Amityville Horror, an American horror classic, was not just a scary movie. This event took place decades ago, and still terrifies us today!

Most of you have seen the movie, Amityville Horror. What you may not know is that it is based on real events. At least it was real according to George and Kathy Lutz, who told their story to the author of the book.

George and Kathy Lutz

In 1975, George and Kathy Lutz moved into a house in Amityville, New York. The house, being built in Dutch colonial style, had 6 bedrooms, loft, and a pool, in addition to many other amenities.

It was just perfect for the Lutz’s large family, seeing as Kathy had three children from her previous marriage: Daniel, 9, Christopher, 7, and Melissa (or Missy) 5 years of age. They also had a pet, a labrador, named Harry.

George and Kathy Lutz lived in the house for just 28 days, during which they had terrible experiences. Strange smells and loud, unexplained noises were just some of the horrific experiences they had in the house…

For instance, all of them had seen red eyes watching them. Kathy discovered a secret room painted red that even the family dog refused to enter.

Even the priest,  invited to perform the exorcism ceremony, witnessed strange phenomena, which were later recorded on camera.

After a series of events on January 14 of the following year, they left the house, having taken with them only the essentials. They temporarily settled in Kathy’s mother’s house, but they claimed that the phenomena followed them

The Truth about Amityville horror

In this house, there had been a family tragedy where the son of the previous owner shot and killed 6 members of his family. All 6 victims were found face down in their beds with no signs of a struggle. The murderer, Ronald DeFeo, is currently incarcerated in New York and will remain in prison until his death.

The famous Amityville house at number 112, Ocean Avenue, had been closed for 13 months after the massacre, and in December 1975, George and Kathleen Lutz bought it for over $ 80,000. They moved into the home on December 19, 1975.

Shortly afterward, they met publisher Jay Anson, author of The Amityville Horror. Although the couple did not collaborate directly with Anson, he was provided with the recorded material of 45-hours duration and used it as the basis of the story. It is estimated that the book has sold around 10 million copies.

However, the next two owners of the house argued that they did not experience anything like what had happened to George and Kathy Lutz. Strange as it may be, and as factual in the evidence, the notoriety of the Amityville horror now lives predominantly in the big-screen adaptations. Movies, it seems, is how the story now lives on.

References:

  1. https://www.history.com

Copyright © 2012-2024 Learning Mind. All rights reserved. For permission to reprint, contact us.

power of misfits book banner desktop

Like what you are reading? Subscribe to our newsletter to make sure you don’t miss new thought-provoking articles!

Leave a Reply