The Amityville Horror

The Amityville Horror is a book by American author Jay Anson, published in September 1977. It is also the basis of a series of films released from 1979 onward. The book is based on the claims of paranormal experiences by the Lutz family but has led to controversy and lawsuits over its truthfulness.

On November 13, 1974, 23-year-old Ronald DeFeo Jr. shot and killed six members of his family at their home. They lived at 112 Ocean Avenue, a large Dutch Colonial Revival house situated in a suburban neighborhood in Amityville, on the south shore of Long Island, New York. After a trial lasting seven weeks, DeFeo was convicted of second-degree murder in November 1975 and sentenced to six terms of 25 years to life in prison. DeFeo died in prison in March 2021.

In December 1975, George and Kathy Lutz moved into the house with their three children and dog, Harry. After 28 days, the Lutzes fled the house, claiming to have been terrorized by paranormal phenomena while living there. The events were first publicly reported in Newsday, a local newspaper, on February 14, 1976. According to the newspaper's report, some friends of the Lutzes confirmed that they had experienced strange phenomena which caused them to leave, while another said that they left because the house's heating system had failed and they could not afford to repair it.