The Amityville Horror: Horror or Hoax?

[LadyW]

Perhaps one of the most controversial of phenomenons during the 20th century, and even today the subject is still debatable. After watching the 2005 version of the film, (which was rather pathetic I must say), I did my research on the supposedly true events that took place on 112 Ocean Avenue.


In December 1975, George and Kathleen Lutz and their children moved into 112 Ocean Avenue, a large Dutch Colonial house in Amityville, a suburban neighborhood located on the south shore of Long Island, New York. Thirteen months before the Lutzes moved in, Ronald DeFeo, Jr. had shot and killed six members of his family at the house. After 28 days, the Lutzes left the house, claiming to have been terrorized by paranormal phenomena while living there.


For details of what the family claimed to have experienced (and criticisms in responce to those claims):
The Amityville Horror (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Amityville_Horror#The_book)

Interestingly enough, the Lutz couple passed their lie detector test with ease. Here's the link to the actual report following up from the test:
Polygraph Results (http://www.amityvillehorroronline.com/docs/docs.htm)

Whilst rooting about on the Amityville website, I was instructed to examine this photograph of the house which was taken immediately after the murders in 1974.

Not everyone sees the same things in this picture and we can suggest one way to help you do your search... if you have a picture viewer that allows you to move in and out with magnification... you will sometimes notice that something may also catch your eye for some reason, and you may wish to look closer at that area. We have also found that the picture changes from day to day and not all people will notice or see this so it is a matter of perception and also individual observation. We can tell you that if you concentrate on one particular area or "find" and rotate the image you will see more.

http://www.amityvillehorror.com/gallery/amityvillehorrorhouse.jpg

Honestly? I can't see a damn thing. There are two small lights in the front middle window... and a few bright white patches here and there - but that's it.

So now I come to the point of this rather elongated post: As I understand it, alot of people have come to the conclusion that the "Amityville Horror" was indeed a hoax. In fact, Ronald DeFeo (whilst serving his time in prison) actually admitted to being drunk and high on heroin on the night of the murders. He then went on to say he lied about the voices telling him to perform these acts.
Nevertheless, I can't help wonder... Why would someone lie about something like this? The couple admitted that some content within the book was dramatized (along with that in the films); call me fanciful, but I have to say, a part of me is inclined to believe these people.

What do you think?
Did you spot anything interesting on the photograph?
Tell me what you thought.

[novelsryou]

I saw the movie in VA. with my wife when it debuted. It was pretty scary at the time. I was in the Navy then and guys on the ship that were from the area had gone to the house. That was pretty cool but they didn't witness anything paranormal and for that matter I don't believe in the paranormal either. The Lutzs must have been doing some really good drugs...Oh yeah, I see pig eyes in the middle first floor window.

[LadyW]

I saw the movie in VA. with my wife when it debuted. It was pretty scary at the time. I was in the Navy then and guys on the ship that were from the area had gone to the house. That was pretty cool but they didn't witness anything paranormal and for that matter I don't believe in the paranormal either. The Lutzs must have been doing some really good drugs...Oh yeah, I see pig eyes in the middle first floor window.

:lol: I just had a funny image of a demonic pig...hehehe! Ah-he-hem; anyhoo! I don't really get the whole photograph thing... I mean you can make images in your mind out of anything... there are lots of shadows lots of obscure shapes made by all the inrticate little details within the shot. For example, the tree branches - anyone can make an image out of that.

[papayahed]

Yeah, I see half of Gene Simmon's demon face in the left bottom window and bugs bunny in the right bottom window.

[pussnboots]

I remember reading about the murders in the newspaper and it gave me the willies. Till this day I can't watch the entire movie without having the bejesus scared out of me.
As to whether or not this really happened - I really don't know.

If you look at the downstairs middle window, doesn't it look like a person is wearing a white hood and their eyes are a bright light. BOO!!

[Virgil]

Pretty house. I would buy it. :lol: :lol:

[JBI]

I'd live there if they offered it to me. Chances are some neighbor told them one thing or another, and their mind assembled the rest out of their own imaginations. As I see it, the ghosts don't actually exist in The Turn of the Screw. This is the same, you choose to believe ghosts are real, without a shred of evidence, or you choose to side with rational people and think they aren't.

As it is, many people imagine things in this world. I can't see how this is any different.

[LadyWentworth]

What? Nobody sees those creepy-looking statues in front? They are by the "High Hopes" sign. That is the only creepy thing about this photo. I don't like statues at all.

Now, a lot of people know I am a big believer in ghosts/paranormal. Having said that, though, I never thought that some demonic spirits/voices/whatever-it-was told him to do it. I forgot that this guy was supposedly drunk and high when he committed the murders. I personally always assumed that he wanted to kill them and he used the voices as an "excuse" for it. Plain and simple. So, no, I don't believe anything told him to do it. But would I stay in there? NO!!! Not because I think I would become posessed. There were horrible murders committed there. Why would I want to stay in a place like that? I don't mind visiting cemeteries and such, but THAT morbid I am not! It is just plain creepy and weird.

Then there are the people who stay in the Lizzie Borden Bed and Breakfast. This was the home where she brutally murdered her father and stepmother. People actually spend the night there. That is just odd to me. That is my own personal opinon of it, though. I guess I would have to say to others "Whatever floats your boat!"

Anyway, yes, I believe in the paranormal. No, I do not believe the paranormal played a part in the murders. Again, I also wouldn't set foot in that house. That reminds me of this guy that I saw on TV once talking about the Hope Diamond. He said that he absolutely does NOT believe it has some sort of curse attached to it. Yet, he would NOT want to receive it as a gift. :p

[LadyW]

Yeah, I see half of Gene Simmon's demon face in the left bottom window and bugs bunny in the right bottom window.

:lol: Hahaha, you had me in stitches there... Gene Simmons

[sprinks]

What? Nobody sees those creepy-looking statues in front? They are by the "High Hopes" sign. That is the only creepy thing about this photo. I don't like statues at all.


I agree - those freaked me out.... I jumped when I saw them.... Everytime I look at the photo I'm afraid something will appear out of nowhere in it and scare me :lol:

[Scheherazade]

Pretty house. I would buy it. :lol: :lol:Yeah? What would Missus say to that?

:p

[Niamh]

What? Nobody sees those creepy-looking statues in front? They are by the "High Hopes" sign. That is the only creepy thing about this photo. I don't like statues at all.

Now, a lot of people know I am a big believer in ghosts/paranormal. Having said that, though, I never thought that some demonic spirits/voices/whatever-it-was told him to do it. I forgot that this guy was supposedly drunk and high when he committed the murders. I personally always assumed that he wanted to kill them and he used the voices as an "excuse" for it. Plain and simple. So, no, I don't believe anything told him to do it. But would I stay in there? NO!!! Not because I think I would become posessed. There were horrible murders committed there. Why would I want to stay in a place like that? I don't mind visiting cemeteries and such, but THAT morbid I am not! It is just plain creepy and weird.

Then there are the people who stay in the Lizzie Borden Bed and Breakfast. This was the home where she brutally murdered her father and stepmother. People actually spend the night there. That is just odd to me. That is my own personal opinon of it, though. I guess I would have to say to others "Whatever floats your boat!"

Anyway, yes, I believe in the paranormal. No, I do not believe the paranormal played a part in the murders. Again, I also wouldn't set foot in that house. That reminds me of this guy that I saw on TV once talking about the Hope Diamond. He said that he absolutely does NOT believe it has some sort of curse attached to it. Yet, he would NOT want to receive it as a gift. :p

I agree with everything you said except i would enter the house. With that many deaths in one house there is bound to be lots of negative and residual energy. Snap snap and find some orbs! :p

[Big Al]

Hoax or horror? Well, I'm sure the house probably exists, but ghosts? Nah.

[LadyWentworth]

I agree - those freaked me out.... I jumped when I saw them.... Everytime I look at the photo I'm afraid something will appear out of nowhere in it and scare me :lol:
Ha! I kind of jumped, too, because that was really unexpected! :p


I agree with everything you said except i would enter the house. With that many deaths in one house there is bound to be lots of negative and residual energy. Snap snap and find some orbs! :p
I never said I wouldn't actually go in the house. I just said that I wouldn't stay there! ;) I was thinking about going to Massachusetts. On my way my out of the state (the route that I plan on taking) I would pass through the town of Fall River. That is the place of the Lizzie Borden murders. So, yes, I would go! As of right now, I think I would just look at it from the outside. I know when I got there I would change my mind and go in. I always do end up doing that stuff. After all, in a situation like that, I am probably never going to go back to Fall River in my life, So why not?

Niamh (or anyone else :) ), if you are interested in the Lizzie Borden stuff, here is the website to the home: http://www.lizzie-borden.com/ . Some interesting paranormal stuff has happened there (I am not sure how much of it is mentioned on this site, though). I just think it is weird that people spend the night there, though. It isn't like they are investigating or anything like that. That is a different story. But to lodge there, well, that way it is too morbid for even me to take part in. Well, that and the tea parties that they have there. :rolleyes: It is kind of like people forget that murders took place there! There is more to it (little things that they sell there and serve to you with your meal - a cookie shaped like a hatchet with red frosting) that I think is very inapproriate. That is saying a lot when it is coming from me! After all, I want to go to DC and take the John Wilkes Booth escape route (after he shot Lincoln) drive that they have available now. So, some of the stuff that at the Lizzie Borden house is too much for me! For the record, I have always believed that Lizzie Borden was guilty and the only guilty one! I just thought I would say that. :)

The whole Amityville case is strange. Like the positions of the bodies, nobody hearing the gunshots, et.c. Like I said, I still think the guy wanted to kill them. Nothing told him to do it. With the murders that took place, sure there could be a lot of paranormal stuff going on there. I think it would only involve the members of the family that were killed, though. I don't think there is anything else going on there. I think the people who wrote the book about the home experienced some of the "lighter" happenings in the house (maybe cold spots, footsteps, et.c.) and they turned it into this big myth. I think the statement about hearing voices helped to give them this exaggerated story. Besides, if he heard the voices, why wouldn't at least one of the two people that wrote the book hear them, too? Why would these supposed demonic spirits only have it out for his family? So, I think it is basically all just a hoax.

[Virgil]

Yeah? What would Missus say to that?

:p

She said, and this is an exact quote, "hell no. I wouldn't get caught dead in that place." :lol: :lol: Such sissies. It's only a house. :D

[LadyW]

She said, and this is an exact quote, "hell no. I wouldn't get caught dead in that place." :lol: :lol: Such sissies. It's only a house. :D

:lol: Well really... if you think about it, if you're one to be spooked - she most likely would be caught dead in the house, as opposed to alive.
There's something to brighten your day. I should just not talk. I will stop now.
Sorry Virgil :thumbs_up

[Taliesin]

I think I would quite like to live in that place when I am old - it would be a terrific chance to be a component of the local kids horror stories - "And you know, its not only that creepy old guy who lives there - there used to be murders there! And they say that..."
To give it extra creep, I could reenact Rocky Horror Picture Show in that house with selected people.
I always have wanted to become a piece of folklore.

Alas, as leading eshatologers have informed me, sky is falling down quite soon meaning that my chances of seeing old age are quite small. Oh well, one can dream.

[djy78usa]

If you look carefully at the bottom left corner of that picture, you can clearly see Bigfoot, El Chupacabra, Nessie, and a Leprachaun engaged in what appears to be a rather thrilling round of hearts

[Eggys]

What a joke. You may as well believe in Aliens if you believe that.

[The Atheist]

Hoax or horror? Well, I'm sure the house probably exists, but ghosts? Nah.

Hey! I use that exact avatar on a christian forum. (they love me!)


If you look carefully at the bottom left corner of that picture, you can clearly see Bigfoot, El Chupacabra, Nessie, and a Leprachaun engaged in what appears to be a rather thrilling round of hearts

Is that El Chupacabra? I thought it was Cthulhu.


What a joke. You may as well believe in Aliens if you believe that.

What a spoilsport! You mean to say you doubt that aliens travel almost limitless reaches of space, using technology vastly superior to ours to come here and cut up cows and do anal probes on unsuspecting inbreds in the outback?

[Pendragon]

Then there are the people who stay in the Lizzie Borden Bed and Breakfast. This was the home where she brutally murdered her father and stepmother. People actually spend the night there. That is just odd to me. That is my own personal opinon of it, though. I guess I would have to say to others "Whatever floats your boat!"

Um, while it is highly likely that Lizzie Borden killed her parents it was never actually proven. She was found innocent by the courts of her day and no one has been able to prove her guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. It is possible that the maid was the guilty party. Speculation is that Lizzie knew who murdered her parents, but was glad they were dead, owning to the way her father treated her. She could not make a move without his permission despite her age.

That said; I would not stay in these places. Violent death may cause bad energy and is conducive to causing hallucinations of ghosts.

http://i94.photobucket.com/albums/l108/AbsalomKane/Ghost.gif

[LadyW]

That said; I would not stay in these places. Violent death may cause bad energy and is conducive to causing hallucinations of ghosts.

Regardless of whether the ghosts exist or not, I wouldn't be happy staying in a house where someone had been killed. I think it'd be quite wrong actually... not a happy place at all.