This is the real-life story of his crimes and how they spawned a ghost story which has terrified the world for decades. Who is Nissa Burkhalter? Ronald Joseph DeFeo Jr. (September 26, 1951 - March 12, 2021) was an American mass murderer who was tried and convicted for the 1974 killings of his father, mother, two brothers, and two sisters in Amityville, Long Island, New York. 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. In 1974, he used a rifle to kill his father, Ronald . Youd go down there as kids, not really understanding the gravity of it, but you heard about all the murders in the house. A prosecution expert testified that while DeFeo was an admitted LSD and heroin user, he was sane at the time of the murders. "The front door would slam shut in the middle of the night.". At the police station, he said an alleged hitman, Louis Falini, had carried out the murders and claimed that he might be in danger, too. The authorities believed that all six victims were shot at close range, and a silencer could not have been used. 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. He also alleged that his wife, Kathy, would sometimes appear transformed into a wrinkled old woman, and that green slime had oozed from the walls. Their story inspired author Jay Ansons 1977 book The Amityville Horror.. He was 9 years old. Newsday originally revealed his passing. [7] He was taken to the local police station for his own protection after suggesting to police officers at the scene of the crime that the killings had been carried out by a mob hit man, Louis Falini. She was 43 years old. During one moving sale in 2010, hundreds of people came to view the house, with some queuing for hours to get a peek inside. . DeFeo had been at the Albany Medical Center on March 12, 2021, when he was declared dead. It was reported that his cause of death would be determined and announced by the Albany County Medical Examiner's Office officially. DeFeo had been transferred to the hospital on February 2 from the Sullivan Correctional Facility in Fallsburg, N.Y., where he had been imprisoned since 1975 after confessing to six counts of second-degree murder. DeFeo, who was 23 at the time of the murders, would have been eligible for a parole hearing in July. The nature of the killings DeFeo's parents and four siblings were found dead in their beds, each with a single bullet in their back and tales of angry spirits haunting the Dutch Colonial-style Ocean Avenue home in the aftermath, stunned Long Island and much of the country. There were no signs of a struggle inside the home, where a sign hanging outside the main entrance read, High Hopes.. The cause of his death wasn't revealed at the time. In the dead of night, he murdered his family, including both parents and four younger siblings evidence suggests his mother and 13-year-old sister Allison were awake when he turned his gun on them. A ruling on cause of death is pending an autopsy. In a 1986 interview, Butch attempted to shift the blame onto his sister and mother. When I got a gun in my hand, there's no doubt in my mind who I am. U.S. Covid-19 Update: CDC Director Warns Case Declines May Be Leveling Off At "Still A Very High Number', Coronavirus: Movies That Have Halted Or Delayed Production Amid Outbreak, Hong Kong Filmart Postponed Due To Coronavirus Fears; Event Moves Two Weeks Before Toronto. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. 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 Credit: Getty The 1974 massacre in Amityville, Long Island, horrified America and saw DeFeo jailed for life. Ronald Joseph DeFeo Jr, also known as Ronald DeFeo Jr, is an infamous American criminal who was sentenced to prison for the mass killing of his whole family.. DeFeo whose murderous spree served as the inspiration behind the "The Amityville Horror" book and movie franchise died Friday while serving a 25-years-to-life sentence at Sullivan. DeFeo's initial trial defense was that he had heard his family's voices plotting against him. Ronald DeFeo Jr., the Long Island man serving a life sentence for slaughtering his parents and four siblings in a 1974 crime that would inspire The Amityville Horror book and movie franchise, died March 12 at the Albany Medical Center in New York. DeFeo was ordered held without bail on one count of second-degree Read More Ronald DeFeo Jr., center, leaves Suffolk County district court after a hearing, Nov. 15, 1974. 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. Distractify is a registered trademark. Ronald DeFeo Jr., the killer in "The Amityville Horror" case, has died, according to a spokesperson for the New York State prisons department. Since then there has been a 3-D movie take on the story and a 2005 remake of the original film starring Ryan Reynolds and Melissa George. DeFeo, 23 at the time, shot each of his family members with a .35-caliber Marlin Lever action rifle, police said. Their story inspired author, Jay Ansons 1977 book The Amityville Horror.. Homicide detectives said it was the largest number of victims in a single slaying on Long Island in recent memory, reported Newsday in 1974. The DeFeo parents had both been shot twice, while the children had all been killed with single . WHEN Ronald DeFeo Jr finally confessed to cops, he said of his spree: "Once I started, I just couldn't stop". DeFeo died Friday while serving a 25 years-to-life sentence at Sullivan Correctional facility in Fallsburg, New York, officials told Newsday. When I got a gun in my hand, there's no doubt in my mind who I am. Soon after, Father Pecoraro fell ill with flu-like symptoms and his hands began to bleed, while the Lutzs began to notice unsettling phenomena in their new home. It was the stuff of unthinkable nightmares. I am God.". The murdered members of the DeFeo family are buried in nearby Saint Charles Cemetery in Farmingdale. 2023 Oscars predictions: See who will win at the 95th Academy Awards. 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. 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. Photo: Getty Images. IMDb, the world's most popular and authoritative source for movie, TV and celebrity content. Killed his whole family on the night of November 13, 1974. Birth Sign Libra. The house stood empty for 13 months until the Lutz family bought for $80,000 in December 1975 they thought it was a bargain. . "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. According to The New. All Rights Reserved. The Amityville house is infamous as the site where in 1974, Ronald Defeo Jr. murdered his entire family while they were asleep.Thirteen months later the Lutz family purchased the home at a drastically reduced price. DeFeo was later found guilty of killing his parents, two brothers on March 12, 2021 at Albany Medical Center, according to the New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision. DeFeo was endeavored and condemned for the 1974 killings Nissa Burkhalter Biography Nissa Burkhalter was the ex-wife of Ronald DeFeo, an American mass murderer. But no changes in the case were ever made as a result of those claims. The victims were DeFeos father, Ronald DeFeo Sr., 43, his mother Louise DeFeo, 42, and siblings Dawn, 18, Allison, 13, Mark, 11 and John, 9, according to newspaper articles at the time. Vault Links: FOIA Home. Ronald DeFeo Jr. So, lets find out more about this case then, shall we? Since the Lutz family moved out, subsequent owners of the house have changed its address number and appearance to deter visitors. 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. Another potential motive was that he benefited from a hefty insurance policy. The following day, he confessed to carrying out the killings himself; and Falini, the alleged hitman, had an alibi proving he was out of state at the time of the killings. When DeFeo initially reported the deaths of his family, he ran into a local bar and claimed they had been shot. Petrified, the family fled the house just one month after moving in. Pam Grier reflects on her most iconic roles, from Coffy to Jackie Brown. 21 3.6K views 1 year ago Ronald Joseph DeFeo Jr. (September 26, 1951 - March 12, 2021) was an American mass murderer who was tried and convicted for the 1974 killings of his father, mother,. Initially, Butch claimed that someone from the mob killed his family. Send us a tip using our annonymous form. Im sick of it.". Ronald Joseph DeFeo Jr. (September 26, 1951 March 12, 2021) was an American mass murderer who was tried and convicted for the 1974 killings of his father, mother, two brothers, and two sisters in Amityville, Long Island, New York. Pam Grier reflects on her most iconic roles, from, From the archives: EW takes a trip to Amityville. In advance of the series premiere, heres what you need to know about the real-life Amityville Horror.. Butch died on March 12, 2021, at 69-years-old at a hospital in Albany, New York. Ronald DeFeo Jr., the convicted killer whose 1974 murders spawned the "Amityville Horror" franchise, died last week while serving a 25 years-to-life prison term, officials said Monday. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA Enterprise and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. On one occasion, he claimed he found his wife Kathy levitating across the bed and, on another, he saw a vision of DeFeo's head floating in the cellar. The case inspired the book and film versions of The Amityville Horror. Ronald "Butch" DeFeo, who committed the murders at the heart of theAmityville Horrorbook and movies, has died in New York state custody. Condemned to six sentences of 25 years to life, DeFeo died in prison on March 12, 2021. Ronald DeFeo Jr., known as Butch, was convicted of killing his whole family in a crime that shocked the nation. Suffolk County detectives excort Ronald DeFeo, Jr. The DeFeo parents had both been shot twice, while the children had all been killed with single shots. The Sun website is regulated by the Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO), Our journalists strive for accuracy but on occasion we make mistakes. However, an interview at the station soon exposed serious inconsistencies in his version of events. I loved my family very much, he said at a 1999 parole hearing, according to AP. As Father Ray Pecoraro performed the rites, he heard a masculine voice tell him to "get out". He died while still serving time in prison - no cause of death has yet been released Credit: YouTube. But no changes in the case were ever made as a result of those claims. "People didnt think of Long Island as a place where mass murder happens. Keeler recalled the widespread attention the case drew. DeFeo killed his father, mother, two brothers and two sisters inside their home in Suffolk County, New York, back in 1974, WABC News reported. On December 21, 1975, DeFeo was convicted of six counts of second-degree murder and sentenced to six sentences of 25-years to life. Oxygen Insider is your all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! But the story of the house where the killings took place, on 112 Ocean Avenue, has become the stuff of legend because of chilling paranormal claims made about it. I am God.". [5] The DeFeo family had occupied 112 Ocean Avenue since purchasing it in 1965. Create a free profile to get unlimited access to exclusive videos, breaking news, sweepstakes, and more! Another possible reason DeFeo might have killed his family was for a potentially sizable life insurance policy. 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. Entertainment Weekly may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. In the aftermath it has been churned into books and a hit movie series, "The Amityville Horror.". Sign up for Deadline's Newsletter. In a 1986 interview with Newsday, DeFeo even claimed his sister, Dawn DeFeo, had carried out the murders with an accomplice.
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