THE AMITYVILLE MURDERS

"The members of the family settled into bed that night with their supper still heavy in their stomachs, drowsily falling into deep sleeps from which only one of them would awaken."

Before the famous house in Amityville, Long Island became known for its paranormal phenomena, it was significant several years earlier for another reason. On the night of November 13, 1974, Ronald DeFeo, Jr. burst into a local tavern and yelled, "You got to help me! I think my mother and father are shot!"

When police arrived at the house on 112 Ocean Avenue, they found six family members dead in their bed from multiple gunshot wounds, all face down in what was the largest mass murder in Long Island up to that time. After an investigation and a confession, it was determined that Ronald DeFoe, Jr. was the murderer. He was found guilty and sentenced to six sentences of 25-years to life.

This article from FRONT PAGE DETECTIVE (March, 1975) chronicles the horrifying event. The author writes objectively and rightly so -- based on what really happened, there was no need to further sensationalize the story. At the time the article was published, DeFeo was still awaiting trial.

DeFeo died in prison on March 12, 2021, at age 69. His cause of death has never been released to the public