The Amityville Horror House (Amityville, NY)
10/25/23 • 85 min
1 Listener
Tackling the story most requested by Dark House listeners, Alyssa and Hadley come face to face with 112 Ocean Avenue in Amityville, New York, the Dutch-Colonial house that inspired The Amityville Horror. The best-selling-book-turned-hit-movie tells the dramatic tale of George and Kathy Lutz, a young newlywed couple who purchased 112 Ocean Avenue in December of 1975, just a year after previous owners Ron and Louise DeFeo and four of their children were brutally murdered in the home. Having fled from the house only 28 days after moving in, the Lutzes told friends and neighbors that "unseen forces" drove them out. Looking to understand why today—despite the fact that the movie remains a classic—the Lutz's story is widely regarded as a hoax, the hosts dig for nuggets of truth buried under a mountain of lies and internet theories. They take a closer look at the DeFeo case and what could’ve possibly motivated Butch DeFeo, Ron and Louise’s eldest son, to commit such a heinous crime, as well as what exactly the Lutzes said happened to them in those 28 days living at the house, and how their credibility has been called into question since. Plus, they discover why the next family to move in after the Lutzes was also forced to abandon the home.
CREDITS
Alyssa Fiorentino - Co-host & Producer
Hadley Mendelsohn - Co-host & Producer
Jessy Caron - Producer & Audio Editor
To advertise on the show: https://www.advertisecast.com/DarkHouse or email us at [email protected].
RELATED LINKS
Amityville Horror (MOVIE): https://amzn.to/3EyXTgi
‘The Amityville Horror’ by Jay Anson: https://amzn.to/3ZbAqLP
‘The Golden Avenue: The History and People of Ocean Avenue, Amityville, NY: The History and People of Ocean Avenue, Amityville, NY’ by Doug Robinson: https://amzn.to/3RjQ9GC
‘My Amityville: Memories of a Golden Time’ by Doug Robinson: https://amzn.to/44JnJc8
‘High Hopes: The Amityville Murders’ by Gerard Sullivan and Harvey Aronson: https://amzn.to/489vefp
“Why Do We Have To Rely On The Federal Government To Protect Us?” United For Justice In Policing Long Island (BLOG POST): bit.ly/3PfN9ID
“The Confession Takers” Newsday (ARTICLE PDF): bit.ly/45NfaOV
“'Amityville' Prisoner Says Movie Money Tainted Defense” The New York Times (ARTICLE): bit.ly/3RjBrzA
“BEHIND THE BEST SELLERS” The New York Times (ARTICLE): bit.ly/3PiVQlk
The Amityville House of Horror (VIDEO): bit.ly/3EUTC7j
“Ex-resident of house debunks much of Amityville ‘horror’” The Seattle Times (ARTICLE): bit.ly/3PBeLJC
My Amityville Horror (MOVIE): https://amzn.to/45PCz22
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Tackling the story most requested by Dark House listeners, Alyssa and Hadley come face to face with 112 Ocean Avenue in Amityville, New York, the Dutch-Colonial house that inspired The Amityville Horror. The best-selling-book-turned-hit-movie tells the dramatic tale of George and Kathy Lutz, a young newlywed couple who purchased 112 Ocean Avenue in December of 1975, just a year after previous owners Ron and Louise DeFeo and four of their children were brutally murdered in the home. Having fled from the house only 28 days after moving in, the Lutzes told friends and neighbors that "unseen forces" drove them out. Looking to understand why today—despite the fact that the movie remains a classic—the Lutz's story is widely regarded as a hoax, the hosts dig for nuggets of truth buried under a mountain of lies and internet theories. They take a closer look at the DeFeo case and what could’ve possibly motivated Butch DeFeo, Ron and Louise’s eldest son, to commit such a heinous crime, as well as what exactly the Lutzes said happened to them in those 28 days living at the house, and how their credibility has been called into question since. Plus, they discover why the next family to move in after the Lutzes was also forced to abandon the home.
CREDITS
Alyssa Fiorentino - Co-host & Producer
Hadley Mendelsohn - Co-host & Producer
Jessy Caron - Producer & Audio Editor
To advertise on the show: https://www.advertisecast.com/DarkHouse or email us at [email protected].
RELATED LINKS
Amityville Horror (MOVIE): https://amzn.to/3EyXTgi
‘The Amityville Horror’ by Jay Anson: https://amzn.to/3ZbAqLP
‘The Golden Avenue: The History and People of Ocean Avenue, Amityville, NY: The History and People of Ocean Avenue, Amityville, NY’ by Doug Robinson: https://amzn.to/3RjQ9GC
‘My Amityville: Memories of a Golden Time’ by Doug Robinson: https://amzn.to/44JnJc8
‘High Hopes: The Amityville Murders’ by Gerard Sullivan and Harvey Aronson: https://amzn.to/489vefp
“Why Do We Have To Rely On The Federal Government To Protect Us?” United For Justice In Policing Long Island (BLOG POST): bit.ly/3PfN9ID
“The Confession Takers” Newsday (ARTICLE PDF): bit.ly/45NfaOV
“'Amityville' Prisoner Says Movie Money Tainted Defense” The New York Times (ARTICLE): bit.ly/3RjBrzA
“BEHIND THE BEST SELLERS” The New York Times (ARTICLE): bit.ly/3PiVQlk
The Amityville House of Horror (VIDEO): bit.ly/3EUTC7j
“Ex-resident of house debunks much of Amityville ‘horror’” The Seattle Times (ARTICLE): bit.ly/3PBeLJC
My Amityville Horror (MOVIE): https://amzn.to/45PCz22
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Previous Episode
Victoria’s Black Swan Inn (San Antonio, TX)
Hadley and Alyssa venture to Victoria’s Black Swan Inn, a lush, 35-acre home and wedding venue cloaked by 100-year-old oak trees in San Antonio, Texas. Built in the mid to late 1800s on a plot of land where, 50 years earlier, 60 Mexican soldiers were killed in the Battle of Salado, the Greek Revival manor has had a plethora of owners—including many who died there. Operating today as a residence and special events venue, many guests have reported strange experiences while visiting the property. To get to the bottom of the hauntings, Hadley and Alyssa run through the history of the home, diving into the lives of all of its former occupants and their (alleged) lingering spirits. Working their way through the home’s history up to the present day, the hosts share some of current owner Jo Ann Rivera’s paranormal encounters, including one of the most sinister spectral presences they’ve ever heard of.
CREDITS
Alyssa Fiorentino - Co-host & Producer
Hadley Mendelsohn - Co-host & Producer
Jessy Caron - Producer & Audio Editor
Jacob Stone - Sound Editor & Mixer
To advertise on the show: https://www.advertisecast.com/DarkHouse or email us at [email protected].
RELATED LINKS
Victoria’s Black Swan Inn (HOMEPAGE): https://bit.ly/46hu00n
“Victoria's Black Swan Inn—Historical Dossier LSF/It Feels Evil” by Celina Sommers (BLOG POST): https://bit.ly/3tarZUT
“Owner of San Antonio's Historic Black Swan Inn Unveils Her Paranormal Experiences” My San Antonio (ARTICLE): https://bit.ly/467NFjb
“Ungesund: Yellow Fever, the Antebellum Gulf South, and German Immigration” Southern Spaces (ARTICLE): https://bit.ly/3PI5dvd
‘The Trail Drivers of Texas: Interesting Sketches of Early Cowboys’ by J. Marvin Hunter (excerpt from Christoph Wilhelm Ackermann): https://amzn.to/48CEgSp
“Salado Creek, Battle Of” Texas State Historical Association: https://bit.ly/46eL07b
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Next Episode
Ammons House (Gary, IN) Feat. Psychology Professor Karl Rosengren
Hadley and Alyssa investigate the Ammons House, a modest, single-story home in Gary, Indiana where, in the spring of 2011, Latoya Ammons and her three young children were reportedly possessed by demons. After unpacking the history of the region, the hosts dig into the Ammons family’s case, from the first signs of paranormal activity to the extreme behavior that eventually led Latoya to flee the home and seek medical attention for her children. They also review reports made by healthcare professionals, law enforcement officers, and government workers whose eyewitness accounts point to two chilling possibilities: either the Ammons family suffered a psychological phenomenon, or the house really was infested by something evil and otherworldly. Hadley and Alyssa also discuss what happened to the house after Ghost Adventures host Zak Bagans bought it in 2014. Later, they’re joined by Karl Rosengren, a professor in the Brain and Cognitive Sciences and Psychology departments at the University of Rochester, to discuss how belief in the paranormal and magic affect early childhood development, the psychology behind superstition, and more.
CREDITS
Alyssa Fiorentino - Co-host & Producer
Hadley Mendelsohn - Co-host & Producer
Jessy Caron - Producer & Audio Editor
To advertise on the show: https://www.advertisecast.com/DarkHouse or email us at [email protected].
RELATED LINKS
“Paranormal activity: Do Catholics believe in ghosts?” U.S. Catholic (ARTICLE): https://bit.ly/3QDiqak
“White flight followed factory jobs out of Gary, Indiana. Black people didn't have a choice” The Guardian (ARTICLE): https://bit.ly/3FyLSry
“Resilient Midtown Tour to explore Gary’s historic district on foot” Indiana University Northwest (ARTICLE): https://bit.ly/3s74nQX
“The exorcisms of Latoya Ammons” Indianapolis Star (ARTICLE): https://bit.ly/406svzQ
Demon House (MOVIE): https://bit.ly/3s2BHse
“We almost lost our lives': Woman possessed by demons in 'portal to hell' house that terrified even the police chief reveals new details of her family's terrifying ordeal” Daily Mail (ARTICLE): https://bit.ly/3s2qzf8
“Childhood trauma and the development of paranormal beliefs” PubMed (STUDY): https://bit.ly/3Q0Ge6o
“Exorcism is something we can’t quite quit” Los Angeles Times (ARTICLE): https://bit.ly/3tSUKpm
Silhouette in the Ammons House window (PHOTO): https://bit.ly/3QsAYtJ
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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