Why did Ronald DeFeo Jr kill his family?
MURDERER Ronald DeFeo Jr killed his entire family in November 1974.
The gruesome murders were the inspiration behind The Amityville Horror — here we look at why he took the lives of his parents and siblings.
Who was Ronald DeFeo Jr?
Ronald DeFeo Jr was serving a 25-to-life sentence for the brutal killing of his mom, dad, two sisters and two brothers.
DeFeo gunned down his family using a .35-caliber Marlin lever-action rifle, inside their home on Ocean Avenue in Amityville, New York on November 13, 1974.
All victims were found in the same position, face down in bed.
DeFeo, nicknamed Butch, who was 23 at the time, admitted he was an LSD and heroin user but he was deemed sane at the time of the attack.
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After confessing to the murders, he was convicted in November 1975.
The following month he was sentenced to six sentences of 25-years-to-life by Judge Thomas Stark.
The horrifying murders inspired the 1977 book The Amityville Horror, A True Story.
Two years later followed a cult classic film starring James Brolin, Margot Kidder, Rod Steiger and Murray Hamilton.
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DeFeo, 69, who was serving a 25-to-life sentence at Sullivan Correctional Facility, was found dead on March 12, 2021, at the Albany Medical Center.
No cause of death was ever released to the general public.
Who were Ronald DeFeo Jr's victims?
Ronald DeFeo Jr was convicted of murdering his parents Louise and Ronald DeFeo Sr, as well as his four siblings Dawn, Allison, Marc and John.
The killer shot his parents twice, while all the children were killed with a single shot.
Physical evidence suggested that his mom and his younger sister were awake at the time of their deaths.
Ronald DeFeo Sr
One of the victims was Ronald DeFeo Sr, 43, the killer's father.
Nicknamed "Big Ronnie" — he was married to Louise DeFeo and had five children.
According to Ric Osuna, the author of The Night The DeFeos Died, he was quite strict to his firstborn son Ronald Jr and would violently try to discipline him when he was young.
Louise DeFeo
Ronald Jr's mom Louise DeFeo, 43, was the second victim, and she was shot in the back twice.
Born Louise Brigante, she was a former model and it was believed she was dating singer Mel Torme before her marriage to Ronald Sr.
Dawn DeFeo
Ronald Jr also killed his 18-year-old sister Dawn, who he later blamed for the killings of the rest of the family.
Speaking to Ric Osuna, the author of The Night The DeFeos Died, in November 2000, DeFeo confessed that along with his sister Dawn and two of his friends, he'd planned the murders of the family "out of desperation".
He claimed that what led to the killings was their father's regular abuse and it was initially Dawn's idea, who killed their siblings first.
He then claimed he knocked her unconscious on to her bed and shot her in the head.
Allison DeFeo
Ronald Jr's younger sister was also killed in the mass shootings.
It is believed the 13-year-old girl was awake at the time of her death when she received a bullet in her head.
Marc DeFeo
Butch's fifth victim was his younger brother Marc DeFeo, 12.
Prosecutors confirmed during Ronald Jr's trial that Marc was shot face down in bed.
John DeFeo
The killer's last victim was the family's youngest child, John DeFeo, 9.
Similarly to his brother Marc, John was shot from close range.
Why did Ronald DeFeo Jr kill his family?
Over the course of time DeFeo has changed his version of the story multiple times.
Initially, he reported the murders himself, telling police someone had broken into the house and killed his family, and even claimed he thought the killer was Louis Falini, a mafia hitman.
During his trial in October 1975, Ronald Jr claimed he killed his family in self-defence after hearing "voices".
The insanity plea was supported by the psychiatrist for the defence, but the psychiatrist for the prosecution said although DeFeo was an LSD and heroin user, he had an antisocial personality disorder, meaning he was fully aware of his actions at the time of the attack.
In a 1986 interview for Newsday he blamed his sister Dawn for the brutal killings.
In 1990 he filed a 440 motion claiming Dawn alongside another assailant killed the family and he later killed Dawn by accident during a struggle.
His request for parole was denied.
His victims are all buried at Saint Charles Cemetery in Farmingdale.
When was Amityville: An Origin Story released?
The first episode of Amityville: An Origin Story was released in the US on MGM+ on April 23, 2023 — with the final instalment dropping on May 14 of the same year.
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The documentary is comprised of one series, which is four episodes long.
It can currently be streamed/bought on MGM+, Amazon, Spectrum, fuboTV or Vudu.