He was taken into the local police station for protection, where he told them he believed it was a mob hit. Eventually, on July 7th, the judge assigned William Weber to act as Ronnie DeFeo's attorney. All of whom had been shot dead with a .35 caliber rifle around 3 AM that very same day. After a night that particularly frightened two of the children, the Lutzes said they had called a priest they had been in contact with throughout the ordeal, who encouraged them to go somewhere else the following night, just to get some rest (since obviously none of them had been sleeping very well). One local girl told the Times that Ronald DeFeo Sr. had frequently given her rides to her familys restaurant in Brooklyn. walls. / CBS New York. Ronald DeFeo Jr. goes on trial for the killings of his parents and four siblings in their Amityville, New York, home on October 14, 1975.The family's house was later said to be haunted and . WATCH: Full episodes of .css-47aoac{-webkit-text-decoration:underline;text-decoration:underline;text-decoration-thickness:0.0625rem;text-decoration-color:inherit;text-underline-offset:0.25rem;color:#A00000;-webkit-transition:all 0.3s ease-in-out;transition:all 0.3s ease-in-out;}.css-47aoac:hover{color:#595959;text-decoration-color:border-link-body-hover;}History's Greatest Mysteries online now. The house with the iconic double-windows, white siding, and chimney at 112 Ocean Avenue is the home to the one of the most horrific family massacres in history, as well as an . If you find that some photos violates copyright or have unacceptable properties, please inform us about it. It wasnt included in the $80,000 offer they made; an additional $400 was a comparatively small price to pay for it, though, so the Lutzes sprang for it. However, the psychiatrist testifying for the prosecution successfully argued that DeFeo actually had antisocial personality disorder, which meant he would have been perfectly aware of what he was doing; he just had no regard for what was right or wrong. Biography and associated logos are trademarks of A+E Networksprotected in the US and other countries around the globe. After moving into the Amityville house less than a year after the murders, the Lutz family reportedly experienced terrifying paranormal events at the home. Butch was also bullied at school for being overweight, with kids calling him names like Pork Chop and The Blob. By his teenage years, he had lost most of that weight through his use of amphetamines, which he had come to rely on, along with alcohol, as a coping mechanism. With only these how the top of the baseboard heater bends outward, and also note On January 14, 1924, Annie Ireland sold the property to John and Catherine Moynahan. The trial began in September of 1975 and ended that November. Hours after murdering them, DeFeo went to a nearby bar, crying for help. The Amityville Murders takes an entirely separate tack to understanding the horror of the house by ending where most . The real-life horror story began on November 13, 1974, when a 23-year-old man named Ronald DeFeo Jr. fatally shot his parents and his four younger siblings while they were asleep in their home in Amityville, New York. Although plagued by hordes of tourists searching for supernatural phenomena, the Cromartys managed to live there for a decade. Ronald DeFeo Sr. and Louise DeFeo had both been shot twice, and their children had been shot one time each. He admitted that he had taken a bath and changed his clothing, also detailing where he had discarded crucial evidence such as blood-stained clothes and the Marlin rifle and cartridges he had used to carry out the killings. This photo was definitely When a priest came to bless the house, he allegedly heard a voice scream "Get out!" He has tried to file motions to go back to court, but they have all been denied. Villisca Ax Murder House The Scene Of A Brutal Mass Murder In 1912. But there also might not have been; the jurys still out on this one. March 16, 2021 10:30am. For decades, The Amityville Horror has captivated audiences. However, the Amityville Murders case was far from over. thinks this spare bedroom was. New York Police DepartmentA crime scene photo of Ronald DeFeo Sr. and Louise DeFeo, two victims of the Amityville Murders. So, for all of the wealth and luxury that Ronald Big Ronnie DeFeo Sr. showed off, he had, in truth, earned very little of it himself. Son Daniel, who lives a quiet life in Queens, New York as a stonemason, claims the house ruined his life and that he continues to have nightmares to this day. (Richard Drew/AP Photo), On the Nov. 13, 1974, 23-year-old Ronald Joseph DeFeo Jr. committed the grisly act of murdering his entire family as they slept in their home in Amityville, New York. Jay Anson's book, The Amityville Horror, was created using around 45 hours of audio recordings from . DeFeo women. things in the following picture of the northwest corner of the The Amityville Horror House as it looked in 1974, the year of the murders. The Amityville Horror House has been the subject of over twenty movies, and a number of different books and documentaries. Crime Scene Photographs at the bottom of this page. The body of Ron Defeo's sister, Dawn, 18. His fathers uncle wasPeter DeFeo, acaporegimein theGenovese crime family. He needed help to kill six people. The woman in the photo appears to have been beaten up, 2023 BDG Media, Inc. All rights reserved. The case inspired the book and film versions called . Katzenbach has long questioned the idea that a single person could have committed the crime. The grave of the DeFeo family at Saint Charles Cemetery. basement on 11-13-74. On November 13, 1974, the property at 112 Ocean Avenue in Amityville, New York, was the scene of a gruesome mass-murder. But it didnt take long for cracks to form in his story, and by the next day, he had already confessed to killing his family himself. The identical positioning of the bodies is creepy enough in and of itself it suggests that all of the victims were arranged that way but there are more facts that make it all even creepier: The police determined that the rifle hadnt been fitted with a silencer, so the gunshots should hypothetically have woken the DeFeos up; however, there was no sign of a struggle, but nor was there any evidence that sedatives had been used to knock the victims out or keep them quiet all of which is incredibly weird. (RED/AP Photo), A body of one DeFeo Jr.'s victims is removed from the house in Amityville, New York after police and investigators arrived on the scene. Six people were killed inside a home located at 112 Ocean Ave. in Amityville on Nov. 13, 1974. to mention that the wood paneling is not the same color or pattern. How it all began. A murder in which six members of the same family were all shot dead while they lay sleeping. In the fall of 1974 troubled teenager Ronald DeFeo Jr. is slowly driven mad by an . Instead, much of their money came from Louises father, Michael Brigante, who purchased the familys home for them, allowing them to move out of their small Brooklyn apartment. This was our house, we lived there.. The most financially successful film was released in 2005 and starred Ryan Reynolds. Amityville II: The Possession was based on a book that detailed the DeFeo murders, and Amityville 3-D was based on an investigation into the house by paranormal researcher Stephen Kaplan. The windows of the bedroom have long been removed. . creepy facts about the Amityville Horror case. Google demonic boy photograph, and this is the image that pops up. (Dan Godfrey/New York Daily News), A police department diver enters the swimming pool at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Ronald DeFeo in Amityville, N.Y. on Nov. 14, 1974, where they were searching for the gun used to kill the entire DeFeo family. Jim and Barbara Cromarty sat by the pool in 1979. DeFeo confessed to the killings, telling police that "the voices from the house made him do it.". Let us know in our comments section below First published on February 27, 2012 / 11:49 PM. To open this up and to chance DeFeo getting a new trial, I just don't think that's the route they want to go," Katzenbach said. According to some sources, it was still in the exact same places it had been the night of the murders. According to Zillow, the house sold for $605,000 in February of 2017. The mysterious "7th body." For a decade a mystery has persisted as to why this photo is in the middle of the DeFeo crime scene negatives and the identity of the body. Well where is it in the photo? He would later be sentenced to six consecutive sentences of 25 years to life in prison. They only lasted 28 days. He feigned ignorance as to why his father hadnt shown up for work as planned and even called him. Here On Jan. 14, 1976, George, Kathleen (often called "Kathy"), their three kids (Kathys from a previous marriage), and the family dog, Harry, left the house, never to return. "THE (photosinhouse16@gmail.com) Amityville crime house photo scene (Amityville crime house photo scene). Using a .35 Marlin rifle, 23-year-old Ronald J. DeFeo Jr. murdered his entire family while they were asleep, which included his . Inside the house, there were life-sized portraits of the family hung on the walls. New evidence suggests that there could have been a second shooter. Ronald DeFeo Jr. (1974) AP Photo/Richard Drew. In the meantime, DeFeo made multiple attempts to free himself, growing increasingly resentful of the attention he received in prison. The Lutz's former lawyer William Weber who fell out with them over money issues came out in 1979, claiming the three of them came up with the horror story "over many bottles of wine.". The basement of the Amityville Horror House. After an interview with Ronald exposed some inconsistencies in his story, he eventually confessed to the murders. it was apparent that there couldnt have been room for a Ronald DeFeo, Jr.s lawyer, William Weber, has said that he met the Lutzes, who were interested in developing the demonism aspect of the case, reported the New York Times in 1992. Please enter valid email address to continue. And about a year after the slaughter, a new family moved into the home where the murders took place. But although youre probably aware that the supernatural film series is allegedly based on true events, there are plenty of creepy facts about the Amityville Horror case you may not know. "It's a very famous case for Suffolk County. In 1979, a movie by the same name was released to the delight of horror fans, some of whom actively sought out the real Amityville Horror House in search of paranormal activity. The bodies of Ron Defeo's parents, Ron, Sr. (rt) and Louise (lft) in their bedroom. The eye windows on the top floor have long been removed and replaced with square ones. On the night of November 13, 1974, Ronald DeFeo, Jr. took a high-powered rifle and murdered his entire family as they slept. Public DomainThe DeFeo children. Just a month after his conviction, the Lutzes moved into the house, and, well as they tell it, things didnt exactly go as planned. How it all began. Like mass murders committed by Ronald DeFeo, Jr. DeFeo actually reported the murders himself, interview George Lutz gave to Ghost Village, William Weber, has said that he met the Lutzes, took real-life incidents and transposed them. He told the police, Once I started, I just couldnt stop. On November 13, 1974, the estate was the scene of mass murder. It was taken during an investigation by paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren (yes, that Ed and Lorraine Warren) several weeks after the Lutzes left the house. With motives ranging from a mob hit to demonic possession, this investigation took the small coastal village of Amityville for a terrifying ride. Another thing that puzzled them was that none of the neighbors had heard gunshots despite the fact that DeFeo did not use a gun silencer. Katzenbach and team continued where Osuna had left off, and spent years researching the DeFeo case and the Amityville house like no other documentary crew had done before them. She lived there until October 17, 1960, when John and Mary Riley bought the house. Should Suffolk County re-open the case? the murders on poor Ronnie DeFeo. The book is based on the claims of paranormal experiences by the Lutz family, [1] but has led to controversy and lawsuits over its truthfulness. In 1979, the film-adaptation of The Amityville Horror was released, it became the highest-grossing independent film of all time, holding the record until 1990. The Amityville Murders (2018) cast and crew credits, including actors, actresses, directors, writers and more. "How could a person walk through a three-story Dutch colonial and shoot six different victims, on two separate levels and no one got out of bed, no one put up a struggle?" Burch, Frank. We Here, we meet Ronnie (Paul Ben-Victor: Tombstone 1993, Daredevil 2003) and Louise (Diane Franklin: Amityville II: The Possession 1982, Better Off Dead 1985) DeFeo and their family.There are the two eldest children, 24-year-old son Butch (John Robinson: Lords . A Georgia girl was discovered by her mom with an apparent gunshot to the head - and three 18-year-olds . With the "seventh body" mystery solved, Ryan Katzenbach and the producers of Shattered Hopes decided that the "bloody shoe" mystery was the next to be investigated in hopes of finding any answer. That leaves only It was the stuff of unthinkable nightmares. Menu. Photo: Getty Images. Ultimately, DeFeo was found guilty of six counts of second-degree murder in November. look in the lower right corner of picture Byou can see On the night of November 13, 1974, Ronald DeFeo, Jr. took a high-powered rifle and murdered his entire family as they slept. While fleeing Amityville, they are attacked, but got away. For more information pertaining to this case, please click here. DeFeo killed his parents, Ronald DeFeo, Sr. and Louise DeFeo, and his four younger siblings, Dawn, 18, Allison, 13, Marc, 12, and John Matthew, 9. CAST: John Robinson, Chelsea Ricketts, Paul Ben-Victor. The real-life horror story began on November 13, 1974, when a 23-year-old man named Ronald DeFeo Jr. fatally shot his parents and his four younger siblings while they were asleep in their home in Amityville, New York. The judge sentenced DeFoe to six concurrent life sentences of 25 years to life. He also turned the gun on his mother, Louise DeFeo. the bed she was also killed in, however, the photo shows no evidence of blood or The FBI definition of a serial murder is the unlawful killing of two or more victims by the same offender(s), in separate events but the DeFeo murders occurred during the same event, not separate ones. On Oct. 14, 1975, the trial began for Ronald DeFeo Jr. after he committed the horrific killing of his six family members, which became known as the Amityville murders. It seems to show a small boy with glowing eyes in the doorway to the left of the frame, even though there were no children in the house at the time. He reportedly told detectives, "Once I started, I just couldn't stop. He also shared the hiding places of crucial evidence like his blood-stain clothes and the rifle he used, pictured here. He also shared the hiding places of crucial evidence like his blood-stain clothes and the rifle he used, pictured here. Authorities had no idea how all six victims had died in their sleep without a struggle. The middle third was empty, except for the the number one shows how the foundation is (Dan Godfrey/ New York Daily News), A Suffolk County policeman uses mine detector as he sweeps through dead leaves of the Amityville home. At around 6.30 PM, on the evening of November 13, 1974, Ronald DeFeo Jr. walked into Henrys Bar in Amityville, Long Island, New York, and declared You got to help me! According to deeds and information compiled by the Amityville Historical Society, the Ocean Avenue property had once been farmland belonging to the Irelands, one of Amityvilles most prominent and influential families. you refer to picture A, the photographer is facing north. Read the story originally published . Incredibly, there have been over a dozen films based on the murders released since then, but the 1979 movie starring James Brolin and Margot Kidder as George and Kathy Lutz remains perhaps the best known. Additionally, the neighbors didnt report any gunshot noises; all they heard was the family dog barking. DeFeo initially claimed to the police that the murders . After learning the true story of the Amityville Murders, read more real-life horror stories thatll make your skin crawl. the woman in the photo is not in the same position as Dawn, or any of the other 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 . Shattered Hopes is a multi-part docudrama based on The Night the DeFeos Died and released in late 2011. The Story Of Claw Shaw, The Only Person Ever Put On Trial For JFK's Assassination, 23 Chilling Photos Taken By History's Most Depraved Serial Killers Before And After They Killed Their Victims, What Stephen Hawking Thinks Threatens Humankind The Most, 27 Raw Images Of When Punk Ruled New York, Join The All That's Interesting Weekly Dispatch, Listen above to the History Uncovered podcast, episode 50: The Amityville Murders, also available on. You dont need Photoshop to convincingly fake a ghost photo. . The most financially successful film was released in 2005 and starred Ryan Reynolds. DeFeo has been sitting in prison for 37 years now. The Amityville Horror . (Richard Drew/AP Photo), After committing the crime, DeFeo ran to a nearby bar where he screamed for help, claiming that he didn't know who shot his parents. The Amityville Horror (1979); Amityville II: The Possession (1982) The first photo below is a crime scene While the infamous house was on the market for $850,000 in 2016 after last being sold for significantly more in 2010, it was sold for $605,000 - over $200,000 less than its initial asking price - in February 2017. There have been 14 movies made based on the murders, with the first and most famous film, "The Amityville Horror," being released in 1979. "We firmly believe that there was indeed a second gun involved in the commission of the crime," Katzenbach said. DeFeo began trial on Oct. 14, 1975 where his lawyer mounted a case claiming that he was insane and killed his family in self-defense from the voices in his head. The church was filled with 800 mourners, and 300 others stood outside during service. A crime scene photo of Ronald DeFeo Sr. and Louise DeFeo, two victims of the Amityville Murders. only do the tops not bend outward, but the openings are much larger A team of underwater archeologists, hired by Katzenbach, have found a gun in the canal behind the house. Hearst Magazine Media, Inc. Site contains certain content that is owned A&E Television Networks, LLC. The Amityville House Gets Repossessed: An Interview with Actress Diane Franklin. DeFeo killed his parents . 108 ratings12 reviews. They say that only one gun and one shooter killed the family. American International PicturesJames Brolin memorably portrayed George Lutz in the 1979 film The Amityville Horror. Yes, it was confirmed that the book featured plenty of false accounts Up until the murders in 1974, the house had no major history and was your typical Amityville house. An All Thats Interesting writer since 2013, Erin Kelly focuses on historic places, natural wonders, environmental issues, and the world of science. The Amityville Horror House at 112 Ocean Avenue in Amityville, New York, where the Amityville Murders took place. Then, 23-year-old Butch went into the bedrooms where his siblings were sleeping and murdered 18-year-old Dawn, 13-year-old Allison, 12-year-old Marc, and 9-year-old John Matthew with the same weapon. large amounts of blood and brain matter. On August 30, 1976, the Lutz family returned the house to Columbia Savings and Loan. I If you do not like such things, please move on.). The Lutz family barely escapes 112 Ocean Ave. According to an interview George Lutz gave to Ghost Village in 2005 one of his last major interviews before his death in 2006 they didnt realize at the time that when they headed out the door, they would never come back; We didnt get up to leave that morning, you need to understand that, Lutz said. All six victims were found by police in their beds, lying on their stomachs. DeFoe is currently housed at the Sullivan Correctional Facility in Fallsburg, New York. not (Robert Rosamilio/New York Daily News), Hundreds attended the funeral for the DeFeo family as six caskets filled the aisel of St. Martin of Tours Catholic Church in Amityville, during Mass of the Resurrection. of the DeFeo home. Soon after, George is awoken by a supernatural force. Watching the films, taking notes on the films, capturing screenshots of the films; that's a lot of time spent on films that don't really deserve . All six victims were found lying face-down in their beds. The swarming flies, the demonic pig, the ooze seeping through the walls and floorboards the house once located at 112 Ocean Avenue in Amityville, Long Island has been a staple of Hollywood for decades. The Lutz family claimed to smell strange odors, see green slime oozing out of the walls and keyholes and experience cold spots in certain areas of the house. Oct 15, 2016 at 11:23 am. Back row: John, Allison, and Marc. is another picture in Ric Osuna's book "The Night the DeFeos Six family members were wiped out in a gruesome mass murder that inspired one of the scariest movies ever made: The Amityville Horror. The family was comprised of Ronald DeFeo Sr. and Louise DeFeo, and their five children: Ronald Jr., Dawn, Allison, Marc, and John Matthew. In 1974, as his parents and four siblings slept in their three-story home in Long Island, New York, a 23-year-old Ronald DeFeo Jr. executed them. this is truly the bed she was originally found in, then my guess is that this is Get this from a library! link at the bottom of the page, which will take you to a thread stripe painted on a spout. After committing the crime, DeFeo ran to a nearby bar where he screamed for help, claiming that he didn't know who shot his parents. Dawn's body didn't show any such evidence. Watch all you want. house. On Nov. 13, 1974, the entire DeFeo family save Ronald Jr. were found at home having been murdered in their beds. According to History, police arrived at the scene and found an in-shock Ronald DeFeo Jr. waiting for them. AMITYVILLE HORROR" IS A REGISTERED TRADEMARK, UNAUTHORIZED USE IS A VIOLATION The furniture from the previous owners is . After telling their story, George and Kathy took a lie detector test to prove their innocence. The number two shows what appears to be a The house as depicted in the Amityville horror movies. journalist's education" to look at the two photo's and see that they are clearly the DeFeo's. Other details about the case, taken together, add up to a second gun and a second shooter, he said. Don Jacobsen/Newsday RM via Getty ImagesRonald DeFeo Jr. was just 23 years old when he killed his family. Big Ronnie was also reportedly an abusive and violent man. Thank you Helix for sponsoring! The gun is still being examined, but with decay and a lack of a legible serial number it may be impossible to ever identify. The story is a close look inside the life of the Defeo's before that fateful night. On December 18, 1975, more than a year after the terrible murders, a family of five moved in. During his trial in November of 1975, DeFeo claimed that voices told him to commit the murders; additionally, a psychiatrist testifying for the defense said that DeFeo had a dissociative disorder, which meant that he would have experienced the murders as if he was outside his body or "watching" it happen, rather than experiencing them as he committed them himself. three pictures to go on, it was difficult to visualize the exact One of the men, Joe Yeswit, called the Suffolk County police with the awful news. Ronald DeFeo Jr., the notorious killer at the "Amityville Horror" house a dwelling whose mystique continues to fascinate the public in the wake of a subsequent book and film franchise . February 27, 2012 / 11:49 PM a means of spurring some interest (sales) in a book that, frankly, The Amityville Murders is probably the BEST telling of the Defeo Murders that took place in November of 1974. NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- It was a crime that gripped the New York area. In four parts, "The Making of a Haunting: The Amityville Murders" covers the true history behind the scary stories told in the book and film series The Amityville Horror. wasn't selling too well. (Richard Drew/ASSOCIATED PRESS) Ronald . The Night the DeFeos Died: Reinvestigating the Amityville Murders is not designed in any way to serve as a mouthpiece for Butch DeFeo, who the author describes as a "liar." Any direct quotes from DeFeo are always verified (or discredited) by other sources when there is no evidence to support them. A murder in which six members of the same family were all shot dead while they lay sleeping. Burns, Marie. On Nov. 13, 1974, 23-year-old Ronald Joseph DeFeo Jr. serious the shocking demonstration of killing his whole family as they rested in their home in Amityville, New York. But as terrifying as the movie is, the real-life events that inspired the blockbuster were much more frightening. Died" which seems to be included (in a later edition) as The Amityville Murders It was the middle of the night on Nov. 13, 1974, when 23-year-old Ronald DeFeo Jr. killed six of his relatives with a .35 caliber rifle while they were asleep: parents Louise and Ronald DeFeo Sr., siblings 18-year-old Dawn, 13-year-old . While the DeFeo parents were both shot twice, the children were only shot once, yet all were fatal. Back row: John, Allison, and Marc. For example, DeFeo maintained that he had been at work all morning and with friends all afternoon therefore, he couldnt have killed his family. of the basement isnt all that large. George and Kathy Lutz and their three children, Daniel, Christopher and Missy , move into their new home, "High Hopes", on Ocean Avenue, in the affluent village of Amityville, New York. No part(s) of this site may be duplicated or used without permission. As with the "Bloody Shoe 2018 | Maturity Rating: 16+ | Horror Movies. Diane Franklin (Amityville 2:The Possession) is back to don the character of Mrs. Defeo, once portraying Dawn Defeo's offset character in Amityville 2 . He has tried to file motions to go back to court, but they have all been denied. then there couldnt have been a seventh body. When asked, he told detectives he thought the murders may have been carried out by Louis Falini, a mafia hit man. Ronald also later admitted that he took a bath and got dressed after committing the crime before running to the local bar. For one thing, there were still mysteries surrounding the case. And just a couple of years later in 1977, author Jay Anson published a novel titled The Amityville Horror, based on the Lutz familys claims of paranormal activity happening in the home. John Cornell/Newsday RM via Getty ImagesRonald DeFeo Jr. sought a new trial in 1992, years after he was convicted of murdering his family. This is their story. On the night of November 13, 1974, Ronald DeFeo, Jr. took a high-powered rifle and murdered his entire family as they slept. DeFeo, 69, died Friday while serving a sentence at Sullivan . However, the following day he confessed to the killings, while the mob hitman Falini had an alibi, proving he was out of the state at the time. the house is large, much of its square footage comes from the On March 18, 1977, Jim and Barbara Cromarty purchased the home from the bank. Furthermore, rigormortis sets in about two to three hours after death. was supposed to be in a bed where the couch was, But, Id like to know exactly where another criminologist . than the opening in the seventh victim picture. The body was that of what appeared to be a female. Katzenbach said that the missing gun is the one that his team pulled out of the canal. dryer vent flap. Heres a diagram But for folks who believe its a ghost photo, its thought to show the spirit of John Matthew DeFeo, who was 9 years old at the time of his death. This is their story. Indeed, in 1979, Weber had written in People Magazine that he and the Lutzes created this horror story over many bottles of wine; he had also gone on a television program called A Current Affair in 1988 and claimed that he and the Lutzes took real-life incidents and transposed them to create a spooky tale sure to make a splash for example, turning a cat that lived in the neighborhood who had a habit of hanging out in the windows of the Lutzes house into the face of a green-eyed pig that menaced the family through a window. View of the home of Ronald DeFeo Sr.,the car salesman, his wife, two daughters and two sons were found shot to death on Nov. 14 1974. AP file. From green slime reportedly oozing from the walls to windows suddenly shattering to family members allegedly levitating in bed, their claims sounded like something straight out of a horror film. Padover said that the gun was turned over to a crime lab immediately for a forensic ID. walls were limited to exterior walls. So, I decided to look into this matter further. The Amityville franchise is a series of films and books that are about a certain Haunted House (and later other objects associated with it) that resides in 112 Ocean Avenue, Amityville. DeFeo killed his parents, Ronald DeFeo, Sr. and Louise DeFeo, and his four younger siblings, Dawn, 18, Allison, 13, Marc, 12, and John Matthew, 9. Yet, the CRI's findings regarding the location of this photo matching the DeFeo basement is a significant fact. In picture According to one interview he gave in 1986, his sister Dawn killed their father, after which their mother killed Dawn and the other children before turning the gun on herself; when DeFeo filed a 440 motion in 1990, however, he claimed that Dawn shot the majority of the DeFeos before he himself killed Dawn; and he maintains that his lawyer, William Weber, pressured him into the insanity defense they pushed at his trial.