Amityville, New York is a small village in Babylon, Suffolk County.  At just under ten thousand people, it’s hard to imagine that such a small town could be the place of something so greatly terrifying.  The town forever became a household name after the gruesome deaths of the DeFeo family in 1974.

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On November 13, 1974, Ronald DeFeo, Jr. shot and killed six members of his family in their large Dutch colonial home.  Among the victims were DeFeo’s parents, his eighteen and thirteen year old sisters, and his twelve and nine year old brothers.  DeFeo was charged with six counts of second degree murder in 1975 and sentenced to six counts of twenty five to life after his affirmative defense of insanity was denied.

After DeFeo was imprisoned, the house was bought by George and Kathy Lutz, their three children and dog Harry in 1975.  The realtor had told the family about the house’s history with the prior murders, but the family accepted the great deal and moved in.

While the family was excited to begin their new lives in the house together, they lasted just twenty eight days before fleeing.  Despite having the home blessed before they moved in, the Lutz family reported bizarre and terrifying instances of paranormal occurrences.

It started out small, doors opening, windows slamming, mysteriously locked doors and windows, and sounds of an invisible clock radio.  Later it was cold spots, and the smell of perfume or excrement with no findable source.  Unfortunately, the energy seemed to pick up pace as the family’s time in the home wore on.’

One of the children, the Lutz’ five year old daughter seemed to be the most affected.  She would start singing songs that were unfamiliar and seemed to be unable to stop.  The family was mostly unconcerned about the event until the girl indicated her invisible friend, Jodie was telling her the song.  She described her friend as being a pig with red eyes, by description resembling some sort of demon.

One afternoon, Kathy looked up and saw her daughter in the window of the home.  Standing behind her was the demon pig, red eyes glaring.  Mrs. Lutz ran upstairs and found her daughter tucked into bed fast asleep, but the young girls rocking chair moving on its own.  When Mrs. Lutz went back outside, there was cloven footprints in the snow and she swore she saw red eyes glaring at her from behind a nearby bush.

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On random occasions, Kathy would have vivid nightmares of the murders of the DeFeo family.  She was able to recite when, where and how each family member died.  Many times, Kathy would wake up and find her children sleeping in the same places the murders occurred, face down and still.  On one occasion, Kathy was found covered in welts and levitating above her bed, while a crucifix on the wall spun and put off a putrid smell.  Mr. Lutz would often find himself sleepwalking at 3:15am and wake in the boathouse.  They later discovered that the time of the murders was 3:15 in the morning.

The family had problems with flies, year round and green gel began seeping from the walls of the home.  The family discovered hidden rooms and furniture moved on its own.  On one especially terrifying evening, while Mr. Lutz walked past a china lion in the home, it struck him.  They later found the lion in different rooms of the home, despite no one being around to move it.

When blessings failed and stigmata left clergymen with blisters and fever, the family suffered one final traumatic evening.  They refused to speak of the incidents of that night and refused to step foot in the home again.