In 1999, Ronald DeFeo Jr. said, I loved my family very much. But 25 years earlier, he had killed all of them in an infamous slaying. 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 inspired. To see all content on The Sun, please use the Site Map. On December 21, 1975, DeFeo was convicted of six counts of second-degree murder and sentenced to six sentences of 25-years to life. At around 6.30pm that evening, DeFeo went into a nearby bar asking for help, pretending to have just discovered the bloodbath. DeFeo was 23 when, in the early morning hours of Nov. 13, 1974, he shot and killed his father Ronald DeFeo Sr., his mother Louise, and younger siblings Dawn, Allison, Mark and John Matthew. G.W. Ronald DeFeo's cause of death. According to The New. Screams to Screens: The Amityville Horror. [3]The victims were Ronald Jr.'s parents: Ronald DeFeo Sr. (age 43) and Louise DeFeo (ne Brigante, 43); and his four siblings: Dawn (18), Allison (13), Marc (12), and John Matthew (9). DeFeo, who was 23 at the time of the murders, would have been eligible for a parole hearing in July. Send us a tip using our annonymous form. On March 12, 2021, Ronald DeFeo Jr. died in prison at the age of 69. "As far as I'm concerned, if I didn't kill my family, they were going to kill me," DeFeo reportedly said at trial. Copyright 2023 Meredith Corporation. Ronald DeFeo Jr., the killer who inspired "The Amityville Horror" book and movie series, has died, according to a spokesperson for the New York State Department of Corrections and Community . DeFeo was tried and convicted for the 1974 killings of. Looking for Ron Defore online? 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. He was 69. All rights reserved. The authorities believed that all six victims were shot at close range, and a silencer could not have been used. It was reported that his cause of death would be determined and announced by the Albany County Medical Examiner's Office officially. jone. The bodies were found in the bedrooms of the family home in the village of Amityville, Long Island. The MCUs tiniest heroes are kicking off its biggest phase yet, setting up the next several years of storytelling. "And as far as I'm concerned, what I did was self-defence and there was nothing wrong with it. They'd been told about the massacre during a house viewing but decided it wasn't enough to put them off snapping up a five-bed home with a boat house for such a low price. "'There were sounds," George Lutz told ABC. Victims were found in their nightclothes and were shot in the back, apparently while they were asleep. However, the neighbors reported only hearing the family dog on the night of the murders. 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. The success of both the novel and the movie spawned a long series of sequels both on the bookshelves and in theaters, along with countless TV pseudo-documentaries. Ronald is originated from United States. DeFeo was transferred to Albany Medical Center and pronounced dead at 6:35 p.m. An autopsy will be performed to determine the cause of death, officials said. he was murdered, along with the rest of his family, by older brother Ronald Jr. on the night of November 13, 1974. 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. A ruling on cause of death is pending an autopsy. 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 the book, the Lutzes fled the house in terror after 28 days of windows slamming, an oozing slime occurring, and ghoulish visions appearing. Some people outside of the case presumed this to mean he'd heard voices in his head as a result of the family home being haunted. 2K Views. His death was announced yesterday by the New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision. Sometime during the evening of November 13, 1974, Butch rushed to a local bar and pleaded for help because he had discovered his parents dead in the house. Apart from his parents, his siblings were also dead. He was 9 years old. 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. It was the stuff of unthinkable nightmares. 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. Ronald DeFeo Jr., in 1974. . His 43-year-old parents, Ronald and Louise, were both shot twice. 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. Later on, the films and many of the books that followed centers around the Lutzes purported experiences in the house. Their account of what they went through was made into a book called The Amityville Horror: A True Story which has been repeatedly adapted into several terrifying Hollywood films. Powered by WordPress.com VIP. 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. Since the Lutz family moved out, subsequent owners of the house have changed its address number and appearance to deter visitors. The New York man convicted of gruesomely killing his siblings and parents in 1974 and subsequently inspiring the Amityville Horror franchise has died. The weapon was believed to be a .35-caliber rifle, and a similar firearm was later found in a creek behind the family home. Their story inspired author, Jay Ansons 1977 book The Amityville Horror.. Distractify is a registered trademark. This disturbing kind of crime is featured in, On November 13, 1974, Ronald DeFeo Sr., 43, a car salesman; his wife, Louise DeFeo, 43; and four of their five children including Dawn, 18; Allison, 13; Marc, 12; and John, 9, were. Former Newsday reporter and editor Bob Keeler, 77, of Stony Brook, interviewed DeFeo at the Attica Correctional Facility in 1986. Crime News is your destination for true crime stories from around the world, breaking crime news, and information about Oxygen's original true crime shows and documentaries. 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. 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. The murders became famous for being central to the book and movie The Amityville Horror. His defense attorney, William Weber, tried to make a case that the defendant, who allegedly heard voices, was innocent by reason of insanity. [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. "Amityville Horror" killer Ronald DeFeo -- who killed his six family members in 1974 on Long Island -- has died behind bars, according to officials. A ruling on cause of death is pending an autopsy. Those details, and others, have come under scrutiny, of the same name starring James Brolin and Margot Kidder became a big-screen hit. Though all of the supernatural claims were eventually debunked and the book criticized as a hoax, nearly 30 films either theatrical or direct-to-video have used the Amityville title or concept, including 1983s Amityville 3-D, 2005s The Amityville Horror remake starring Ryan Reynolds, and, in 2017, Amityville: The Awakening. He told police that he arrived shortly after 6 p.m. but found the front door locked. The 1974 massacre in Amityville, Long Island, horrified America and saw DeFeo jailed for life. Ronald DeFeo died on . Sometimes, truth really is stranger than fiction. The sentenced killer was taken to Albany Medical Center and articulated dead at 6:35 p.m. A post-mortem performed by the Albany County Medical Examiner's Office will decide an authority reason for death. An official cause of death has not yet been determined or released (but this page will be updated here once that information is released). Though all of the supernatural claims were eventually debunked and the book criticized as a hoax, nearly 30 films either theatrical or direct-to-video have used the Amityville title or concept, including1983s Amityville 3-D, 2005s The Amityville Horror remake starring Ryan Reynolds, and, in 2017, Amityville: The Awakening. Their story inspired author Jay Ansons 1977 book The Amityville Horror.. 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 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. At the time, the family lived in a home in Amityville in Long Island, New York, and Butch worked with his father at a car dealership. "It was a vicious crime, and it happened on quiet Long island," Keeler said. The case inspired the book and film versions of . Sign up forOxygen Insiderfor all the best true crime content. He was born on September 26, 1951 and his birthplace is New York. He died while still serving time on Friday. 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. DeFeo gunned down his family using a .35-caliber Marlin lever-action. January 30, 2022 January 30, 2022. He was sentenced to six concurrent 25-year-to-life sentences. 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. The confessed killer, after first pleading an insanity defense, would later attempt to shift blame on one of his deceased sisters. A prosecution expert testified that while DeFeo was an admitted LSD and heroin user, he was sane at the time of the murders. Vault Links: FOIA Home. On March 12, 2021, Ronald DeFeo Jr. died in prison at the age of 69. To inquire about a licence to reproduce material, visit our Syndication site. 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. [1]Contents1 Murders2 Trial and conviction3 Controversies4 Death5 In popular culture6 References7 External linksMurders[edit]Around 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, November 13, 1974, 23-year-old DeFeo entered Henry's Bar in Amityville, Long Island, New York, and declared: \"You got to help me! Back then, it was reported that Butch had a tense relationship with his father because Butch was known to use drugs, drank, and often got into fights. Ray Liuzza, a 34-year-old businessman, was recently promoted to Vice President of a hotel. 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. sign hanging outside the main entrance read. This is the real-life story of his crimes and how they spawned a ghost story which has terrified the world for decades. The DeFeo parents had both been shot twice, while the children had all been killed with single . As US Day News writes, "It was reported that his cause of death would be determined and announced by the Albany County Medical Examiner's Office officially. WHEN Ronald DeFeo Jr finally confessed to cops, he said of his spree: "Once I started, I just couldn't stop". Main > Ronald DeFeo Jr. Tue, 16 March 2021 . ", Privacy Policy |Terms of service |Subscription terms |Your ad choices |Cookie Settings |California Privacy Rights |About Us |Contact Newsday |Reprints & permissions |Advertise with Newsday |Help. James McNamara, an assistant pastor at the family's church at the time, told reporters. A-Z Index. During one moving sale in 2010, hundreds of people came to view the house, with some queuing for hours to get a peek inside. "From a former investigators standpoint, I couldnt imagine the scene that the cops had to witness," he said. 1. Homicide detectives said it was the largest number of victims in a single slaying on Long Island in recent memory,, . However, an interview at the station soon exposed serious inconsistencies in his version of events. The original Amityville Horror (1979) starred James Brolin and Margot Kidder, and a 2005 remake of the same name had Ryan Reynolds play George Lutz. Ronald is also well known as, Mass murderer who shot his mother, father, and four siblings while they lay sleeping, and was inspiration for the film and book The Amityville Horror. Over the years, many accounts have debunked the Lutzs' claims but the legend of the Amityville Horror persists all the same. Ronald "Butch" DeFeo, who committed the murders at the heart of the Amityville Horror book and movies, has died in New York state custody. A State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision spokeswoman said DeFeo was transferred to Albany Medical Center and was pronounced dead at 6:35 p.m. Friday.