Amityville Horror
The Amityville Horror has turned from a real suburban American tragedy into a horrific myth. It has become the source of bestselling novels and the subject of several movies.
These are some of the facts as they are known.
On November 13, 1974, in the house at 112 Ocean Ave., Amityville, 24-year-old Ronald DeFeo murdered his family. DeFeo used a high-powered rifle, shot to death his father, mother, two brothers and two sisters. All six members of Ronald DeFeo’s family were killed as they slept and all, said police, were found lying in the same position, on their stomachs with their heads resting on their arms.
At his murder trial, Ronald DeFeo testified that he had killed his family because he had heard voices. "Whenever I looked around, there was no one there, so it must have been God talking to me," he said.
On December 18, 1975, more than a year after the terrible murders, a family of five moved in. They were George and Kathy Lutz and their children Daniel, 9, Christopher, 7 and Missy 5. Twenty eight days later the family fled the house, claiming it was haunted.
According to the Lutzes and their priest, the following events took place during the 28 days the Lutzes lived at 112 Ocean Avenue:
•While the priest was blessing the house as the family move in, a strange masculine voice clearly said to him "Get out!" As he drove back to the rectory, the hood of the priest’s car flew open, smashing against his windshield. One of the welded hinges tore loose. The right door flew open. The car stalled. The priest summoned a friend for help and later the friend called the priest and said, "Do you know what happened to me after I dropped you off? The windshield wipers, they began to fly back and forth like crazy! I couldn’t stop! I never turn them on! What the hell is going on?"
•In the house windows flew up and down and doors were repeatedly ripped off their hinges in the house even though they were securely locked.
•Mrs. Lutz levitated a foot above
These are some of the facts as they are known.
On November 13, 1974, in the house at 112 Ocean Ave., Amityville, 24-year-old Ronald DeFeo murdered his family. DeFeo used a high-powered rifle, shot to death his father, mother, two brothers and two sisters. All six members of Ronald DeFeo’s family were killed as they slept and all, said police, were found lying in the same position, on their stomachs with their heads resting on their arms.
At his murder trial, Ronald DeFeo testified that he had killed his family because he had heard voices. "Whenever I looked around, there was no one there, so it must have been God talking to me," he said.
On December 18, 1975, more than a year after the terrible murders, a family of five moved in. They were George and Kathy Lutz and their children Daniel, 9, Christopher, 7 and Missy 5. Twenty eight days later the family fled the house, claiming it was haunted.
According to the Lutzes and their priest, the following events took place during the 28 days the Lutzes lived at 112 Ocean Avenue:
•While the priest was blessing the house as the family move in, a strange masculine voice clearly said to him "Get out!" As he drove back to the rectory, the hood of the priest’s car flew open, smashing against his windshield. One of the welded hinges tore loose. The right door flew open. The car stalled. The priest summoned a friend for help and later the friend called the priest and said, "Do you know what happened to me after I dropped you off? The windshield wipers, they began to fly back and forth like crazy! I couldn’t stop! I never turn them on! What the hell is going on?"
•In the house windows flew up and down and doors were repeatedly ripped off their hinges in the house even though they were securely locked.
•Mrs. Lutz levitated a foot above