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Or perhaps, with his scruffy visage recalling that of Charles Manson, they would have leaned into blaming it on the LSD. Butch's trauma would manifest itself in violent outbursts, which his parents tried to quell with therapy, and later, expensive gifts (like a "$14,000 speedboat"), and Butch himself would try to treat by self-medicating with LSD and heroin. Biography describes one incident wherein Butch "attempted to shoot his father with a 12-gauge shotgun during a fight between his parents. DeFeo pulled the trigger at point-blank range, but the gun malfunctioned." Castle Keep was in line with the films of 1969 in terms of transgressive filmmaking, but hardly stood out from the crowd. It's sexual, but not nearly as sexual as that year's Best Picture-winning Midnight Cowboy. And it's violent, but not nearly as violent as that year's blood-soaked The Wild Bunch.
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Though the couple did admit that parts of the book were embellished (like the green slime) they stood by their story. As a means to add validity to their word, the Lutz’s even underwent a lie detector test – and passed. The home was purchased in 2017 for $605,000 and it appears to have remained off the market since. The Amityville house has actually had many residents since the Lutz family left the home.
THE MURDERS
Suffolk County police arrived, and DeFeo offered up an array of alibis before eventually admitting his guilt. The reality is, it wasn't the images on the TV screen, nor the voices from the walls of the Amityville house, that caused DeFeo to kill. Biography describes car salesman Ronald Sr. as a "domineering authority figure" who "engaged in hot-tempered fights with his wife and children," with Ronald Jr. (nicknamed "Butch") receiving the brunt of the abuse. Ocean Avenue was littered with empty beer bottles, popcorn boxes, and other trash left behind by looky-loos whose disrespect applied to every house and homeowner on the street. As the crowds grew larger, extra police details were hired and paid them overtime, a costly expense for a small village like Amityville. Though public officials had considered ways to monetize the crowds, like running bus tours or charging admission to see the house, none of these ideas were approved, out of respect for the DeFeo family.
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What happened at the Amityville horror house?
DeFeo Jr. and a small group of people went to the house at 112 Ocean Avenue, which was located near the bar, and found that DeFeo’s parents were dead. One of the group, DeFeo’s friend Joe Yeswit, made a call to the Suffolk County Police, who searched the house and found that six members of the same family had all been shot dead in their beds. On January 14, 1924, Annie Ireland sold the property to John and Catherine Moynahan. The following year, Amityville builder Jesse Perdy constructed the five-bedroom, three-bathroom Dutch Colonial house that still stands there today.
They just liked the price, and admired old school workmanship like hand-carved bannisters, and intricate doorways. They really matched the bed frames their previous tenants were shot on, which came with the house. The high point of this comes early when the narrator’s voice cracks on the words “what could have driven a man to murder his entire family.” By the time he hits the word “family” it’s no longer a question of guilt or innocence, good or evil. His entire world view has been rocked, and he’s trying desperately to maintain his objective composure. But not three, because then you conjure the Amityville demon, like he’s some kind of Long Island Bloody Mary.
Fewer than 10 films make up the legit “Amityville Horror” canon, and even that number is up for debate. Like the word “Paranormal,” “Amityville” has become more of a low-effort synecdoche for generic possessions of things (“Amityville Vibrator”), holidays (“Amityville Christmas Vacation”) or locations (“Amityville in Space”). The films are mostly comedic, have micro budgets and have little continuity with the original. If you’ve ever watched The Conjuring 2 (2016), the events at the start of the film were allegedly inspired by their experiences at the Amityville house.
It hit the market with an asking price of $850,000 and eventually sold in February 2017, though well below ask, at $605,000. In the summer of 2016, the Dutch Colonial house was put up for sale once again, after the untimely passing of David D’Antonio. The owners repainted the house but kept original touches like the leaded glass and oak floors.
The home’s horror house reputation even followed 14-year-old Joyce Cromarty to school, where classmates harassed her and asked repeatedly if she’d seen any ghosts since moving in. Father Mancuso was a lawyer, judge of the Catholic Court and psychotherapist who lived at the local Sacred Heart Rectory. He arrived to perform the blessing while George and Kathy were unpacking their belongings on the afternoon of December 18, 1975, and went into the building to carry out the rites.
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Further changes were made to the house, including a sunroom at the back of the house. It's a testament that dates back before The Amityville Horror, before Castle Keep, before even the films of Dickson and Melies. Beset upon by illness after his encounter with the haunted home, Mancuso is even paired with a law officer, just like the priests in The Exorcist, in this case the character of Suffolk County Sergeant Gionfriddo. The film also clearly felt the priest was a crucial part of the story, casting Academy Award-winner Rod Steiger as Father Francis 'Frank' Delaney.
Anson's book used 45 hours of the family's recorded interviews as a basis. And one of the three Lutz children, Christopher Quaratino, confirmed that the hauntings happened. However, he also said that the events were exaggerated by his stepfather, George Lutz. The Lutz family only lived in the Dutch Colonial for 28 days before fleeing the home, leaving all their belongings behind. Following the alleged events that the Lutz endured in the Amityville house, they went on to collaborate with author Jay Anson to develop the book The Amityville Horror.
In December 1975, a month after DeFeo was convicted of the murders, the Lutz couple and their three young kids moved into the house, which they had reportedly snatched for $80,000. George Lutz was curious about paranormal activity and actively tried to summon spirits, but had a financial motivation to sell his story to the media due to the family's severe debt. And Weber, DeFeo Jr.'s attorney, said the haunting was all a hoax — which he purportedly conjured up with Anson while drinking.
Let’s delve into the true story behind the property and explore the tragic events that transpired within its walls, the controversies that surround it and its lasting impact on popular culture. Yes, the house still exists today and has changed owners quite a few times in recent history. Its last known owners, Caroline and David D’Antonio purchased the property in 2010 for $950,000 and embarked on a major renovation effort.
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