Back in the early 1970s, a horrible murder took place in this house on Ocean Avenue in Amityville. The Lutz family moved in afterward and claimed they were haunted by evil spirits and demons. The book they wrote about the experience became a famous film in 1979. One of the most famous homes in America, the house has since changed owners many times.

• The original address was 112 Ocean Avenue but has since been changed to 108 Ocean Avenue to thwart lookie-loos
• The house was built in 1927
• Tragedy struck on November 13, 1974, when Ronald DeFeo Jr. shot and killed six members of his family with a .35 caliber rifle while they were asleep
• None of their neighbors heard any gunshots and seemingly none of the family members woke up from the shots
• All of the family members were found in the same position - face down in their beds
• DeFeo initially claimed a mafia hitman killed his family though he later admitted to the murders
• There is speculation that a second killer might have been involved but evidence has been inconclusive
• Over the years DeFeo’s story has changed
• Ronald DeFeo Jr. was found guilty and is still serving a life sentence in prison for the murders
• Some claim that Defeo might not have committed the murders on his own
• The Lutz family purchased the home over a year later for $88,000
• They stayed in the house for only 28 days

 

Cover of the original book.

• The Lutz family published the book “The Amityville Horror” in 1977 detailing the terrors they claimed they experienced after moving into the home
• To date, reports say that over 10 million copies of the book have been sold
• The book was made into a 1979 movie starring James Brolin and Margot Kidder
• There have been more than a dozen movies made about the haunting since then, with some lists featuring more than 20 films
• Experts have since debunked the Lutz’s story
• In fact, the Lutz’s lawyer later admitted to the hoax quoted as saying “We created this horror story over many bottles of wine… It is a hoax”
• One of the Lutz children, Daniel, claimed in a later documentary as an adult that he did experience supernatural phenomenon in the house
• Another Lutz child, Christopher, also claimed to have had a creepy experience in the house
• Although both children say the events detailed in the book are mostly fictional they both blame their step-father George for bringing on any supernatural phenomenon as they say that he dabbled in the occult

Photo: Google Maps.

• People still go to visit the home to take pictures even though the exterior has been renovated and the iconic quarter moon windows have been replaced
• Owners since the Lutzes have not had any supernatural or creepy experiences in the house
• The next owner after the Lutzes reportedly purchased the home for $55,000
• In 2010, the house was purchased for $950,000
• In 2016, the house was put up for sale for $850,000
• In 2016, the house became realtor.com’s most popular home of the week
• A report says that the house sold for $605,000 in March 2017
• A listing describes the house as a “Stately Center Hall Colonial On Amityville River. Large Boat House + 2 Car Garage Plus Boat Slip. Mint Condition”
• You can see a slide show of the interior and exterior grounds here
• Zillow describes it as a “Legendary Amityville Home” and lists its value at $663,877

Want more crazy facts? Click here for Crazy Facts About Long Island From the 1970s!