The Night the Defeos Died: Reinvestigating the Amityville Murders

by Ric Osuna

On November 13, 1974, police received a report of a homicide at 112 Ocean Avenue in the Village of Amityville, New York, a sleepy seaside community located on Long Island's South Shore. Once there, the police discovered six members of the DeFeo family -- father, mother and four of their five children -- shot and killed execution style. The surviving son, Ronald “Butch” DeFeo Jr., was eventually charged and tried for the murder of his family and now is serving six concurrent life sentences. Some said a strong supernatural force in the DeFeo home drove Butch DeFeo to kill his family, while others claimed Butch DeFeo killed to receive an inheritance. The Night the DeFeos Died offers the true story behind this tragedy and exposes Butch DeFeo did not act alone in the commission of this crime. It also shows that the supernatural stories created about the famed Amityville house were nothing, but a ruse concocted for Butch DeFeo's defense that later grew into a cottage industry. The whole truth regarding the story has never been revealed, until the publication of Ric Osuna’s book. From mob involvement to a corrupt judicial system, The Night the DeFeos Died reveals the full details of the DeFeo murders, including how they were a culmination of substance abuse and domestic violence.

Genres: True Crime, Nonfiction, Crime, Horror, New York

370 pages, Paperback

First published March 1, 2002

Reviews

[Joseph · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is THE book on the DeFeo case. Wow is all I have to say. Wow….

[Nick · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have a few True Crime Books of The Amityville Murders as well as a few of the fictitious series in the Amityville Horror. This was one of the favorite True Crime accounts of the Butch Defeo Murders. While the author isnt a true author, there were a few typos etc, he did a great job of researching all aspects of the case and presented logical breakdowns and facts in an easily readable manner.

There were even a few things I havent read before and some aspects were definitely eye opening.

If you grew up on Long Island , like I did, or just very interested in this grisly historic case, then this is definitely a book to own and read for your collection.

[Taksya · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dopo il resoconto delle indagini e del processo fatto dalla Procura in High Hopes: The Amityville Murders, di Gerard Sullivan e quello dedicato alla presunta possessione diabolica scritto da Jay Anson e noto ai più come The Amityville Horror, è il turno di Ric Osuna e del suo The Night the Defeos Died: Reinvestigating the Amityville Murders, dove si tengono le parti di Ronald "Butch" DeFeo Jr., per la legge l'unico autore della strage.

Stiamo parlando del massacro della famiglia DeFeo, genitori e quattro figli, avvenuta nel tranquillo sobborgo di Amityville nel 1974.
Ufficialmente, secondo la tesi di polizia e dell'accusa, il figlio maggiore avrebbe ucciso tutta la famiglia, senza aiuti esyerni, in manira sistematica e, per essere sinceri, un po' inverosimile.
In questo libro Osuna, inizialmente più legato alla teoria di Anson, racconta delle brutalità inflitte a DeFeo dalla polizia e dal complotto ordito dall'accusa (aiutata dalla scarsa collaborazione di DeFeo con gli avvocati firniti dalla Famiglia), che avrebbe manovrato la situazione fino ad ottenere la condanna per i sei omicidi.
Dopo aver raccontato dei vari procedimenti avviati contro la polizia per violenza da parte di indagati in altri crimini, Osuna ci presenta la moglie di DeFeo all'epoca, non presente nei resoconti ufficiali, e ci racconta della macchinazione dell'ultimo avvocato difensore, creatore del mito dietro al libro di Anson e al tentativo di sfruttare monetariamente il clamore dato dalle rivelazioni sovrannaturali di DeFeo.

Come quello di Sullivan, anche il libro di Osuna suona molto di parte. La verità è probabilmente nel mezzo. Una verità che DeFeo non ha mai rivelato, pur avendo cambiato versione innumerevoli volte.
La vera verità resterà sempre un mistero, ma i dubbi e le ricostruzioni di Osuna hanno la loro presa.

Se appassionati al mistero, molto terreno, di Amityville, questo è un libro che non può mancare.

[Dianna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Definitely a more balanced account than has ever been told before.

[Reader · Rating 1 out of 5]

Speculative rubbish dressed up as a true account. The entire story hinges on Geraldine Gates having intimate knowledge of the DeFeo family in 1974, which is easily disproven as there is simply no evidence she was married to Ronald DeFeo Jr. until 1989. This book would be fine if it just presented itself as an alt history semi-fiction, but it does not. The most heinous aspect is how much it defames Dawn DeFeo - a young woman who is unable to defend herself any more is made out to be a psychotic, mannish near mirror image of her father who turned a gun onto her child siblings.

TL:DR Rick Osuna decided the ghost charade wasn’t going to sell books as well as a mafia infused, salacious hit-piece that exonerated a junkie psychopath child murderer.

[Stewart Tyler · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thoroughly enjoyed this book. I can't, in all honesty say that what is proposed in this book is an actual and true account of what happened that night. What I CAN say is that it certainly filled gaps and odd leaps in logic you'd have to accept if you buy the original accounting of that night. NO ONE heard ANYTHING? How could someone as skinny as Butch was, even moved his gigantic father's corpse alone. I was afraid it would devolved into the Lutz's BS story or the frauds that are Ed and Lorraine Warren. Luckily it did not. This is an accounting of the murder of a VERY complicated family. Incredibly well researched. Brutal but honest. It really does bring something 'new' to the light. Great book.

[Kristyn]

I'm not going to give this a star rating because I'm not sure how to rate it.

This was a new look at the DeFeo murders and what may have happened. My issue with it is that the claims seem very outrageous. A never before heard of hidden wife, ties with the mob, and several killers didn't make a lot of sense. Some of the included documents like the marriage affidavits didn't convince me of that being true.

It was an interesting read, but I don't think most of the scenarios have any truth to them except for the Lutz's story being a hoax.

If you are interested in the DeFeo murders, this is still an interesting read that may give you some things to think about.

[Sarah Todd · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book is well written in that it reads quickly and the information (there’s a lot of it) is easy to follow. The problems I have are with the speculative nature. I think I was left with more questions than I started with, and I don’t feel like I have a solid conclusion. But as far as true crime and the info that’s delivered this was a solid read.

[Lisa · Rating 1 out of 5]

How am I supposed to take the author seriously when he gets Butch’s bedroom location wrong, uses “threw” for “through,” doesn’t explain Geraldine’s last names (Rullo, Romando, Romandoe), includes sloppy typos, and doesn’t know the difference between stepsister and half sister? When I got to that last issue on page 72, I couldn’t take it anymore and set the book aside.

[JE Hatch · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well researched and written. A few grammar errors. Ric Osuna is clearly passionate about this project, and it shows. He explained the evidence thoroughly. The injustice that occurred with the entire case is truly a failure of our courts and the police that handled the case.

[Sharon]

I grew bored with it

[Danielle Conley · Rating 3 out of 5]

You can tell that the writer did a tremendous amount of research. You can tell that the editor did not do a very good job.

[Cole Drake · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is better than any documentary you can read about the Defeo case in Amityville. All I can say is this. After I read this book, with its very detailed descriptions and case files and ideas that make sense, I had lost all respect for the Amityville Horror movies, as well as how the Lutz's essentially took a family's tragedy and turned it into a money-making scheme with the help of the Warrens.

The horrible truth from reading this book shows that while the tragedy happened, the sheer gall that people had to keep making this story what it was for money purposes really made me hate another horror story I once loved.

That's how good this documentary book is.

[Nancy · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you've heard of the DeFeo murders, then no doubt you've heard that the family was killed at the hands of the oldest son who was under the influence of drugs, drink, or possibly a supernatural element. The DeFeos were in fact killed by the oldest son but that is about the only true part of the story. Author Ric Osuna spent years meticulously researching the story of the DeFeo murders and the story of the Amityville horror, the haunted house the family left behind. What he found is even more interesting, to me, than what the media reported. He explains how the murders likely happened, and how the justice system in New York failed Ronald DeFeo Jr. He also goes into some detail about the supposed haunting of the house and the story that it created. I found this book to be extremely informative, and one I would recommend to any true crime buff or anyone interested in the Amityville horror books.

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this book fascinating. I've always been intrigued and curious surrounding the real story behind "The Amityville Horror". Osuna did a great job at researching and providing facts on the case. I never knew the real story and I learned a great deal. Even though, Osuna maintains an unbiased point of view, you always wonder if what everyone claimed to be accurate is, in fact, accurate. Reading this book I am able to understand Butch aka Ronald DeFoe Jr a little more and I certainly understand motive for his parents murder. Regardless of the circumstances that led to his parents death Butch is guilty of the crime. However, I can't fathom the corruption of the Suffolk County Police Department and justice system that's sole purpose is to abide the law and give every plaintiff a fair trial. This is the real story of the night the DeFeos died on November 14, 1974.

[Fishface · Rating 3 out of 5]

More on ye olde DeFeo family murders. This is Butch's viewpoint, as related by his ex-wife. Includes some information on the connections between the DeFeos and the Mafia. If possible, this makes the DeFeo family looks even more miserable and depraved than the Kaplans did in THE AMITYVILLE HORROR CONSPIRACY, and in the process the author does his best to bring down the Long Island police constabulary, the prosecutor's office and most of the authors and filmmakers who tried to turn a buck using the Amityville story as the foundation for a steaming pile of lies. A gripping read despite clumsy writing, weak copyediting and apostrophes scattered like bowling pins through the text. There is one photo in here that really made me think...and one that stumped me completely. Read it and see for yourself.

[Mitzi · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've always been intriqued with the Amityville Murder's & House since I was a child. This book goes into great detail of what happened and behind the scenes. Very well written & seems like it the author has researched very well also.

[Rachael · Rating 4 out of 5]

i'm not sure i agree with all of the author's scenarios regarding this case; nevertheless, it was an eye opener. it provided many facts that i was never aware of. worth the read

[Trisha Arrowsmith · Rating 1 out of 5]

I couldn't finish it. It was too long.

[Samantha · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent resource that delves into the hard facts of the case, including court records, crime scene evidence, in-depth interviews, and much more.