Unravelling the Mysteries of the Amityville Horror

In 1977, there was a house that gained a spooky reputation – 112 Ocean Avenue, located in Amityville. Before this, Amityville was a quiet place near New York City where nothing much happened. But everything changed when the Lutz family moved into that house just before Christmas in 1975.

Strange things started happening to the Lutz family. First, there were weird cold spots and strange smells they couldn't explain. Then, they discovered a secret, blood-red room in the basement that wasn't on the house plans. As time went on, things got even spookier. One night, George Lutz saw his wife floating above their bed, and there was a creepy demon-like figure at the windows. After a snowy night, they found mysterious hoof-like footprints all around the house.

The Lutz family got so scared that they called a priest to chase away the haunting. However, when the priest sprinkled holy water, a mysterious voice shouted, "Get out!" and he felt like an invisible hand slapped him. Afterward, he had strange marks on his hands that looked like stigmata. Just 28 days after moving in, the Lutz family left, leaving their belongings behind, terrified for their lives and souls.

What makes this story even scarier is that it's believed to be true. There's an even more chilling real-life aspect: a year before the Lutz family moved in, six people were murdered in that house. The details of these murders remain a mystery, with theories involving the Mafia, unknown accomplices, and even supernatural forces. The truth is often scarier than fiction, and this is the real story of the Amityville Horror.

The horror began in November 1974 when a 23-year-old named Ronald 'Butch' DeFeo lived at 112 Ocean Avenue. One day, his dad didn't show up for work, which was unusual. Butch called home but got no answer. Concerned, he left work and returned home to find his family dead in their beds. The police arrived and found a gruesome scene – Butch's parents and four siblings had been shot, and there was no sign of a break-in.

The police questioned Butch, and he mentioned that his great uncle was connected to the Mafia. There had been a dispute between Butch's dad and a hitman named Louis Fallini, staying at their house a few years earlier. Butch thought this could be a motive for the murders.

Worried that Fallini might come after him, Butch was taken into police custody. As the investigation continued, the police discovered empty boxes in Butch's room that had held rifles. The murder weapon turned out to be a .35 caliber Marlin rifle.

Suspicion turned towards Butch, and his story started to unravel. He initially claimed he left for work before the murders but the time of death indicated otherwise. His new story didn't make sense either, as he said he was at home during the murders, yet he pretended to worry about his family throughout the day. Butch eventually confessed to the murders, saying, "Once I started, I just couldn't stop."

This case had some strange aspects. Butch fired eight shots, and it would have taken time to move from room to room, yet no one woke up. Butch claimed he put sleep-inducing drugs in their dinner, but there were no drugs found in their systems. Also, the house was in a residential neighborhood, and the gunshots should have been heard by the neighbors, but they weren't.

Butch's motive was unclear, as it seemed unrelated to the other family members. Even his close relationship with his sister Dawn didn't fit the picture. Despite these mysteries, Butch was convicted and sentenced to six consecutive jail terms.

The Amityville story took a supernatural turn when the Lutz family moved in. They reported ghostly encounters, but there are reasons to be skeptical. The Catholic priest denied visiting the house, and some elements in the original book were proven false. Even William Weber, Butch DeFeo's attorney, admitted that he fabricated the story with the Lutz family to make money.

Several other families lived in the house after the Lutz family and didn't report any strange occurrences. This suggests that the haunting might have been more of a money-making scheme than a real supernatural event.

The true tragedy in Amityville is often forgotten amidst the tales of hauntings and supernatural phenomena. Butch DeFeo spent decades in prison, and the exact truth of what happened that night may never be fully known. What is certain is that the events in Amityville were deeply unsettling.