The Defeo Murders: The Real Amityville Horror

Many, especially those who reside in New York, are familiar with the notorious Amityville house in Long Island. The house and the events that occurred in it are infamous: George and Kathy Lutz moved in with their children soon after a grisly slew of murders took place there. Twenty-eight days later, they fled the house in terror, leaving behind all of their possessions. Among their recollections of their stay in the house were tales of demonic possession, ghostly presences and strange occurrences that ultimately drove them from their home. Their version of events was told in a non-fiction novel written by Jay Anson entitled “The Amityville Horror.” A movie by the same title was released in 1979, followed by several sequels and a re-make in 2005. To this day it is unknown whether or not these events were true or a hoax, however the chilling murders that occurred before the Lutz family moved in are unfortunately very true.

From an outsider’s perspective, the DeFeos were living the American dream. Ronald DeFeo worked at his father-in-law’s car dealership while his wife, Louise, cared for their five children. After years of hard work, they became very wealthy and purchased a beautiful waterfront Dutch colonial in Amityville, Long Island. The house was stunning; it was everything they had ever wanted and more. Unbeknownst to them, it was also where all but one of them would be savagely murdered by someone they knew and loved.

While financially and materially they were extremely fortunate, they were not so lucky in other aspects. Ronald DeFeo was a belligerent man who often abused and terrorized his wife and children. The eldest son, Ronald junior (aka “Butch”) got the worst of his father’s abuse. The two locked horns quite frequently. As Butch got older, the altercations between him and his father escalated and became more violent. It was not uncommon for the two to get into physical brawls.

Butch quickly developed a temper even worse than his father’s. His parents sent him to a therapist, but nothing came of it. At a loss for a solution, Ronald and Louise placated their son with expensive gifts including a $14,000 speedboat. Despite their efforts, their son’s behavior worsened. At 17, Butch was kicked out of his high school for drug use and petty theft.

Butch became increasingly more violent and hostile. While on a hunting trip with some of his peers, he held a shotgun to his friend’s head and stared blankly as his friend fled in terror. He saw his friend later that day and acted as if nothing had happened. During one of the frequent fights between his mother and father, Butch loaded a shotgun and pointed it at his father’s head. He pulled the trigger, but for an unknown reason the gun did not fire. He then turned around and walked out of the room without saying a word. This incident foreshadowed the events to come.