Many horror movies have been inspired by or based on true events; 2005’s The Amityville Horror is one of them. The film is based on this story of Ronald DeFeo, who murdered his whole family in the short time of 15 minutes.
Rodney DeFeo Jr. / Picture Credit: Health With Shees on YouTube
Who was Ronald DeFeo Jr?
Despite having a comfortable childhood in Amityville, New York (NY), Ronald DeFeo still grew up emotionally troubled.
In 1974, he murdered his entire family, including his parents, sisters and brothers, as they slept.
The killings inspired both novels and films, the most notable perhaps being The Amityville Horror from 2005, starring Ryan Reynolds.
A troubled childhood
Ronald ‘Butch’ DeFeo Jr. was born on September 26th, 1951, in Brooklyn, NY.
He was the oldest of five children born to Ronald, a car salesman, and Louise DeFeo.
Ronald Sr. worked at a Buick dealership, providing his family with a decent upper-middle-class lifestyle.
However, Ronald Sr. Would engage in regular arguments with his wife and children, and DeFeo was often the target of this abuse.
A lot was expected from DeFeo, which only added to the stress and pressure he felt both at home and at school; the overweight and brooding boy was tormented and bullied by his peers.
As he got older, however, DeFeo began to psychically lash out against his father, as well as some friends.
His family took him to a psychiatrist, but DeFeo denied needing any help.
By the age of 17, DeFeo was a user of LSD and heroin; he was expelled from school due to his violent outbursts.
Despite their son’s academic setbacks and violent tendencies, the DeFeo’s continued to reward their son.
DeFeo was offered a job ad his grandfather’s Buick dealership with no expectations from anyone; he used the money he gained and used it for his car as well as alcohol, drugs and guns.
A sign of things to come
DeFeo’s behaviour became even more troubling as time went on.
He once threatened to shoot a friend with a rifle on a hunting trip, then acted casual as if nothing had happened.
He also tried to shoot his father with a 12-gauge shotgun during an argument between himself and his parents.
DeFeo actually pulled the trigger on the gun aimed at his father, but it malfunctioned. This sinister event would turn out to be foreshadowing the horror to come.
Ronald Sr. was threatened a second time by his son in 1974, when he questioned DeFeo about a robbery (of $20,000) that occurred at the dealership they both worked at.
The DeFeo family murders
In the early hours of November 13th, 1974, DeFeo acted on the threat he issued to his father earlier in the year.
Wielding a .35-caliber Marlin rifle from his hidden gun stash, he went into his parents’ bedroom and shot them both while they slept.
He then moved to his brothers’ bedroom and shot them as well.
Afterwards, DeFeo ended the killings by shooting both his sisters at point-blank range in their beds.
DeFeo then took a shower, got dressed for work, and collected his blood-stained clothing and the murder weapon and put them into a pillowcase. He then ditched the evidence in a storm drain on his way to the dealership at 6am.
When he got to work, DeFeo rang home and pretended to have no idea as to why his father hadn’t shown up for work.
He left work at noon that day, saying that he was bored and was going to hang out with some friends. DeFeo tried to cement an alibi by telling everyone he visited that he couldn’t reach anyone at home.
At 6pm, he called a friend in fake shock, saying that someone had broken in and killed his family.
Investigation
Authorities arrived after a friend of DeFeo’s called them; he stated that mafia hitman Louis Falini was to blame.
DeFeo claimed that Falini and his father had a grudge between them due to work done at the dealership.
Despite DeFeo claiming that he left his house early in the morning to go to work because he couldn’t sleep, police noticed that the deceased family were still in their pyjamas, meaning that the murders couldn’t have happened later in the day, placing DeFeo at home at the time of the killings.
Additionally, police found an empty box for a .35-caliber Marlin gun in DeFeo’s room; this of course made him a suspect.
While trying to explain his made-up story and changing his statement, he eventually broke down and admitted to the killings.
Trial and imprisonment
DeFeo’s trial began on October 14th, 1975, almost a full year after the murders.
Jurors agreed with the assessment that DeFeo suffered from antisocial personality disorder, which made him aware of his action but motivated by self-centred attitude.
DeFeo was found guilty on six counts of second-degree murder on November 21st, 1975.
He was sentenced to six consecutive life sentences, and sent to Green Haven Correctional Facility in Beekman, NY.
DeFeo died in prison at the age of 69 on March 12th, 2021.
Written by Melissa, who you can follow on Twitter @melissajournal
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