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