Kathy, would sometimes appear transformed into a wrinkled old woman, and that green slime had oozed from the walls. Former Newsday reporter and editor Bob Keeler, 77, of Stony Brook, interviewed DeFeo at the Attica Correctional Facility in 1986. According to Suffolk County Police, the victims were all found lying face down in bed. The nightmarish account of DeFeo's murders and the Lutz's supernatural ordeal are being reexamined following news of DeFeo's death aged 69 at the Sullivan Correctional Facility in New York on Friday. Ronald Joseph DeFeo Jr. (September 26, 1951 - March 12, 2021) was an American mass murderer who was tried and convicted for the 1974 killings of his father, mother, two brothers, and two sisters in Amityville, Long Island, New York. What was Ronald DeFeo Jr.'s cause of death? [5] The DeFeo family had occupied 112 Ocean Avenue since purchasing it in 1965. JOHN ROBERTON OF EARNOCK. The DeFeos Were All Found In The Same Position. The murders became famous for being central to the book and movie "The Amityville Horror". This dispels the myth that Ronald Butch DeFeo Jr. has any ownership in the grave. When I got a gun in my hand, there's no doubt in my mind who I am. Vault Home. "Amityville Horror" killer Ronald DeFeo -- who killed his six family members in 1974 on Long Island -- has died behind bars, according to officials. Killed his whole family on the night of November 13, 1974. Murder Victim. he was murdered, along with the rest of his family, by older brother Ronald Jr. on the night of November 13, 1974. However, an interview at the station soon exposed serious inconsistencies in his version of events. It's no secret that The Amityville Horror made the story a lot more sinister and paranormal than some believe it might have been in real life. The DeFeo parents had both been shot twice, while the children had all been killed with single . John Robertoun of Earnock, son and heir of Robert Robertoun of Earnock, who succeeded his father and married Elizabeth daughter of Alexander Cleland of that Ilk, an ancient family in Lanarkshire, whose mother was daughter to Lord Sommerville. DeFeo died Friday while serving a 25 years-to-life sentence at Sullivan Correctional facility in Fallsburg, New York, officials told Newsday. Address The nature of the killings DeFeo's parents and four siblings were found dead in their beds, each with a single bullet in their back and tales of angry spirits haunting the Dutch Colonial-style Ocean Avenue home in the aftermath, stunned Long Island and much of the country. The murders were the subject of a 2012 documentary,Shattered Hopes: The True Story of the Amityville Murders, in which filmmaker Ryan Katzenbach argued that the DeFeos were killed by more than one person. Ronald DeFeo at a court hearing in 1992 - he died on Friday at the age of 69 while serving life for the murders of his parents and four siblings in Amityville, New York Credit: Getty The 1974. The Sun website is regulated by the Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO), Our journalists strive for accuracy but on occasion we make mistakes. Related tags : Criminal Previous Article Next Article Criminal The victims of DeFeo's family members included his parents, Ronald DeFeo, Sr. (43), and Louise (42), two brothers, John (9) and Marc (12), and two sisters, Allison (13), and Dawn (18). Distractify is a registered trademark. DeFeo gunned down his family using a .35-caliber Marlin lever-action. DeFeo was ordered held without bail on one count of second-degree Read More Ronald DeFeo Jr., center, leaves Suffolk County district court after a hearing, Nov. 15, 1974. In later interviews, Butch claimed that he was forced to follow the legal route by his lawyer, adding, He told me I had to do this. "The movie made it famous. DeFeo's initial trial defense was that he had heard his family's voices plotting against him. Homicide detectives said it was the largest number of victims in a single slaying on Long Island in recent memory, reported Newsday in 1974. Perpetrator Shot Liuzza Essay. . At the time of the murders, DeFeo said he had found his family shot in their home, but later, his story kept changing, even when he was convicted of the murders and given six sentences of 25 years to life in prison. Though all of the supernatural claims were eventually debunked and the book criticized as a hoax, nearly 30 films either theatrical or direct-to-video have used the Amityville title or concept, including 1983s Amityville 3-D, 2005s The Amityville Horror remake starring Ryan Reynolds, and, in 2017, Amityville: The Awakening. The heinous acts, which occurred in 1974, inspired the Amityville Horror book and film series. The DeFeo family had occupied 112 Ocean Avenue since purchasing it in 1965. Signup for Breaking News Alerts & Newsletters. A ruling on cause of death is pending an autopsy. However, the neighbors reported only hearing the family dog on the night of the murders. "I really wasnt quite believing it.". State Supreme Court Justice Thomas Stark called the murders the "most heinous and abhorrent crimes. Ronald Butch DeFeo Jr. was the oldest son of 43-year-olds Ronald DeFeo Sr. and Louise DeFeo. Ronald DeFeo died on . "It was a vicious crime, and it happened on quiet Long island," Keeler said. Butch was serving his sentence at the Sullivan Correctional Facility in Fallsburg, New York, when he was transferred to a medical center on February 2, 2021. Ronald DeFeo's cause of death. On one occasion, he claimed he found his wife Kathy levitating across the bed and, on another, he saw a vision of DeFeo's head floating in the cellar. It was after 3am on November 13, 1974, when DeFeo, who was known as "Butch", went from room to room killing his loved ones. Get an all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! He married secondly, Margaret, daughter of Allan Lord Cathcart, by his Helen . Find Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and TikTok profiles, images and more on IDCrawl - free people search website. He was 69. Since then there has been a 3-D movie take on the story and a 2005 remake of the original film starring Ryan Reynolds and Melissa George. Husband and wife Ronald DeFeo, Sr. and Louise DeFeo had both been shot twice with a .35 caliber . Ronald DeFeo Jr., the killer who inspired "The Amityville Horror" book and movie series, has died, according to a spokesperson for the New York State Department of Corrections and Community . Though all of the supernatural claims were eventually debunked and the book criticized as a hoax, nearly 30 films either theatrical or direct-to-video have used the Amityville title or concept, including1983s Amityville 3-D, 2005s The Amityville Horror remake starring Ryan Reynolds, and, in 2017, Amityville: The Awakening. Victims were found in their nightclothes and were shot in the back, apparently while they were asleep. Also Read, Charlie Bigelow, Shura Baryshnikov, and Tara Perry. WHEN Ronald DeFeo Jr finally confessed to cops, he said of his spree: "Once I started, I just couldn't stop". Subscribe to Deadline Breaking News Alerts and keep your inbox happy. Born to Ronald and Louise DeFeo, his father was a successful automobile salesman for his family's Brooklyn dealership. One of the group, DeFeo's friend Joe Yeswit, made an emergency call to the Suffolk County Police Department, who searched the house and found that six members of the same family were dead in their beds. At the time of their deaths, law enforcement reported that he asked how to collect his father's life insurance policy, which prompted the theory that money might have motivated the killings. 123 Main Street Recently Added. Their examination of the house was depicted in the film The Conjuring 2 (2016) one of many mainstream movies about the Lutzs' story. According to The New. From Austin Butler and Cate Blanchett to a potential Best Supporting Actress toss-up, see who EW thinks will win at the 2023 Oscars. Their stories of demonic possession helped inspire The Amityville Horror book and original movie, along with the story of the DeFeo family. This disturbing kind of crime is featured in, On November 13, 1974, Ronald DeFeo Sr., 43, a car salesman; his wife, Louise DeFeo, 43; and four of their five children including Dawn, 18; Allison, 13; Marc, 12; and John, 9, were. His 43-year-old parents, Ronald and Louise, were both shot twice. He didn't tell the Lutzs about what he heard at first, but couldn't shake his distress and called to warn them to stay out of the second floor room where he heard the voice which had once been Marc and John's bedroom. Troubled Youth. Tag: ronald defeo jr cause of death. The book was then turned into a series of films, most notably a 1979 version starring James Brolin and Margot Kidder as the new owners and a 2005 remake starring Ryan Reynolds and Melissa George in the same roles. The New York man convicted of gruesomely killing his siblings and parents in 1974 and subsequently inspiring the Amityville Horror franchise has died. Entertainment Weekly may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Keeler recalled the widespread attention the case drew. jone. A ruling on cause of death is pending an autopsy. He was 69. They only lasted 28 days before abandoning the house. Newsday originally revealed his passing. Ronald DeFeo, Jr., is led from the Suffolk County Police Headquarter on Nov. 14, 1974 in Hauppauge, New York after being booked for six counts of homicide in the shooting of his family the day before "The front door would slam shut in the middle of the night.". ", The house on Ocean Avenue in Amityville where Ronald DeFeo Jr. murdered six family members in 1974. Credit: Kevin P. Coughlin. On November 13, 1974, Ronald DeFeo Sr., 43, a car salesman; his wife, Louise DeFeo, 43; and four of their five children including Dawn, 18; Allison, 13; Marc, 12; and John, 9, were shot to death with a .35 caliber rifle inside their upscale home in suburban Amityville, New York. Send us a tip using our annonymous form. Acknowledgement of the death of Ronald DeFeo Jr, the American mass murderer, who has died aged 69. April 13, 2022 The events that occurred at a house in Amityville, New York, in 1974 have long been considered historical, piquing the interest of many. DeFeo killed his father, mother, two brothers and two sisters inside their home in Suffolk County, New York, back in 1974, WABC News reported. "Thereve been four owners since the murders," he told the Washington Post in 2016,"And none of them ran out of the house screaming, and there were no strange experiences., Mom 'stabs 3 of her kids to death and wounds 2 others in unsupervised visit', Daughter of murdered couple linked to Delphi case reveals paranoia, Serena Williams stepmom's debts continue to spiral amid crumbling home battle, Alex Murdaugh looks unrecognizable in new mugshot hours after sentencing, 2020 THE SUN, US, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED | TERMS OF USE | PRIVACY | YOUR AD CHOICES | SITEMAP, Ronald DeFeo at a court hearing in 1992 - he died on Friday at the age of 69 while serving life for the murders of his parents and four siblings in Amityville, New York, The house at 112 Ocean Avenue became one of the darkest addresses in America, Neighbours watched on in horror as six bodies were removed from the house in 1974, (Back row, left to right): John, Allison and Marc (Front row, left to right) Dawn and Ronald Jr, The lever-action rifle DeFeo used in the horrific slaughter of his family, DeFeo initially tried to pin the killings on a mob hitman before confessing to the crimes himself, He died while still serving time in prison - no cause of death has yet been released, George and Kathy Lutz moved into 112 Ocean Avenue a year after the murders, George Lutz reported seeing the glowing red eyes of a pig-like demonic creature out of one of the windows along with a host of other frights inside the house, The house still stands in Amityville, New York, to this day, James Brolin and Margot Kidder played George and Kathy Lutz in The Amityville Horror (1979), Owners have changed the house's address and appearance in more recent years, Local historians are said to be disdainful of the notoriety the films have brought to Amityville. DeFeo was tried and convicted for the 1974 murders of Nissa Burkhalter Bio She was the ex-lover of Ronald DeFeo that was an American mass killer. Ronald DeFeo Jr., center, leaves Suffolk County district court after a hearing on Nov. 15, 1974. Jerry O'Neill, who has previously listed the property, says there's nothing spooky to find anyway. Read More. Nissa Burkhalter Bio, Wiki Nissa Burkhalterwas the ex-wife of Ronald DeFeo who was an Americanmurderer. DeFeo was just 23 years old when he grabbed his .35-caliber Marlin lever-action rifle to butcher his family. He didn't tell the Lutzs about what he heard at first, but couldn't shake his distress and called to warn them to stay out of the second floor room where he heard the voice which had once been Marc and John's bedroom. He told police that he arrived shortly after 6 p.m. but found the front door locked. In 1977, author Jay Anson published The Amityville Horror, claiming the haunted house tale was based on the experiences of the Lutz family who moved into the house following the murders. He later confessed that he killed his family around 3:30 a.m., acting out the murders for detectives as he described how he shot his family one by one, according to the outlet. "And as far as I'm concerned, what I did was self-defence and there was nothing wrong with it. He was 69. Categories ( click to retract ) - Administrative Policy Procedures - Anti-War - Bureau Personnel - Civil Rights - Counterterrorism - Foreign Counterintelligence - Frequently Requested There were no signs of a struggle inside the home, where a. Ronald DeFeo Jr.s trial began in October 1975. Ronald Joseph DeFeo Jr. (September 26, 1951 March 12, 2021) was an American mass murderer who was tried and convicted for the 1974 killings of his father, mother, two brothers, and two sisters in Amityville, Long Island, New York. For further details of our complaints policy and to make a complaint please click this link: thesun.co.uk/editorial-complaints/, Ronald DeFeo at a court hearing in 1992 - he died on Friday at the age of 69 while serving life for the murders of his parents and four siblings in Amityville, New York, The house at 112 Ocean Avenue became one of the darkest addresses in America, Neighbours watched on in horror as six bodies were removed from the house in 1974, (Back row, left to right): John, Allison and Marc (Front row, left to right) Dawn and Ronald Jr, The lever-action rifle DeFeo used in the horrific slaughter of his family, DeFeo initially tried to pin the killings on a mob hitman before confessing to the crimes himself, He died while still serving time in prison - no cause of death has yet been released, George and Kathy Lutz moved into 112 Ocean Avenue a year after the murders, George Lutz reported seeing the glowing red eyes of a pig-like demonic creature out of one of the windows along with a host of other frights inside the house, The house still stands in Amityville, New York, to this day, James Brolin and Margot Kidder played George and Kathy Lutz in The Amityville Horror (1979), Owners have changed the house's address and appearance in more recent years, Local historians are said to be disdainful of the notoriety the films have brought to Amityville.