Chapter 1: The Gruesome Past of the Amityville Horror House
In the quiet town of Amityville, New York, a picturesque Dutch Colonial house stood on the corner of Ocean Avenue. The house seemed ordinary enough, but its history was far from ordinary. In 1974, the DeFeo family was brutally murdered within its walls, leaving behind an eerie atmosphere and setting the stage for one of the most notorious haunted house stories in history.
Ronald DeFeo Jr., the family’s eldest son, mercilessly shot his parents and four siblings while they slept. The murders shocked the small community of Amityville, and the DeFeo house quickly gained a sinister reputation. People whispered about the evil that must have driven Ronald to commit such heinous acts, and some even speculated that the house itself played a role in the tragedy.
The whispers grew louder as the house sat vacant after the grisly crime. Neighbors reported strange noises and flickering lights emanating from the seemingly empty residence. The DeFeo house had become a morbid local curiosity, a place that few dared to approach, but many couldn’t help but gawk at from a distance.
Little did they know that the events that had transpired within the house’s walls were only the beginning. A year later, the house would become the site of one of modern history’s most chilling and well-documented cases of supernatural activity.
Chapter 2: A New Beginning
Despite the house’s dark history, George and Kathy Lutz decided to purchase it in 1975, moving in with their three children.
They were aware of the house’s gruesome past, but the affordable price and the property’s spaciousness convinced them that they could make a fresh start. They were determined to leave the tragic events of the past behind and create a warm, loving home for their family.
Upon moving in, the Lutzes performed a blessing ceremony to cleanse the house of any lingering negativity. They wanted to dispel any remnants of the DeFeo family’s misfortune and begin their new life with a clean slate. It seemed reasonable and pragmatic, but they soon discovered that the house had other plans.
In the beginning, life in the Amityville house was peaceful. The Lutzes settled in and started to build a new routine, gradually adapting to their new surroundings. The house welcomed them, and they felt optimistic about their future. However, the serenity was short-lived, and before long, the family began to experience strange and unexplainable events.
Chapter 3: Unsettling Occurrences
Soon after moving in, the Lutz family began experiencing bizarre and unexplainable events. The children heard voices and saw mysterious apparitions. The atmosphere in the house was oppressive, and the family found it increasingly difficult to ignore the sinister presence that seemed to be lurking within.
George Lutz would wake up at 3:15 am every night, the same time the DeFeo murders occurred. He began to suffer from intense nightmares and strange ailments that left him exhausted and on edge. He felt an inexplicable compulsion to check the boathouse at the back of the property every night as if something was drawing him there.
Kathy Lutz had vivid nightmares about the murders, complete with details she couldn’t have known. She also began to experience strange physical changes, with her face and body occasionally contorting and aging rapidly before returning to normal.
Their daughter Missy began talking to an imaginary friend named Jodie, who appeared as a pig-like creature with red eyes.
Chapter 3: Desperate Prayers
As the unexplained occurrences escalated, the Lutzes turned to their faith for answers. They enlisted the help of Father Mancuso, a local priest, who agreed to bless the house to cleanse it of any lingering evil.
Father Mancuso: “In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, I command you to leave this house and never return.”
Despite his best efforts, the blessing only seemed to anger the unseen presence. Father Mancuso was violently struck by an unseen force and forced to leave the house, his hands covered in blisters from his brief contact with the entity.
Father Mancuso: “Kathy, George… I’m sorry. There’s something evil in that house. I can’t help you.”
Chapter 5: The House Fights Back
As the weeks passed, the supernatural occurrences escalated in frequency and intensity. The Lutzes were no longer merely witnesses to the strange happenings; they became targets of the malevolent force that haunted their home. The once peaceful atmosphere had transformed into a living nightmare, and each family member began to feel the weight of the house’s dark past bearing down on them.
Doors were ripped from their hinges, and a foul green substance oozed from the walls. Rooms would inexplicably become ice-cold, and demonic faces would appear in the fireplace. A swarm of flies appeared out of nowhere, taking over the house despite the winter season.
Even the family’s dog, Harry, began to exhibit signs of distress, barking and growling at unseen entities that lurked in the shadows.
George’s personality changed dramatically during their stay in the house. He became increasingly paranoid and aggressive, much to his family’s concern.
His once loving and nurturing demeanor had been replaced by a brooding and volatile temperament that left the family increasingly isolated and frightened. Kathy also began to change, her once-vibrant personality overshadowed by fear and anxiety.
The Lutzes discovered a secret, blood-red room in the basement that wasn’t on the original blueprints. Even their family dog refused to enter the mysterious space. The sinister atmosphere intensified when George heard what sounded like a band playing music downstairs, only to find the room empty, with the furniture inexplicably rearranged.
Chapter 6: A Desperate Plea for Help
The Lutzes, desperate for answers and assistance, reached out to paranormal investigators and clergy alike. They hoped someone could provide insight into the terrifying events and help them reclaim their home from the clutches of darkness. They refused to abandon the house without a fight, determined to rid their home of the evil that had taken hold.
The Lutzes invited a priest to bless the house, but he was chased away by a menacing voice that warned him to “Get out!” After encountering the unseen presence, the priest suffered from blisters and a high fever, a clear sign that the entity within the house was not to be trifled with.
Undeterred, the family reached out to paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren, renowned for their work in the field of supernatural research.
The Warrens arrived at the Amityville house with a team of experts eager to document the strange phenomena and help the family find a way to combat the malevolent force that haunted them.
They conducted experiments and recorded their findings, hoping to uncover the truth behind the house’s chilling past and present. Their investigation only confirmed the Lutzes’ worst fears: they lived in a house infested with demonic forces.
Chapter 7: The Final Stand
After 28 days of unrelenting terror, the Lutzes reached their breaking point. A horrifying night forced the family to flee their home, leaving all their belongings behind. They never returned to the Amityville house.
With the Warrens’ confirmation that their home was a site of intense supernatural activity, the Lutzes decided they could no longer risk their family’s safety by staying in the house. The evil that had taken root within its walls was too powerful and dangerous to confront.
The Amityville Horror House remains a chilling reminder of the darkness lurking within even the most ordinary places. Its reputation as one of the most haunted houses in America continues to intrigue and frighten those who hear its tale.
The Lutzes never returned to the house, and their experience remains a haunting testament to the supernatural’s power and the human spirit’s resilience in the face of unimaginable terror.
As word of their ordeal spread, author Jay Anson became captivated by the Lutzes’ story. He wrote “The Amityville Horror,” an instant bestseller that chronicled the family’s chilling experiences. Even a priest who had visited the house corroborated the Lutzes’ claims, sharing that he had been commanded to “get out” by an unseen presence.
Chapter 8: The Legend Lives On
The Amityville Horror House became a cultural phenomenon, spawning numerous films, books, and documentaries. Skeptics and believers alike debated the veracity of the Lutzes’ claims, with some arguing that the entire story was a hoax. However, George and Kathy passed lie detector tests, adding a layer of credibility to their harrowing tale.
Since the Lutzes abandoned the house, several families have lived there, reporting no paranormal activity. James Cromarty, who bought the house shortly after the Lutzes left, lived happily with his wife for over a decade. The house was eventually sold for $605,000 in 2017.
Despite the absence of new reports of hauntings, the legend of the Amityville Horror House persists. Countless films continue to be made, each adding a spin to the story. The truth behind the chilling events at 112 Ocean Avenue may never be definitively proven, but one thing is certain: the shadows of Amityville continue to haunt the collective imagination.
