Pure Evil or Scandal?

            When they say that The Amityville Horror is pure evil, I feel that it the majority of it is nothing but a joke. How could it possibly be so haunted and evil if there are still people living in the home today; living in the home for about a decade? The people that moved in, after the Lutz family moved out, reported that the house was not haunted and that there were no paranormal events going on inside the home. And if there ever was a “Red Room,” why was it never discovered in the house? I may never be a hundred percent sure whether there are truly some supernatural forces involved in The Amityville Horror unless I actually lived in the house myself. On the other hand, it is very hard to deny the facts and superstitions that surround the Lutz family’s outcome of fame. If there was any real evil, I would have to say it would have been the murder that Ronald DeFeo Jr. had placed upon his own family and the greediness of George and Kathy Lutz to receive fame and fortune.

If there is anymore information, facts, or questions that you may have about the Amityville Horror, here are some really good websites:

www.amityvillemurders.com & www.amityvillefaq.com

Facts & Evidence

In order to test whether The Amityville Horror was a true horror or fiction, there was a paranormal investigation of the house by Ed and Lorraine Warren. They claimed to have many strange occurrences in the house and horrific events took place during the investigation. "Whatever is here is, in my estimation, most definitely of a negative nature. It has nothing to do with anyone who had once walked the Earth in human form. It is right from the bowels of the Earth,” claimed Lorraine Warren. Many of the investigators said that they saw dozens of dead bodies and many of their behaviors began to change. They did, however, capture a picture of a ghost boy near the stairway. It is believed to be the youngest brother in the DeFeo family. Evidently, the photo has never been scientifically authenticated. When the photograph of the boy was shown to Missy Lutz, the young daughter of George and Kathy Lutz, she stated that the boy was Jodie. But how do you compare an evil demonic pig to look like a boy?

Lorraine Warren during paranormal  investigation

Sources: MLA format 

 “The Amityville Horror.” Slightly Warped Ghastly Ghost Gallery. Web. 10 November 2011. http://slightlywarped.com/crapfactory/ghastlyghostgallery/ghosts/amityvillehorror.htm

The Paranormal Inquirer. “The Amityville Horror: Investigation Findings.” The Paranormal Inquirer. 5 May 2009. Web. 10 November 2011. http://www.theparanormalinquirer.com/2009/05/amityville-horror-investigation.html

Myths, Legends, & Lies (Stories of The Amityville Horror)

               As I have noted, there are many different versions and beliefs that surround The Amityville Horror. People still debate whether or not it is truly evil or a grand scheme. There are different stories that surrounded the murder case, the town’s history surrounding the property of the house, George and Kathy Lutz, and why and how Ronald DeFeo Jr. (Ronnie) murdered his family. In fact, this could perhaps be the reason for all of the misunderstandings and assumptions. Not all of the stories can be true because it seems that each one contradicts another; someone has to be lying. There is much evidence today that proves no such nonsense; nevertheless, there are still mysteries that no one can explain, whether it can possibly be haunted or not yet proven to society that there isn’t any paranormal activity involving the house. The legends of the land surrounding the house sound almost believable. One legend tells of an angry Indian chief was buried beneath the house; wanting revenge on anyone who lived in it. Another legend tells of possessed Indians that were buried face-down; leaving their cursed spirits on the land. And lastly, there is the John Ketcham legend. John Ketcham, supposedly a devil worshiper, left Massachusetts after the famous Salem Witch Trials, moved to the house to continue his devil worshiping. Although these legends have not been proven, including the Indian burial ground, there was an innocent Ketcham family in the area. However, these are not the only stories that surround The Amityville Horror; there has been much mystery on the murder of the DeFeo family. Some believe that Ronnie had a helping hand in these murders. There are others that believe Dawn DeFeo killed the family and Ronnie came home to see the horror; disgusted of what she had done, he took the rifle and shot her.

On the contrary, these are only a few versions. I’ve read more than, perhaps, twenty different theories that people have come up with of how the murder happened that night. Moreover, there is also much talk about the family’s lifestyle and relationships with one another; which leads to the “why?” question for Ronnie’s reason of murder. Some are most likely true; yet, some are possibly false rumors. Here are some “off the wall” theories and assumptions of the DeFeo family:

Family Conflicts

·        Father, Ronald DeFeo Sr., was abusive toward his wife and children. Ronnie and father had the most conflict and hate with each other.

·        Ronnie was a trouble maker; high tempered and aggressive. Some say he inherited it from his father and possibly used that as an excuse.

·        Ronnie was a drug addict.

·        Ronnie’s friends were scared to come into the house due to family conflicts in the home and witnessed the father hitting his wife.

·        Neighbors feared that the DeFeo’s could be involved with the Mafia due to the fact that they were a wealthy, second-generation Italian family.

·        Ronnie and Dawn had a special bond in the family. Some thought it could have been incest.

Theories of the Crime

·        Ronnie was not alone in killing his family.

·        Dawn and Ronnie both plotted on killing the family together.

·        Dawn killed the family while Ronnie was out of the house. Ronnie came home and saw this family dead. He then went to Dawn’s room and shot her.

·        Dawn handed Ronnie the rifle and told him to kill the family while he was on drugs.

·        Ronnie was possessed and voices told him to murder his family.

There is much evidence that has been discovered today of the murder of the

DeFeo family (which will be on my next post). Many of these theories have been proven wrong. Moreover, the murder of the DeFeo’s is only the beginning.

         Because of George and Kathy Lutz, the Amityville house is one of the most famous haunted houses in the world. Their version of the story made thousands believe that the house is truly a place of horror and pure evil. It is so convincing that, even today, people still believe. Here is what they claim happened while they lived in the house:

George and Kathy Lutz

·        Slime oozed down the walls

·        The daughter befriended a red-eyed pig, named Jodie.

·        Hundreds of flies swarmed the sewing room during the winter.

·        The priest heard a voice told him “Get Out!” while he was blessing the house.

·        George saw the old version of Kathy.

·        George found himself waking up every morning at 3:15, which was the time Ronnie DeFeo murdered his family.

·        Kathy had nightmares of the night the DeFeo’s died.

·        There was a hidden room in the basement called the “Red Room” that their dog was frightened of.

·        George looked like Ronnie DeFeo.

·        Kathy saw Jodie while closing her daughter’s window (big red eyes).

·        Odors and cold spots in the house.

·        The crucifix on the wall turned upside down on the wall and gave out a nasty smell.

Jay Anson, the author of The Amityville Horror: A True Story, wrote a book based on the events of George and Kathy Lutz. However, not everything mentioned in the book was information that the Lutz’s had relinquished to Jay Anson. To make his book more interesting and entertaining, Anson over-exaggerated a great deal of his book. In addition, Anson had also made up most of the ending because the Lutz’s never mentioned what exactly happened on their last night, or why they could not stand staying in the house any longer.

 Sources: MLA format 

Amityville FAQ. Web. 10 November 2011. http://www.amityvillefaq.com/property.html

Ric Osuna. “The DeFeo Portraits: Worth a Thousand Words.”  The Amityville Murders. Web. 10 November 2011. http://www.amityvillemurders.com/defeoportraits.html

“The Amityville Horror.” Wikipedia. Web. 10 November 2011. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Amityville_Horror

The Amityville Orgins

Ronald (Ronnie)
DeFeo Jr.

The house that we know as The Amityville Horror today was first built in 1890, Amityville, New York. It was eventually rebuilt into a Dutch Colonial house a block away. There were many previous owners before the DeFeo family moved in (June 28, 1965). It was a family of seven: Ronald DeFeo Sr. and Louise DeFeo (mother and father) and the children: Ronald (also nicknamed Ronnie or Butch) DeFeo Jr. (23), Dawn DeFeo (18), Allison DeFeo (13), Marc DeFeo (12), and John DeFeo (9). The reason for the house’s publicity and gossip is due to the murders taken place in the house on November 13, 1974. At around 3:15 AM, Ronnie shot his family members one by one with a .35-caliber rifle; killing his parents first and then his siblings. At around 6:30 AM, he then rushed to the town’s bar and told everyone that someone has murdered his family. During the investigations, the police were led to believe that he was a suspect. Eventually, Ronnie confessed that he had murdered his family. The people of Amityville could not believe the horror of the son murdering his own family; however, this is just the beginning of the house’s popularity. About a year later, the Lutz family moved in. After a month of living in the house, they fled on the 28^th day, leaving all of their belongings. They claimed that the house was evil and possessed but have never explained what had happened on their very last night in the house. These events later led to one of the bestselling books, The Amityville Horror: A True Story by Jay Anson, the Hollywood versions of The Amityville Horror (which is based on Jay Anson’s book), and the fame of George and Kathy Lutz. All of the publicity had spread not only across the nation, but around the world. People all over the world read The Amityville Horror: A True Story and were fascinated that a house could this “evil” actually existed. The house was then visited by people from different countries, especially European countries, just to have a glimpse. The small town of Amityville became very annoyed because people were camping all over town, including the neighbor’s backyard and driveways. People were worshiping the house; grabbing every part of its’ outside property they possibly could. Interviews and newscasts increased in the town. Eventually it died down, but even today people still pass by to gawk at the house.



Allison & Dawn DeFeo

George & Kathy Lutz

 Sources: MLA format

Amityville FAQ. Web. 10 November 2011. http://www.amityvillefaq.com/property.html

"A Grisly Discovery." The Amityville Murders. Web. 10 November 2011. http://www.amityvillemurders.com/discovery.html

Proposal

There have been many debates of the horror and suspicions of The Amityville Horror for the past four decades. Is this large Dutch Colonial house truly one of the most notorious haunted houses in the world, or is this the most successful scandal that has ever been created? After watching the Hollywood version of these events, especially the “based on a true story” showing, it sparked my interest to learn more about the overly dramatic film, both original and remake. I do not argue the fact that I believe in hauntings, demons, and the supernatural world; however, there is a certain extent to differentiate what’s possibly real and what is absolutely absurd. I believe that the facts, history, and crime having taken place years ago on 112 Ocean Avenue. In spite of all the logic and realism, I do not dismiss the possibility that the house may perhaps be haunted due to the fact that the family died brutally and the legends surrounding the area. However, there are facts, dates, and evidence that are given to disprove the phenomenon. It was very hard to research this topic considering the fact that there are many versions of the story, fake documents, and false websites. Many of the information were misleading. In the beginning, I actually believed that the majority of the Lutz family’s version of The Amityville Horror was true; then I couldn’t decide whether I really believed it or not. The further I researched, the more it became clear to me that The Amityville Horror is probably the greatest hoax, intentionally out of greed, in history. Many still believe in The Amityville Horror: A True Story by Jay Anson; published in 1977. It was based on the “true” events of the Lutz’s family’s experiences in the Amityville Horror house, which eventually led to film. I believe that the book is overrated and too good to be true, as well as the movies, yet very entertaining.