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Ronald DeFeo Jr. Dies in Prison

Ronald DeFeo Jr., convicted of the infamous “Amityville Horror” mass murder, died in prison this past Friday, March 12, 2021. He was 69 years old. DeFeo was serving a 25-years-to-life sentence at Sullivan Correctional Facility in Fallsburg, N.Y. and was scheduled for a parole hearing in July. He was pronounced dead at 6:35 p.m. after being transferred to Albany Medical Facility. The cause of death has yet to be determined.

DeFeo was convicted of six counts of second-degree murder for the deaths of his parents, two brothers, and two sisters. The DeFeos were shot and killed with a .35 caliber rifle as they slept on November 13, 1974. At first, DeFeo claimed that the killings were a mob hit but shortly after confessed to killing his family himself.

DeFeo, the eldest child in the family, claimed he heard voices that told him that his family was plotting against him. “Once I started, I just couldn’t stop…It went so fast…” DeFeo said to the police during his confession. DeFeo said that he took a bath, got dressed, and got rid of all the evidence before going to work. He gave detailed information on the location where he discarded the blood-stained clothes and murder weapon. He has changed the story of what happened many times since.

DeFeo’s crimes provided a macabre backstory for one of the most famous haunted houses in paranormal history. The unassuming little Dutch Colonial in Amityville, Long Island, NY was the site of the now well-known story of the Lutz family dramatized in the classic haunted house thriller The Amityville Horror (1979). George and Kathy Lutz claimed to have been traumatized by some sort of demonic entity which caused them to move out only 28 days after moving into the house. The film was based on the 1977 book by the same name by Jay Anson. DeFeo’s attorney, William Weber, came forward in the years since and claimed that he was involved in writing the book with the Lutzes. “We created this horror story over many bottles of wine…It is a hoax,” Weber said.

Before the Lutzes, Ronald DeFeo Jr. lived in the house with his family: Ronald DeFeo Sr. (age 43) and Louise DeFeo (née Brigante, 43), and his four siblings Dawn (18), Allison (13), Marc (12), and John Matthew (9). The family moved into the Ocean Avenue home in 1965.

Ronald DeFeo Jr., called “Butch,” reportedly did not get along with his father, who has been described as abusive. Butch DeFeo became an addict as an adult who had frequent violent arguments with his father. During one argument, he threatened his father with a gun.

The home from The Amityville Horror
The Amityville Horror house as depicted in the 2005 remake of the 1979 classic film.

On Wednesday, November 13, 1974, at 6:39 p.m., the then 23-year-old DeFeo entered Henry’s Bar, located near the DeFeo home. He called out to patrons: “You got to help me! I think my mother and father are shot!” A group of people went with DeFeo back to the house where they found DeFeo’s family dead. A friend of DeFeo’s, Joe Yeswit, called the police. It was determined that all of the victims had been shot with a .35 caliber lever action Marlin 336C rifle around 3 AM that day.

DeFeo’s attorney tried unsuccessfully to mount an insanity defense based on DeFeo’s claim that he committed the murders because he heard voices telling him that his family was plotting against him. Psychiatrist Daniel Schwartz supported the insanity plea, but Dr. Harold Zolan countered on behalf of the prosecution. Dr. Zolan said that “…although DeFeo was a user of heroin and LSD, he had an antisocial personality disorder and was aware of his actions at the time of the crime.”

DeFeo was found guilty of six counts of second-degree murder in November of 1975. He was sentenced to six sentences of 25 years to life. DeFeo filed many appeals and requests to the parole board which were all denied.

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Written by MD Bastek

Just a person who loves horror and writes about unusual things

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