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Amityville Murders - The True Story

Did the devil really make him do it?

By Rebecca Lynn IveyPublished 2 years ago 7 min read
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November of 1974, Ronald DeFeo Jr. massacred his entire family and inspired one of the greatest horror stories of all time: The Amityville Murders. - But...did the devil really make him do it?

When I think about what terrified me the most as a child, the Amityville movies are right on top of the list. At the time, I had no clue that those movies were based on true events.

112 Ocean Avenue in Amityville, Long Island, New York, is one of the most famous addresses of all time for those interested in crime, horror and the paranormal.

On November 13, 1974, police received a report of a homicide at 112 Ocean Avenue, where they discovered six members of the DeFeo family- The father, mother and four of their five children had been shot and killed execution style. The surviving son, Ronald “Butch” DeFeo Jr., was charged and tried for the murder of his family. He admitted to police that he committed the crimes, saying voices inside his head drove him to kill his entire family. Mr. DeFeo, the oldest of the siblings, was 23 at the time.

The DeFeos were considered, in the words of one neighbor, “a nice, normal family.”

On the evening of Nov. 13, 1974, Butch went to a bar near his home and proclaimed that his parents and siblings had been shot, witnesses said. He also called the police himself to report the deaths.

The victims were found in their beds with gunshot wounds on Nov. 13, 1974. They were all discovered laying face-down in their beds. Investigators were puzzled when they acknowledged that none of the victims appeared to have struggled or even realized what was happening inside of the home as they were each killed execution-style. The parents were each shot twice and each of the children once.

"How did six people sleep without being aroused and wakened as the horrifying sounds of a .35 caliber rifle repeatedly reverberated through the house during the precocious - early hours?"

A year later, after a seven-week trial, Butch was found guilty of shooting the other members of his family at close range with a rifle and was given six consecutive terms of 25 years to life for second-degree murder.

“I couldn’t care less what happens to me or the rest of my life,” he said. - "I can never escape the voices in my head."

Over the years, Mr. DeFeo recanted parts of his story and tried to pin the blame on the demonic voices, but his efforts to be paroled were denied, and he would never regain his freedom. Butch died in prison on March 12, 2021. Even with his last breath he alleged that he had been completely controlled by an evil spirit.

Everyone knows the story of George and Kathy Lutz who purchased the Dutch colonial murder house in December 1975 and moved out only 28 days later. They said that a demonic entity tormented them, causing them to move in haste, leaving most of their property and possessions behind. They refused to ever return to the home to collect their belongings.

During their short time within the Amityville house, the Lutz family requested the help of a local, Catholic Priest. The priest's name was Father Ralph Pecoraro according to reports, the Lutz family was unpacking their stuff from a rental van when Father Pecoraro went inside the house by himself.

The priest went into one of the upstairs bedrooms, and that's when things got freaky. As he began sprinkling holy water, Father Pecoraro supposedly heard a deep, otherworldly voice that shouted, "Get out!" Father Pecoraro also admitted that the house was filled with flies and the scent of rancid meat hung heavily in the air. An unseen, physical force violently flung his crucifix across the room before he felt a slap in the face. Being a sensible man, Father Pecoraro decided to follow orders. He refused to ever go back to the house in spite of the family reaching out to him many more times before being forced out of the home by "demonic" forces.

Father Pecoraro didn't escape completely unscathed, as he supposedly received blisters on hands (similar to stigmata), plus his car began acting like it was possessed, with the doors and wipers going haywire until the engine died.

Amityville Priest Interview

Ed and Lorraine Warren (couple who inspired ”Conjuring“ films) Go Inside the Amityville Horror House.

"I was fearful, but I didn’t know what I was fearful of,” world-renowned clairvoyant Lorraine Warren said of her maiden trip inside the Amityville Horror house.

“As I was going up the stairs, I reached the point where it felt as if a force of water was coming against my chest, almost like a waterfall.”

""Amityville was horrible, honey. It was absolutely horrible," said Warren. "It followed us right straight across the country. I don't even like to talk about it. I will never go in the Amityville house ever again."

When Lorraine Warren was asked "Do you think that the devil made him do it?" her response was "Yes, I absolutely do believe that Satan himself had a hand in what happened in that house. Something sinister and evil- fully and positively dwells within the Amityville house.

Alongside the evil that lives inside of this house, Lorraine believes that the spirits of the entire DeFeo family is trapped within those walls. "They're trapped, they're still there, I saw and spoke to them all. But they're different, they're twisted and distorted by evil; disfigured evil and undeformed by anger - horrifying!"

"For the very first time in my long career, I am certain that I encountered something so wrong and bad....It can't be put to rest, it can't be contained."

Inside of The House (Rare - Real Photos)

As we ascend up the staircase, what at first seems like a normal, family dwelling, almost immediately turns ghastly and hair-raising.

Inside of the master bedroom, religious decorations, artifacts and statues can be found amongst the blood splattered walls.

We find the mother and father shot at near point blank (execution style) while sleeping in their bed.

Just down the hall, we enter the children's rooms. Just like their parents they have been shot at near point blank (execution style) while sleeping in their beds.

One by one the DeFeo family are carried out of their home...(but they're not really leaving)

Butch shows little to no remorse or feeling of responsibility for wrongdoing as he watches his lifeless family being removed from their home.

Although Allison DeFeo was laid to rest with her favorite teddy bear, it has been seen inside of the house on multiple occasions over the years. Even Father Pecoraro (the priest) recognized the stuffed toy as belonging to Allison and clearly recalls it being in her casket with her on the day that she was buried.

Although the Amityville House has been empty for years and has no electricity or utilities - people have reported seeing the upstairs windows recurrently lit up in the middle of the night. Long Island authorities have even inspected the claims only to find absolutely no clear, logical reason as to why the windows appear lit up.

While in prison, Ronald DeFeo Jr. was believed to have been possessed. Other inmates petitioned and pleaded not to be housed in the same cell with him. It was reported that dark, shadowy figures was seen walking the hall near his cell at night and he was heard speaking to the shadowy figures in an unknown language. Defeo was frequently found huddled in the corner of his cell continually screaming "Nein" the German word for no.

Now that Butch (Ronald DeFeo Jr.) is dead and the Amityville Murder cases are officially closed. We may never truly know the truth about what really happened in that house. "Did the devil really make him do it?"

fact or fiction
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About the Creator

Rebecca Lynn Ivey

I wield words to weave tales across genres, but my heart belongs to the shadows.

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