In November 1974, a family home in Amityville, New York, became the site of a mass murder that permanently altered American true crime culture. Just over a year later, the house became the focus of an alleged haunting that spawned a multi-million-dollar entertainment franchise. The story of 112 Ocean Avenue stands as one of the most thoroughly scrutinized cultural phenomena of the twentieth century, bridging real-world tragedy with commercialized folklore.
Understanding what happened at 112 Ocean Avenue requires separating the documented events of the DeFeo murders from the later claims made by the Lutz family. While investigators established the facts of the homicide quickly, the subsequent supernatural narrative proved far harder to pin down. Over the decades, public fascination shifted from the crime itself to the psychological mechanisms that turned a suburban Dutch Colonial into a haunted landmark.
The DeFeo Family Tragedy
On the evening of November 13, 1974, twenty-three-year-old Ronald DeFeo Jr. used a Marlin .35-caliber lever-action rifle to kill six members of his family inside their home at 112 Ocean Avenue. The victims included his parents, Ronald Sr. and Louise, as well as his four younger siblings: Dawn, Allison, Marc, and John Matthew. All six victims were found dead in their beds, face down, having been shot during the early morning hours while they slept.
Ronald Jr., often called Butch, fled the scene after the shootings and later walked into a local bar, Henry's Bar in Amityville, claiming that his family had been shot. Police responded to the house and discovered the grim scene. Initially, DeFeo told responding officers that an organized crime hitman named Louis Falini had committed the murders. However, holes in his timeline and inconsistencies in his statements quickly dismantled his alibi. By the following day, DeFeo confessed to detectives, stating that he carried out the shootings alone.
The trial of Ronald DeFeo Jr. began in October 1975. His defense attorney, William Weber, mounted an insanity defense, claiming that DeFeo suffered from dissociative identity disorder and heard voices telling him to kill his family. Psychiatrists for the prosecution countered that DeFeo possessed an antisocial personality disorder and was fully aware of his actions, noting that he had used drugs and alcohol heavily on the night of the crime but retained cognitive control. The jury rejected the insanity plea, and in December 1975, DeFeo was convicted of six counts of second-degree murder. He received six concurrent sentences of 25 years to life, remaining incarcerated until his death in state prison in 2021.
Purchasing 112 Ocean Avenue
With the house vacant and bearing the stain of a horrific crime, finding a buyer proved challenging. In December 1975, George and Kathy Lutz purchased 112 Ocean Avenue for $80,000, a price well below market value for a large waterfront property in Suffolk County. The Lutzes were well aware of the murders that had taken place inside, but they reportedly viewed the house as a fresh start for their blended family.
The family moved into the Dutch Colonial in December 1975, bringing their belongings and a dog. According to subsequent accounts, the strange occurrences began almost immediately upon arrival. George Lutz later described feeling sudden drops in temperature, smelling foul odors without a source, and experiencing unexplained physical afflictions. Kathy Lutz reported waking up with red marks on her chest and feeling as though she was being touched by an unseen force.
Other claims included green slime oozing from walls, swarms of flies appearing in the sewing room during winter, and a red-eyed demonic pig creature peering through a second-floor window. The family also claimed that their young daughter, Missy, developed an imaginary friend named Jodie who possessed glowing red eyes.
The Flight from the House
The alleged haunting culminated on the night of January 14, 1976. After living in the home for just 28 days, the Lutz family packed a few suitcases and fled the property, leaving behind nearly all their personal possessions. They claimed they were driven out by an escalating series of terrifying phenomena that made staying there impossible.
The Lutzes sought help from a local Catholic priest, Father Ralph Pecoraro, who visited the house to bless it. According to the family's later accounts, the priest was slapped by an invisible force and told to "get out" when he attempted to bless a second-floor bedroom.
Following their departure, the family stayed with relatives and friends before relocating to California. Desperate for financial help and validation of their experiences, they partnered with writer Jay Anson to document their ordeal. The resulting book, published in 1977, became an instant publishing sensation, selling millions of copies and cementing the house in popular culture.
Dissecting the Haunting: Fact Versus Fiction
Almost as soon as The Amityville Horror hit bookstores, skepticism arose from journalists, investigators, and legal professionals. Critics pointed out numerous inconsistencies between the Lutz family's claims and the physical reality of the house.
William Weber, the defense attorney who had represented Ronald DeFeo Jr. during his murder trial, later admitted that he, George Lutz, and Kathy Lutz had fabricated the entire haunting story over bottles of wine. Weber saw the book as a way to secure a new trial for DeFeo by discrediting the home's environment, while the Lutzes saw a path to financial recovery after purchasing a home they could no longer afford.
Subsequent residents of 112 Ocean Avenue told a very different story. Families who lived in the house after the Lutzes—including the Cromarty family, who purchased the home in 1977, and the O'Neills in the late 1980s—reported zero paranormal activity. They noted that the house was sturdy, comfortable, and peaceful, though they frequently dealt with unruly tourists trespassing on the property or peering through the windows. The house itself underwent minor cosmetic changes over the years, including the removal of the iconic quarter-moon attic windows that gave the structure its eerie appearance in films, making it less recognizable to fans.
The Cultural Legacy of Amityville
The longevity of the Amityville legend owes less to the truth of the claims and more to the timing of the book's release. Coming on the heels of films like The Exorcist and Rosemary's Baby, the public appetite for stories involving suburban domestic horror was at an all-time high. The 1979 film adaptation starring James Brolin and Margot Kidder grossed over $86 million worldwide, establishing a template for cinematic haunted house tropes that persists today.
Over the decades, the Amityville brand expanded into a sprawling cinematic universe encompassing dozens of low-budget horror films sharing little connection to the original event beyond the name. Real-estate records show that the house changed hands several times in the following decades, each sale drawing intense media scrutiny. You can review historical property listings through the Suffolk County Clerk's Office to trace the ownership history of the famous parcel. For broader context on how cultural folklore shapes public perception of crime scenes, the Library of Congress provides extensive archival resources on American pop culture phenomena.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who lived in 112 Ocean Avenue after the Lutzes?
The Cromarty family purchased the home in 1977 and lived there peacefully for a decade. Several other families have owned the property since, with none reporting paranormal occurrences.
What is the actual address of the Amityville house?
To deter tourists and trespassers, the address of the house was officially changed by local authorities from 112 Ocean Avenue to 108 Ocean Avenue, though it remains widely known by its original number.
Did Ronald DeFeo Jr. act alone?
While conspiracy theories circulated regarding accomplices, police, prosecutors, and the courts concluded that DeFeo acted alone, a confession he reaffirmed and occasionally contradicted in changing stories throughout his decades in prison.
Is the house open to visitors?
No. 112 Ocean Avenue is a private residence. Current owners maintain strict privacy, and local law enforcement actively patrols the area to prevent trespassing.
