Breaking News, Photos, and Videos. Ronald DeFeo Jr., the Long Island man serving a life sentence for slaughtering his parents and four siblings in a 1974 crime . He also alleged that his wife, Kathy, would sometimes appear transformed into a wrinkled old woman, and that green slime had oozed from the walls. Ronald DeFeo Jr., the convicted killer whose 1974 murders spawned the "Amityville Horror" franchise, died last week while serving a 25 years-to-life prison term, officials said Monday.. The DeFeo Family Murders Ronald DeFeo, Jr., "Butch" to his family, was born September 26, 1951, in Brooklyn, New York. In the end, Ronald admitted to killing his family and was convicted of six counts of second-degree murder in November 1975. Over the years, many accounts have debunked the Lutzs' claims but the legend of the Amityville Horror persists all the same. When DeFeo initially reported the deaths of his family, he ran into a local bar and claimed they had been shot. A-Z Index. The news of his death was confirmed by New York State officials. On December 5, 1984, in the heart of New Orleans, the lives of two men made a wrong turn towards death. "The Sun", "Sun", "Sun Online" are registered trademarks or trade names of News Group Newspapers Limited. It was after 3am on November 13, 1974, when DeFeo, who was known as "Butch", went from room to room killing his loved ones. "And as far as I'm concerned, what I did was self-defence and there was nothing wrong with it. sign hanging outside the main entrance read. It was after 3am on November 13, 1974, when DeFeo, who was known as "Butch", went from room to room killing his loved ones. DeFeo, 69, died March 12, 2021, while receiving treatment for an illness at Albany Medical Center, according to theNiagara Gazette. 2K Views. DeFeo, who was 69, was convicted of killing his father, mother, two brothers and two sisters inside their Amityville home in 1974, according to CNN affiliate WABC. DeFeo initially claimed the murders were connected to organized crime, but confessed under interrogation the day after the killings. Crime News is your destination for true crime stories from around the world, breaking crime news, and information about Oxygen's original true crime shows and documentaries. Scroll down to view the Amityville House murder photos where the entire Defeo family was murdered by Ron Defeo (but be forewarned, it is quite gruesome. All Rights Reserved. All rights reserved. Homicide detectives said it was the largest number of victims in a single slaying on Long Island in recent memory,, . Since then there has been a. film starring Ryan Reynolds and Melissa George. FALLSBURG, New York (WABC) -- Ronald DeFeo Jr., who was convicted of killing his entire family inside their Amityville home in 1974, . Jerry O'Neill, who has previously listed the property, says there's nothing spooky to find anyway. Oxygen Insider is your all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! She was 43 years old. During the interview, DeFeo changed his story and blamed his sister and mother for the deaths. Also Read, Charlie Bigelow, Shura Baryshnikov, and Tara Perry. But just to be safe, they decided to have a priest come and bless the property as they unpacked which is where their nightmare began. Send us a tip using our annonymous form. NEW YORK Convicted "Amityville Horror" killer Ronald DeFeo Jr., who in 1974 shot and killed his parents and four younger siblings inside their Long Island home in a grisly case that inspired. Ronald DeFeo Jr., the Long Island man serving a life sentence for slaughtering his parents and four siblings in a 1974 crime that would inspire The Amityville Horror book and movie franchise,. If you do not like such things, please move on.) Ronald DeFeo at a court hearing in 1992 - he died on Friday at the age of 69 while serving life for the murders of his parents and four siblings in Amityville, New York Credit: Getty The 1974. Killed his whole family on the night of November 13, 1974. [6]Ronald DeFeo Jr., also known as \"Butch\", was the eldest son of the family and its lone surviving member. DeFeo was serving a sentence of 25 years to life in the 1974 killings in Amityville , on suburban Long Island. Distractify is a registered trademark. The year prior, the Lutz family, doing business as Amityville Enterprises, filed legal documents to remove Dimension Films option on the franchise from the court-supervised sale of Weinstein Co. assets. Ronald DeFeo at a court hearing in 1992 - he died on Friday at the age of 69 while serving life for the murders of his parents and four siblings in Amityville, New York Credit: Getty The 1974 massacre in Amityville, Long Island, horrified America and saw DeFeo jailed for life. In 1999, Ronald DeFeo Jr. said, I loved my family very much. But 25 years earlier, he had killed all of them in an infamous slaying. Ray Liuzza, a 34-year-old businessman, was recently promoted to Vice President of a hotel. Ronald DeFeo Jr was serving a 25-to-life sentence for the brutal killing of his mom, dad, two sisters and two brothers. This is the real-life story of his crimes and how they spawned a ghost story which has terrified the world for decades. Ronald DeFeo's Cause of Death Reveals Officials said DeFeo was transported to Albany Medical Center and was pronounced dead on March 12 at 6:35 p.m. Ronald DeFeo Jr., the Long Island man serving a life sentence for slaughtering his parents and four siblings in a 1974 crime that would inspire The Amityville Horror book and movie franchise, died March 12 at the Albany Medical Center in New York. An official cause of death is yet to be determined. The book was then turned into a series of films, most notably a 1979 version starring James Brolin and Margot Kidder as the new owners and a 2005 remake starring Ryan Reynolds and Melissa George in the same roles. Ronald DeFeo Jr., the Long Island man serving a life sentence for slaughtering his parents and four siblings in a 1974 crime that would inspire The Amityville Horror book and movie franchise,. He didn't tell the Lutzs about what he heard at first, but couldn't shake his distress and called to warn them to stay out of the second floor room where he heard the voice which had once been Marc and John's bedroom. "The movie made it famous. WHEN Ronald DeFeo Jr finally confessed to cops, he said of his spree: "Once I started, I just couldn't stop". The murder weapon was eventually found in Amityville Creek. Back then, it was reported that Butch had a tense relationship with his father because Butch was known to use drugs, drank, and often got into fights. The cause of death will be determined by the Albany County Medical Examiners Office, the spokeswoman said. They left in less than a month. "Thereve been four owners since the murders," he told the Washington Post in 2016,"And none of them ran out of the house screaming, and there were no strange experiences., Mom 'stabs 3 of her kids to death and wounds 2 others in unsupervised visit', Daughter of murdered couple linked to Delphi case reveals paranoia, Serena Williams stepmom's debts continue to spiral amid crumbling home battle, Alex Murdaugh looks unrecognizable in new mugshot hours after sentencing, 2020 THE SUN, US, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED | TERMS OF USE | PRIVACY | YOUR AD CHOICES | SITEMAP, Ronald DeFeo at a court hearing in 1992 - he died on Friday at the age of 69 while serving life for the murders of his parents and four siblings in Amityville, New York, The house at 112 Ocean Avenue became one of the darkest addresses in America, Neighbours watched on in horror as six bodies were removed from the house in 1974, (Back row, left to right): John, Allison and Marc (Front row, left to right) Dawn and Ronald Jr, The lever-action rifle DeFeo used in the horrific slaughter of his family, DeFeo initially tried to pin the killings on a mob hitman before confessing to the crimes himself, He died while still serving time in prison - no cause of death has yet been released, George and Kathy Lutz moved into 112 Ocean Avenue a year after the murders, George Lutz reported seeing the glowing red eyes of a pig-like demonic creature out of one of the windows along with a host of other frights inside the house, The house still stands in Amityville, New York, to this day, James Brolin and Margot Kidder played George and Kathy Lutz in The Amityville Horror (1979), Owners have changed the house's address and appearance in more recent years, Local historians are said to be disdainful of the notoriety the films have brought to Amityville. Credit: Barry Sloan. Murder Victim. WHEN Ronald DeFeo Jr finally confessed to cops, he said of his spree: "Once I started, I just couldn't stop". The Albany County Medical Examiner's Office has not yet released his cause of death. he was murdered, along with the rest of his family, by older brother Ronald Jr. on the night of November 13, 1974. "I really wasnt quite believing it.". He pleaded insanity, but was found guilty of the murders and sentenced to 6 separate sentences of life in prison. Prison officials released the news to the public but did not reveal why he had been at the hospital in the first place or what his cause of death was. Those details, and others, have come under scrutiny, reported the Washington Post in 1979. DeFeo told detectives: \"Once I started, I just couldn't stop. Nissa Burkhalter Bio, Wiki Nissa Burkhalterwas the ex-wife of Ronald DeFeo who was an Americanmurderer. On December 21, 1975, DeFeo was convicted of six counts of second-degree murder and sentenced . DeFeo was ordered held . He was born on September 26, 1951 and his birthplace is New York. Main > Ronald DeFeo Jr. Tue, 16 March 2021 . jone. The New York man convicted of gruesomely killing his siblings and parents in 1974 and subsequently inspiring the Amityville Horror franchise has died. Ronald "Butch" DeFeo, who committed the murders at the heart of theAmityville Horrorbook and movies, has died in New York state custody. He had spent the last 45 years of his life imprisoned on six counts of second-degree murder. 21 3.6K views 1 year ago Ronald Joseph DeFeo Jr. (September 26, 1951 - March 12, 2021) was an American mass murderer who was tried and convicted for the 1974 killings of his father, mother,. Robert DeFeo JR. DeFeo was ordered held without bail on one count of second-degree Read More Ronald DeFeo Jr., center, leaves Suffolk County district court after a hearing, Nov. 15, 1974. Ronald Joseph DeFeo Jr, or Butch, was an American mass murderer who was tried and convicted for the 1974 killings of his father, mother, two brothers, and two sisters in Amityville, Long Island, New York. One theory of why Butch DeFeo killed his family is because he was under the influence of controlled substances and alcohol. A cause of death has not yet been announced. For further details of our complaints policy and to make a complaint please click this link: thesun.co.uk/editorial-complaints/, Ronald DeFeo at a court hearing in 1992 - he died on Friday at the age of 69 while serving life for the murders of his parents and four siblings in Amityville, New York, The house at 112 Ocean Avenue became one of the darkest addresses in America, Neighbours watched on in horror as six bodies were removed from the house in 1974, (Back row, left to right): John, Allison and Marc (Front row, left to right) Dawn and Ronald Jr, The lever-action rifle DeFeo used in the horrific slaughter of his family, DeFeo initially tried to pin the killings on a mob hitman before confessing to the crimes himself, He died while still serving time in prison - no cause of death has yet been released, George and Kathy Lutz moved into 112 Ocean Avenue a year after the murders, George Lutz reported seeing the glowing red eyes of a pig-like demonic creature out of one of the windows along with a host of other frights inside the house, The house still stands in Amityville, New York, to this day, James Brolin and Margot Kidder played George and Kathy Lutz in The Amityville Horror (1979), Owners have changed the house's address and appearance in more recent years, Local historians are said to be disdainful of the notoriety the films have brought to Amityville. On November 21, 1975, just over a year after the slayings, DeFeo Jr. was found guilty of six counts of second-degree murder. DeFeos lawyer had argued his client was insane when he killed his family. The jury rejected the insanity theory. But much to their disappointment, they weren't allowed to go to the upstairs floors or the basement. "'There were sounds," George Lutz told ABC. His defense attorney, William Weber, tried to make a case that the defendant, who allegedly heard voices, was innocent by reason of insanity. DeFeo, 69, died Friday while serving a sentence at Sullivan . At around 6.30pm that evening, DeFeo went into a nearby bar asking for help, pretending to have just discovered the bloodbath. Copyright 2023 Meredith Corporation. He was an inmate at Sullivan Correctional Facility, a maximum-security prison in the Catskills. At the time of the murders, DeFeo said he had found his family shot in their home, but later, his story kept changing, even when he was convicted of the murders and given six sentences of 25 years to life in prison. . I am God.". March 16, 2021. His 43-year-old parents, Ronald and Louise, were both shot twice. [6] Ronald DeFeo, Jr. was the eldest son of the family, and was also known as "Butch". Create your free profile and get access to exclusive content. At the ensuing trial after the confession, Butchs lawyers mounted an insanity defense. DeFeo had been at the Albany Medical Center on March 12, 2021, when he was declared dead. As recently as 2019, a new take called Amityville 1974 was given a greenlight. In later interviews, Butch claimed that he was forced to follow the legal route by his lawyer, adding, He told me I had to do this. DeFeo was just 23 years old when he grabbed his .35-caliber Marlin lever-action rifle to butcher his family. The authorities believed that all six victims were shot at close range, and a silencer could not have been used. Ronald DeFeos Wife, Nissa Burkhalter executioner Ronald DeFeos Ex-Wife, Breaking: Nissa Burkhalter Wiki, Bio, Age, Instagram, Twitter & Quick Facts.