Amityville Horror House (Long Island, NY)

The Amityville Horror House haunting refers to the events allegedly experienced by the Lutz family during the 28 days they resided in a large Dutch Colonial house in Amityville, Long Island, New York, in late 1975.

The house was the site of a mass murder committed a year earlier by Ronald DeFeo Jr., who killed six members of his family. The subsequent claims of paranormal phenomena by the Lutzes became the basis for The Amityville Horror book and a major film franchise, establishing it as one of the most famous and controversial haunting cases in the United States.

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Overview

Attribute	Details
Name	Amityville Horror House
Other Names	The High Hopes house, Amityville House
Address	112 Ocean Avenue, Amityville, Long Island, New York 11701
Country	United States
Coordinates	40.6588° N, 73.3986° W
Nearest City	New York City
Property Type	Victorian mansion
Built / Established	1927
Closed / Abandoned	Still in use
Owner	Private owner
Type of Haunting	Poltergeist, Demonic, Intelligent
Manifestations	Foul smells, cold spots, slime oozing from walls, moving objects, disembodied voices, flying objects, religious items breaking, glowing eyes
Tragic Events & Causes	Mass murder of six family members (DeFeo family) by Ronald DeFeo Jr.
Known Entities	The spirit of Ronald DeFeo Sr., the spirits of the murder victims, a demonic pig-like entity named Jody
Fear Rating	9/10 (Extremely Terrifying) [See Explanation]
First Recorded Sighting	November 1975 (Lutz family reports)
Most Recent Sighting	Recent reports are scarce and lack strong documentation, as the house is a private residence and the story is largely considered folklore.
Activity Level	8/10 (High Activity) [See Explanation]
Current Status	Private residence
Open to the Public?	No
Best Time to Visit	None (private residence)
Danger Warning	Private property with aggressive owners; trespassing will result in arrest.
Similar Haunted Locations	Villisca Axe Murder House, The Oman House, Lizzie Borden House, Sallie House, Hinsdale House, The Conjuring House, The Whaley House

Amityville Horror House’s Haunted History

The dark history of the property begins before the alleged haunting, with a brutal act of mass murder. On November 13, 1974, Ronald DeFeo Jr., then 23 years old, shot and killed his parents and four younger siblings as they slept in their beds at 112 Ocean Avenue. DeFeo Jr. later claimed to have heard voices telling him to commit the murders. He was convicted in November 1975.

Thirteen months after the murders, in December 1975, George and Kathy Lutz and Kathy’s three children moved into the large Dutch Colonial house. The Lutzes were aware of the murders but were drawn to the house’s low price. Within 28 days, they fled the home, claiming they had been terrorized by a range of increasingly intense paranormal phenomena.

The alleged haunting included strange occurrences such as foul odors, cold spots, doors and windows opening and closing violently, objects moving on their own (Poltergeist activity), and an oozing green slime. George Lutz reportedly woke up at 3:15 a.m. every morning, the approximate time the DeFeo murders took place.

The family priest, Father Ralph Pecoraro (called Father Mancuso in the book), allegedly experienced a deep sense of dread and was slapped by an unseen force after attempting to bless the house. The events, chronicled in Jay Anson’s 1977 book The Amityville Horror: A True Story, popularized the location as a site of intense, possibly demonic, activity.

Documented Sightings Timeline

Witness	Date	Details
Father Ralph Pecoraro	December 1975	Experienced a strong sense of dread and a voice demanding, ‘Get out!’ as he attempted to bless the house’s sewing room. He later suffered fever and blistered hands.
George Lutz	December 1975 – January 1976	Woke up every night at exactly 3:15 a.m. He also reported seeing his wife, Kathy, briefly levitate off the bed. He also claimed to smell the scent of cloves, a smell associated with the occult.
Lutz Family	December 1975 – January 1976	Reported objects flying, doors slamming, strange noises, and cold spots in different areas of the house. Foul odors were a frequent complaint, sometimes described as smelling like sewage or fumes.
Lutz Family	December 1975 – January 1976	Allegedly saw a pair of glowing red eyes looking in from a window.
Lutz Family	December 1975 – January 1976	The family claimed to have seen green-black slime ooze from the walls and keyholes.
Kathy Lutz	December 1975 – January 1976	Reportedly suffered from frequent nightmares and also claimed to have seen the figure of a pig with glowing red eyes.
George Lutz	January 1976	Experienced his head being snapped back and his back being bent over in an attempt to be torn apart by an unseen force in the living room.
Lutz Family	January 1976	Fled the house on January 14, 1976, believing the activity had become life-threatening and potentially demonic.
Ed and Lorraine Warren	February 1976	Captured an infamous photograph believed to show a child ghost on the second floor of the house.

Paranormal Activity

The paranormal activity reported by the Lutz family during their short residency was intense and varied, going beyond typical residual or intelligent manifestations. The claims suggest a full-blown poltergeist and possibly demonic infestation.

Investigators have noted a pattern of phenomena targeting the family’s spiritual, psychological, and physical well-being. Phenomena were frequently associated with the basement and a red room that George Lutz allegedly discovered.

These patterns suggest an overwhelmingly hostile presence that sought to torment and drive out the occupants. The activity was not subtle; it was aggressive and rapidly escalating, starting almost immediately after their arrival and climaxing in the family’s sudden departure 28 days later.

Notable Investigations

Following the Lutz family’s departure and the publication of the book, several paranormal investigations took place. The most famous was conducted in February 1976 by parapsychologists Ed and Lorraine Warren.

The Warrens brought a news crew and attempted to communicate with the alleged entities. The investigation concluded that the house was indeed inhabited by a demonic entity. The Warrens’ team produced an iconic photograph purported to show a child ghost peering from a second-floor doorway.

In 1977, psychic Alex Tanous and Dr. Stephen Kaplan conducted a separate investigation. Dr. Kaplan became a vocal skeptic of the Lutz’s story, suggesting it was a hoax created for financial gain. Later investigations, including those filmed for documentaries, have yielded mixed results, with some teams reporting unexplainable noises and cold spots.

On the other hand, others found no conclusive evidence of paranormal activity.

The general consensus among skeptics is that the story is primarily a work of folklore based on a real-life tragedy. At the same time, believers cite the Warrens’ findings and the Lutz family’s testimony as proof of a genuine haunting.

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