What happened in the Amityville house and is it still standing?
THE HORROR Amityville house was the location where killer Ronald DeFeo Jr. gunned down his entire family, inspiring the "The Amityville Horror."
DeFeo, who was serving a 25-to-life sentence at Sullivan Correctional Facility, died on Friday, March 12, 2021, at the age of 69.
What happened in the Amityville house?
In November 1974, DeFeo, nicknamed Butch, murdered his parents Louise, 43 and Ronald DeFeo Sr., 43 and four siblings Dawn,18, Allison,13, Marc, 12 and John,9.
The brutal killer, who was 23 at the time, used a .35-caliber Marlin lever-action rifle, to kill his family inside their home on Ocean Avenue in Amityville, Long Island.
His six victims were found in the same position, in their beds facing down.
The horrifying events of that day inspired the 1977 book "The Amityville Horror, A True Story" followed by a film two years later.
Who is Ronald DeFeo Jr?
Born in Brooklyn in 1951, Ronald DeFeo Jr. was the firstborn son of Louise and Ronald DeFeo Sr.
In December 1975 he was sentenced 25-to-life sentence for the murder of his parents, two sisters and two brothers by Judge Thomas Stark.
He admitted he was an LSD and heroin user but he was deemed safe at the time of the attack.
At the time of his trial in October 1975, he had "voices" inside his head that told him to kill his family.
What happened to Ronald DeFeo?
The 69-year-old murderer was serving his sentence at Sullivan Correctional Facility in upstate Fallsburg.
Officials said DeFeo was pronounced dead on Friday, March 12, 2021, at Albany Medical Center.
An autopsy by the Albany County Medical Examiner’s Office will rule an official cause of death.
Why did Ronald DeFeo Jr kill his family?
There have been numerous speculations over the years but the motive behind the DeFeos' killings remains unclear.
Butch has changed the story multiple times over the course of years.
At first, when he reported the murders himself, he told police he was suspecting Louis Falini, a mafia hitman had broken into the house and killed his family.
He later confessed to the murders and claimed he was hearing "voices" during his trial in 1975.
Although his insanity plea was supported by the psychiatrist for the defence, the psychiatrist for the prosecution said DeFeo had an antisocial personality disorder which meant he was aware of his actions at the time of the tragedy.
During a 1986 interview for Newsday, he claimed his sister Dawn was behind the killings.
Is the Amityville house still standing?
The home's original address was 112 Ocean Ave. but was later changed to 108 to deter tourists.
A year after the murders it was bought by George and Kathy Lutz for $88,000.
The pair only stayed a month, as they claimed they were forced to flee due to paranormal activity in the house.
According to the Realtor estate agency, the house that was built in 1925, has been on the market four times and was sold in March 2017 for $605,000.
It sits on 10900 square foot lot and features a large boathouse and two-car garage.
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