THE
AMITYVILLE HORROR
THE REAL STORY
The Amityville Horror is one story that has seized the minds of countless individuals all over the world, whether you believe in a dark world of demons and ghosts or not. Is it a hoax? Is it true? That is perhaps the burning question in the minds of many and the answer may never be known with all certainty. What is known about the events that took place in the quiet suburban neighborhood of Amityville has continued to capture the attention of paranormal investigators, skeptics and the curious alike, for over three decades.
The Amityville Horror encapsulates the fears of the human psyche. What we don't want to imagine, we must at least acknowledge, that real life horror stories do exist and sometimes they land right on our own door-step. There are in fact, initially, two Amityville tales to tell. But to understand and appreciate the story that we have all come to know so well from the bestselling author Jay Anson, "The Amityville Horror" we must first go back to the very beginning. Back to the real life horror. A prelude to the haunting that mesmerized the world.
On a dark fall night of November 13, 1974, police were called to a grisly scene at 112 Ocean Avenue in Long Island, New York. When the police cruiser arrived at the three story Dutch Colonial home of Ronald DeFeo Sr., his wife Louise, the first responding officer found a young man, who was obviously distressed, crying on the lawn. He was surrounded by his friends.
The young man's name was Ronald DeFeo Jr. or better known by his friends as "Butch." He declared between sobs,
"My mother and father are dead." The police officer entered the home and had the dreadful task of checking each room, and what he found was truly gruesome, disturbing, and devastating.
Upon entering the master bedroom, he found the bodies of forty-four year old Ronald DeFeo Sr. and his forty-three year old wife Louise. Ronald Sr. had taken two blows to his back from a .35 caliber Marlin rifle. His wife Louise had been shot twice in her body as she lay sleeping next to her husband. Both lay dead on their blood soaked bed.
Next, the officer entered the bedroom of nine-year old John and twelve-year old Marc DeFeo. Both boys had also been shot mercilessly as they slept and were lying on their stomachs in pools of blood. Butch would later claim during questioning that as he entered Marc and John's room, after they were shot, he noticed John's feet shaking as he lay dying.
The officer went downstairs to call the station. Ronald DeFeo Jr. sat at the table sobbing. DeFeo told the officer that he also had two other sisters upstairs. The officer quickly went upstairs in search of the girls. By that time another patrolman had arrived at the scene and met the other officer upstairs.
They entered thirteen-year old Allison's room and found her in her bed, she had been shot in the face and was obviously dead. On the third floor, eighteen year-old Dawn also lay dead in her bed, another apparent victim of a shotgun blast.
What started out as a calm night on Ocean Avenue quickly turned to probing curiosity as word spread through the neighborhood. Soon the house on Ocean Avenue was bustling with activity. Police personnel tracked in and out of the house and stood watch outside, keeping prying eyes at a safe distance from the front door.
Neighbors ran up and stood on the lawn talking amongst themselves, trying to catch a glimpse of the activity inside the large colonial home. Eventually the remains of the DeFeo family were taken away and the crowds dispersed.
Defeo Bodies Being Removed
After a few days of intense questioning, the truth came out, or variations of the truth. Butch would change his story often over a period of time. In November of 1975, Ronald DeFeo Jr. was found guilty of second-degree murder of his entire family. He was sentenced to twenty-five years to life for each six counts of murder he committed.
Ronald DeFeo Jr. Age 24
After The Fact
Ronnie Junior's grandfather, Michael Brigante, always felt that his grandson had not acted alone in the murders as was assumed, so he hired a former police detective to investigate the murders. His findings concluded that Butch could not have pulled off the cold-blooded slaughter of his entire family alone, he felt that there were at other shooters involved, or at least one other besides Butch.
Police and the
medical examiner involved with the case also agreed that
it seemed highly unlikely that one lone shooter could pull off the
murders without so much as a sound being heard while he carried out the
grisly crime. One hypothesis is that the rifle was fitted with a
silencer, therefore the victims never heard what was coming as they
slept.
Other theories include something much more ominous. Some researchers of the supernatural believe that something dark and sinister played a major role in the slayings which made it quite possible for Butch to perpetrate the crimes. The theory is that DeFeo was under an evil influence at the time of the murders and was not in control of his actions.
Ronnie Jr. would later confess he felt as though he could have been possessed by something that controlled his actions, at another time he claimed that he had help. In the end, Ronnie Jr. changed his story so often that no one was quite sure which story was valid.
So why did DeFeo kill his family? He alleged that Ronald Senior was an abusive husband and father who beat his family regularly, and especially like to take out his abuse on Ronnie Jr. Other witnesses maintain that this is fact. Another theory includes that DeFeo wanted to collect the life insurance after his parents' death. Butch argued that this was not true and that he and his sister Dawn grew tired of the abuse and agreed to kill the parents. And so what really transpired that night may never be answered.
Ronnie DeFeo Jr. is serving time at the Green Haven Correctional Facility in Beekman, New York, for the murders of his entire family.
IN
CONCLUSION
It is suggested that Ronnie DeFeo Jr. was a violent and disheartened young man who lived in a very stressful environment. In the end he took out his anger and frustration in a most violent manner. Before the murders, on several occasions, Ronnie attempted to run away from his life and his abusive father, but he was always dragged back home by Ronald Sr.
On various occasions he begged his father to let him leave, but Ronald Sr. wouldn't have it. Butch warned his family that if he stayed, he would end up killing them all. Nobody listened. In retrospect, it seems that DeFeo was warning his family of the grim future ahead which would soon come to fruition.
And regardless of claims that he was not in control of his actions, had help, or was possessed by something unworldly, the murders in Amityville have left its stain on a community, and forever changed the way the world viewed real life horror.
The real tragedy of the "Amityville Horror" is that a family is gone. Murdered but not forgotten.
May their souls rest in peace.
It is suggested that Ronnie DeFeo Jr. was a violent and disheartened young man who lived in a very stressful environment. In the end he took out his anger and frustration in a most violent manner. Before the murders, on several occasions, Ronnie attempted to run away from his life and his abusive father, but he was always dragged back home by Ronald Sr.
On various occasions he begged his father to let him leave, but Ronald Sr. wouldn't have it. Butch warned his family that if he stayed, he would end up killing them all. Nobody listened. In retrospect, it seems that DeFeo was warning his family of the grim future ahead which would soon come to fruition.
And regardless of claims that he was not in control of his actions, had help, or was possessed by something unworldly, the murders in Amityville have left its stain on a community, and forever changed the way the world viewed real life horror.
The real tragedy of the "Amityville Horror" is that a family is gone. Murdered but not forgotten.
May their souls rest in peace.
In
Remembrance
Copyright © Sylvia Zimmer 2008
Note: All graphics or images on this page have been used by permission, fair use, or are in the public domain.
Please do not copy images and link back to Paranormaland as a source. Thanks
Copyright © Sylvia Zimmer 2008
Note: All graphics or images on this page have been used by permission, fair use, or are in the public domain.
Please do not copy images and link back to Paranormaland as a source. Thanks
