On December 21, 1975, DeFeo was convicted of six counts of second-degree murder and sentenced . DeFeo, 69, died at approximately 6:35 p.m. on Friday at Albany Medical Center, according to the New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision. During one moving sale in 2010, hundreds of people came to view the house, with some queuing for hours to get a peek inside. Offers may be subject to change without notice. Over the years, many accounts have debunked the Lutzs' claims but the legend of the Amityville Horror persists all the same. The bodies were found in the bedrooms of the family home in the village of Amityville, Long Island. His death was announced yesterday by the New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision. Ronald DeFeo Jr was serving a 25-to-life sentence for the brutal killing of his mom, dad, two sisters and two brothers. DeFeo gunned down his family using a .35-caliber Marlin lever-action rifle, inside their home on Ocean Avenue in Amityville, New York, on November 13, 1974. George and Kathy Lutz moved into the Dutch Colonial home with their three kids a year after the massacre, but famously fled 28 days later without their possessions because they'd been so traumatised by hauntings in the house which included claims of slime oozing from the walls and a priest's hands bleeding after attempting to bless the property. Ronald DeFeo Jr. dead: The true story of the Amityville Horror killer Fifth and youngest child of Ronald Sr., and Louise De Feo. 'Amityville Horror' killer Ronald Defeo Jr. dies in prison at age 69 Death 12 Mar 2021 (aged 69) Albany, Albany County, New York, USA . Amityville Killer Ronald DeFeo Jr. Dies In Prison - CBS New York His victims included his parents, two younger sisters, and two little brothers. Others figured that the voices he'd heard were a result of taking LSD, which DeFeo had admitted to using. The nightmarish account of DeFeo's murders and the Lutz's supernatural ordeal are being reexamined following news of DeFeo's death aged 69 at the Sullivan Correctional Facility in New York on Friday. Distractify is a registered trademark. Petrified, the family fled the house just one month after moving in. The murders became famous for being central to the book and movie "The Amityville Horror". All of the victims had been shot with a .35 caliber lever action Marlin 336C rifle[4] around three o'clock in the morning of that day. John Robertoun of Earnock, son and heir of Robert Robertoun of Earnock, who succeeded his father and married Elizabeth daughter of Alexander Cleland of that Ilk, an ancient family in Lanarkshire, whose mother was daughter to Lord Sommerville. this link is to an external site that may or may not meet accessibility guidelines. Victims were found in their nightclothes and were shot in the back, apparently while they were asleep. [5] The DeFeo family had occupied 112 Ocean Avenue since purchasing it in 1965. Create your free profile and get access to exclusive content. One that left a family dead and the only surviving member of the family and the killer behind bars for the rest of his life. On November 21, 1975, just over a year after the slayings, DeFeo Jr. was found guilty of six counts of second-degree murder. Ronald DeFeo Jr was serving a 25-to-life sentence for the brutal killing of his mom, dad, two sisters and two brothers. The authorities believed that all six victims were shot at close range, and a silencer could not have been used. inside their upscale home in suburban Amityville, New York. Ronald DeFeo Jr., Murderer Who Inspired The Amityville Horror - IMDb 'Amityville Horror' killer Ronald DeFeo dies in Albany Sign up forOxygen Insiderfor all the best true crime content. on March 12, 2021 at Albany Medical Center, according to the New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision. Create a free profile to get unlimited access to exclusive videos, breaking news, sweepstakes, and more! Ronald DeFeo, the 'Amityville Horror' murderer who killed his six family members in 1974 on New York's Long Island, has died in prison. He was 69. DeFeo was serving a sentence of 25 years to life in the 1974 killings in Amityville , on suburban Long Island. To inquire about a licence to reproduce material, visit our Syndication site. His 43-year-old parents, Ronald and Louise, were both shot twice. 'Amityville Horror' killer Ronald Defeo Jr. dead at 69 Ronald DeFeo: Startling and Horrific Family Killer Gets Life This may be a good place to introduce yourself and your site or include some credits. "It was a vicious crime, and it happened on quiet Long island," Keeler said. Butch was serving his sentence at the Sullivan Correctional Facility in Fallsburg, New York, when he was transferred to a medical center on February 2, 2021. In 1977, author Jay Anson published The Amityville Horror, claiming the haunted house tale was based on the experiences of the Lutz family who moved into the house following the murders. Some theories of why he did it include the multiple drugs and alcohol he was on, being possessed by demons and the many fights with his family. March 16, 2021 10:30am. Ronald DeFeo Jr., who massacred his entire family in 1974 in their Amityville home while they slept, a case that gained national attention and spawned multiple books and movies, died Friday while imprisoned, according to state prison records. Vault Links: FOIA Home. Whether or not it was, the DeFeo family murders set the stage for the property to be a chilling home for decades to come. G.W. Is Ronald DeFeo Jr. Still Alive? Why Did Butch Kill His Family? ", The house on Ocean Avenue in Amityville where Ronald DeFeo Jr. murdered six family members in 1974. Credit: Kevin P. Coughlin. It was after 3am on November 13, 1974, when DeFeo, who was known as "Butch", went from room to room killing his loved ones. While Butchs story kept changing over the years, the courts still believed he was the only one responsible for murdering the family. All victims were found in the same position, face down in bed. It was the stuff of unthinkable nightmares. [8] DeFeo died on March 12, 2021 at the Albany Medical Center. The whole thing was a con, except for the crime.. This is the real-life story of his crimes and how they spawned a ghost story which has terrified the world for decades. Ronald DeFeo Jr. (1951-2021) - Find a Grave Memorial His crimes horrified America but it was the scene of the crime itself which soon became the greater source of terror. They publicly said they encountered demonic voices and presences while they lived there. Their story inspired author Jay Ansons 1977 book The Amityville Horror.. He was born on September 26, 1951 and his birthplace is New York. Condemned to six sentences of 25 years to life, DeFeo died in custody in 2021. Although DeFeo tried multiple times to overturn his conviction, he was never granted parole. "Thereve been four owners since the murders," he told the Washington Post in 2016,"And none of them ran out of the house screaming, and there were no strange experiences., Mom 'stabs 3 of her kids to death and wounds 2 others in unsupervised visit', Daughter of murdered couple linked to Delphi case reveals paranoia, Serena Williams stepmom's debts continue to spiral amid crumbling home battle, Alex Murdaugh looks unrecognizable in new mugshot hours after sentencing, 2020 THE SUN, US, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED | TERMS OF USE | PRIVACY | YOUR AD CHOICES | SITEMAP, Ronald DeFeo at a court hearing in 1992 - he died on Friday at the age of 69 while serving life for the murders of his parents and four siblings in Amityville, New York, The house at 112 Ocean Avenue became one of the darkest addresses in America, Neighbours watched on in horror as six bodies were removed from the house in 1974, (Back row, left to right): John, Allison and Marc (Front row, left to right) Dawn and Ronald Jr, The lever-action rifle DeFeo used in the horrific slaughter of his family, DeFeo initially tried to pin the killings on a mob hitman before confessing to the crimes himself, He died while still serving time in prison - no cause of death has yet been released, George and Kathy Lutz moved into 112 Ocean Avenue a year after the murders, George Lutz reported seeing the glowing red eyes of a pig-like demonic creature out of one of the windows along with a host of other frights inside the house, The house still stands in Amityville, New York, to this day, James Brolin and Margot Kidder played George and Kathy Lutz in The Amityville Horror (1979), Owners have changed the house's address and appearance in more recent years, Local historians are said to be disdainful of the notoriety the films have brought to Amityville. Mother of the DeFeo family and wife of Ronald DeFeo, Sr. DeFeo killed his father, mother, two brothers and two sisters inside their home in Suffolk County, New York, back in 1974, WABC News reported. During his 1975 trial, DeFeo admitted the killings. In 1975, DeFeo was convicted of six counts of second-degree murder for the deaths of his mother, father, two brothers, and two sisters. Murder Victim. Entertainment Weekly is a registered trademark of Meredith Corporation All Rights Reserved. NEW YORK Convicted "Amityville Horror" killer Ronald DeFeo Jr., who in 1974 shot and killed his parents and four younger siblings inside their Long Island home in a grisly case that. Although DeFeo attempted to defend his actions in court through insanity and self-defense, the prosecution successfully argued that he was aware of the consequences of his actions. DeFeo initially claimed the murders were connected to organized crime, but confessed under interrogation the day after the killings. Meanwhile, a prosecution expert testified that while DeFeo was an admitted LSD and heroin user, he was sane at the time of the murders, according to a Newsday report in 2021. So, lets find out more about this case then, shall we. New York, and had been taken to the hospital on February 2nd. Ronald DeFeo Jr., who slaughtered his parents and four siblings in 1974, has died at the age of 69 in prison. The bodies were found in the bedrooms of the family home in the village of Amityville, Long Island. At trial, his defence team tried to argue he was insane, arguing that DeFeo had heard voices saying that his family were plotting against him. 2023 Deadline Hollywood, LLC. It was the stuff of unthinkable nightmares. He was convicted of six counts of second-degree murder. Butch had two brothers and two sisters, aged between 9 and 18 at the time of the incident. Sign up for Deadline's Newsletter. According to The New. In later interviews, Butch claimed that he was forced to follow the legal route by his lawyer, adding, He told me I had to do this. DeFeo had been at the Albany Medical Center on March 12, 2021, when he was declared dead. The case inspired the book and film versions of The Amityville Horror. WHEN Ronald DeFeo Jr finally confessed to cops, he said of his spree: "Once I started, I just couldn't stop". His defense attorney, William Weber, tried to make a case that the defendant, who allegedly heard voices, was innocent by reason of insanity,NBC Newsreported. According to Suffolk County Police, the victims were all found lying face down in bed. In 1974, as his parents and four siblings slept in their three-story home in Long Island, New York, a 23-year-old Ronald DeFeo Jr. executed them. View our online Press Pack. March 16, 2021. Murder Victim. Killed his whole family on the night of November 13, 1974. The Real Story Behind The Murder Of DeFeo Family He claimed he then crawled into the house through a window and stumbled across the bloody scene. Copyright 2023 Meredith Corporation. But even now, people are curious about what led DeFeo to commit the murders and if he really did hear voices in his head, as he had claimed at one point. MondayFriday: 9:00AM5:00PM Physical evidence suggests that Louise DeFeo and her daughter Allison were both awake at the time of their deaths. Ronald DeFeo Jr., the man whose brutal slayings of his parents and siblings inspired "The Amityville Horror" book and movie series, has died in prison custody. The year prior, the Lutz family, doing business as Amityville Enterprises, filed legal documents to remove Dimension Films option on the franchise from the court-supervised sale of Weinstein Co. assets. [2] He admitted that he had taken a bath and redressed, and detailed where he had discarded crucial evidence such as blood-stained clothes and the Marlin rifle and cartridges before going to work as usual. The Lutzes, who moved into the house after the murders, later claimed that the house was haunted. DeFeo was tried and convicted for the 1974 killings of Nissa Burkhalter Bio She was the ex of Ronald DeFeo who was an American mass executioner. He had initially told the police that he drugged the family with barbiturates before committing the murders. Why Did Ronald DeFeo Jr. Kill His Family? It's Debatable - Distractify [6]Ronald DeFeo Jr., also known as \"Butch\", was the eldest son of the family and its lone surviving member. He was 69. State Supreme Court Justice Thomas Stark called the murders the "most heinous and abhorrent crimes. The DeFeos Were All Found In The Same Position. To celebrate, he enjoyed the night on Bourbon Street. DeFeo, 69, died Friday while serving a sentence at Sullivan . For further details of our complaints policy and to make a complaint please click this link: thesun.co.uk/editorial-complaints/, Ronald DeFeo at a court hearing in 1992 - he died on Friday at the age of 69 while serving life for the murders of his parents and four siblings in Amityville, New York, The house at 112 Ocean Avenue became one of the darkest addresses in America, Neighbours watched on in horror as six bodies were removed from the house in 1974, (Back row, left to right): John, Allison and Marc (Front row, left to right) Dawn and Ronald Jr, The lever-action rifle DeFeo used in the horrific slaughter of his family, DeFeo initially tried to pin the killings on a mob hitman before confessing to the crimes himself, He died while still serving time in prison - no cause of death has yet been released, George and Kathy Lutz moved into 112 Ocean Avenue a year after the murders, George Lutz reported seeing the glowing red eyes of a pig-like demonic creature out of one of the windows along with a host of other frights inside the house, The house still stands in Amityville, New York, to this day, James Brolin and Margot Kidder played George and Kathy Lutz in The Amityville Horror (1979), Owners have changed the house's address and appearance in more recent years, Local historians are said to be disdainful of the notoriety the films have brought to Amityville.