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High Hopes: The Amityville Murders
Relates the true story of the 1974 Amityville murder of six members of the DeFeo family and the ensuing investigation and trial of Ron DeFeo for the crime
Hardcover
First published July 1, 1981
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
September 10, 2021
"For all practical purposes, the the house at 112 Ocean Avenue, Amityville was no longer a private dwelling - murder made it a public concern." -- page 41
Forget Jay Anson's 1977 bestseller The Amityville Horror, its hit film adaptation just two years later, and the countless sequels and/or 'inspired by' straight-to-video/DVD continuations churned out over the next two decades that number nearly a dozen (!) by now. Those are all rooted in a dubious story via the Lutz family, but what actually DID happen at that suburban residence in a quiet village on New York's Long Island during November 13, 1974 is more upsetting than any mere fabrication.
Co-author Sullivan was then a young but fairly seasoned lawyer with the Suffolk County District Attorney's Office (he served 1970-1980, before going into private practice), and in autumn 1975 he was assigned arguably the most important case during his assistant D.A. tenure. Ronald 'Butch' DeFeo Jr. - a twenty-three year-old sociopathic high school drop-out with a penchant for drug use, petty crimes, and some disturbingly violent behavior - was arrested for cold-bloodedly shooting his parents and four younger siblings while they slept in their three-story dwelling. With many details, much insight, and a number of opinions that only a true insider could possess, Sullivan fully recounts the police investigation, the pre-trial motions, and the months-long trial against DeFeo (in which the defense a mounted a 'not guilty by reason of insanity' argument). It's not quite as sharp or stream-lined as some newer true crime books, but I thought it was rather good at just directly showing the diligent and often difficult work by investigators and prosecutors in their sincere pursuit of justice.
Forget Jay Anson's 1977 bestseller The Amityville Horror, its hit film adaptation just two years later, and the countless sequels and/or 'inspired by' straight-to-video/DVD continuations churned out over the next two decades that number nearly a dozen (!) by now. Those are all rooted in a dubious story via the Lutz family, but what actually DID happen at that suburban residence in a quiet village on New York's Long Island during November 13, 1974 is more upsetting than any mere fabrication.
Co-author Sullivan was then a young but fairly seasoned lawyer with the Suffolk County District Attorney's Office (he served 1970-1980, before going into private practice), and in autumn 1975 he was assigned arguably the most important case during his assistant D.A. tenure. Ronald 'Butch' DeFeo Jr. - a twenty-three year-old sociopathic high school drop-out with a penchant for drug use, petty crimes, and some disturbingly violent behavior - was arrested for cold-bloodedly shooting his parents and four younger siblings while they slept in their three-story dwelling. With many details, much insight, and a number of opinions that only a true insider could possess, Sullivan fully recounts the police investigation, the pre-trial motions, and the months-long trial against DeFeo (in which the defense a mounted a 'not guilty by reason of insanity' argument). It's not quite as sharp or stream-lined as some newer true crime books, but I thought it was rather good at just directly showing the diligent and often difficult work by investigators and prosecutors in their sincere pursuit of justice.
February 1, 2015
Quite compelling as far as "true crime" books go. The fact that it tells the story of the Amityville murders is certainly a bonus.
A volatile upper-class Italian family with possible ties to the mob, a borderline psychotic alcohol/drug abusing son, and the grizzly murder of an entire family at the hands of that son, Ronnie DeFeo. Told from the prosecutor's POV, High Hopes lived up to all my expectations and then some. Who needs spirits, demons, and exorcisms when you've got a wicked brew of mental illness, greed, organized crime, and a big heaping helping of familial dysfunction.
A volatile upper-class Italian family with possible ties to the mob, a borderline psychotic alcohol/drug abusing son, and the grizzly murder of an entire family at the hands of that son, Ronnie DeFeo. Told from the prosecutor's POV, High Hopes lived up to all my expectations and then some. Who needs spirits, demons, and exorcisms when you've got a wicked brew of mental illness, greed, organized crime, and a big heaping helping of familial dysfunction.
April 23, 2013
A haunting look at the "Amityville" house before the "horror." If the famous haunting was a hoax, the story behind it is not. Unfortunately, there are graves associated with the story of the family who lived there BEFORE the motion picture. A must read for those who are fans of things that go bump in the night!
October 10, 2018
Trasposizione fedele del caso di pluriomicidio avvenuto al 112 Ocean Avenue di Amityville, nella notte del 13 novembre 1974, per mano di Ronald "Butch" DeFeo Jr..
Se la cosa vi sembra familiare non vi state sbagliando, gli omicidi della famiglia De Feo (padre, madre e quattro figli), avvenuti per mano del figlio maggiore, sono alla base del folklore che ha circondato la casa al 112 di Ocean Avenue, divenuta ancor più famosa per le trovate paranormali inventate dalla famiglia Lutz (primi ad abitare la casa dopo il massacro) e da quello che fu l'avvocato difensore di Ronald De Feo jr..
In questo libro ci viene raccontato come sino andate le investigazioni e il processo, con dettagli su interrogatori, perizie e considerazioni della giuria.
Una struttura alla Law & Order, dove i ruoli e le tecniche della polizia, della procura e della difesa sono raffigurate in maniera esemplare.
Ovviamente l'autore è di parte, visto che era il Procuratore ai tempi del processo, ma non si può fare a meno di essere dalla sua parte e, pur sapendo l'esito del processo (De Feo sta ancora scontando le sue sei condannd consecutive da 25 anni l'una, per l'omicidio di secondi grado dei propri familiari) è chiaro di come, ai tempi delle udienze, il rischio che De Feo potesse cavarsela per insanità mentale era alto.
Scevro di qualsiasi riferimento alla tesi della possessione (diabolica e/o vecchi spiriti indiani e/o stregoni scapati da Salem, a seconda delle vetsioni), saltata fuori solo in seguito, il libro mostra quello che è il solo e vero mostro della storia: la personalità asociale e narcisistica di De Feo.
Se la cosa vi sembra familiare non vi state sbagliando, gli omicidi della famiglia De Feo (padre, madre e quattro figli), avvenuti per mano del figlio maggiore, sono alla base del folklore che ha circondato la casa al 112 di Ocean Avenue, divenuta ancor più famosa per le trovate paranormali inventate dalla famiglia Lutz (primi ad abitare la casa dopo il massacro) e da quello che fu l'avvocato difensore di Ronald De Feo jr..
In questo libro ci viene raccontato come sino andate le investigazioni e il processo, con dettagli su interrogatori, perizie e considerazioni della giuria.
Una struttura alla Law & Order, dove i ruoli e le tecniche della polizia, della procura e della difesa sono raffigurate in maniera esemplare.
Ovviamente l'autore è di parte, visto che era il Procuratore ai tempi del processo, ma non si può fare a meno di essere dalla sua parte e, pur sapendo l'esito del processo (De Feo sta ancora scontando le sue sei condannd consecutive da 25 anni l'una, per l'omicidio di secondi grado dei propri familiari) è chiaro di come, ai tempi delle udienze, il rischio che De Feo potesse cavarsela per insanità mentale era alto.
Scevro di qualsiasi riferimento alla tesi della possessione (diabolica e/o vecchi spiriti indiani e/o stregoni scapati da Salem, a seconda delle vetsioni), saltata fuori solo in seguito, il libro mostra quello che è il solo e vero mostro della storia: la personalità asociale e narcisistica di De Feo.
March 23, 2020
A step by step breakdown of the tragedy at Amityville pre haunting. It takes you through the build up to the murders, the murders, the questioning and subsequent arrest of Ronald DeFeo and the trial. It takes the Amityville Horror and shows the true horror of a dysfunctional family being annihilated by a family member. The hauntings are mentioned on the last page but dismissed by the authors. I am not going to argue with whether or not the home was haunted and this book doesn't either. This focuses on a cold blooded murder and how he was found and convicted of an unspeakable crime. For those who believe in the Amityville haunting, there is a question that the police and the authors(prosecutor and lawyer of the DeFeo case) were never able to solve, how did Ronnie kill six people with a high powered rifle and no one left their beds or tried to escape? The only thing heard was the DeFeo's dog barking that night. We may never know what happened that night and I leave it up to the reader to decide how one person committed this crime.
January 23, 2016
A very good read about a very interesting case. Traces the Amityville Murders from the time of the first police report to the day of sentencing. The athor, who was also the prosecutor on the case, does an excellent job of filling you in without bogging down in details that would only interest a legal scholar. Really gives a clear, and unflattering, portrait of the killer. Also gives us a tiny, dreadful peek back into the era when it was perfectly OK to have giant red-and-blue polka dots on the wallpaper with bright orange and green furniture, AND it was permissible to wear plaid with houndstooth and bellbottoms in court. Highly recommended.
December 31, 2020
One of the best true crime books ever, reread and wasn’t gonna log til I realized I needed it to hit my reading challenge
March 2, 2024
I don’t doubt that this is probably the most complete look into the DeFeo murders that you will find. This is not a common book, so if you have an interest in the case and you come across this one, swoop it up. Some may find the extensive coverage of the court proceedings a bit tedious, but I appreciated the detail. I especially appreciated the extremely in-depth description of the day of the crime, the home, and the family dynamic, including multiple incidents between Ronnie Jr and Sr, which definitely highlighted their tumultuous relationship, including a pretty good look at the who real Ronnie DeFeo Jr. was. Feeling pretty well versed on the case now.
June 22, 2024
The house in Ocean Avenue in Amityville probably is the most notorious haunted house in the world. When the DeFeo family was shot in Nov 1974 with 8 shots this caused quite an upset. This book describes maneuver and investigation, the trial, the hearing, what moved Ronnie to commit those heinous crimes, the sentence. You'll get two excellent photo sections, an compelling tale and much background information. Okay, I didn't find too many new information but a book on this legendary house is always worth picking up. Is the house possessed by an evil force or was everything just an hoax? You can form your own theory after reading this well done summing up what happened so far. Really recommended!
October 29, 2018
No spoilers here!
I've always been fascinated by the Amityville Horror book, and original movie since both released when I was a kid,but I had not known much about the supposed roots of their origins.
I got absorbed reading this..
I thought it was a fascinating look at the workings into the criminal mind, investigation, legal process, the town and about all the people involved..Good and bad stuff too..
It is NOT about the infamous haunted house part of the story, but rather the original murders of the De Feo family, prior to the haunted house story from Jay Anson.
Best read by those who like detective/crime/murder mysteries..
I've always been fascinated by the Amityville Horror book, and original movie since both released when I was a kid,but I had not known much about the supposed roots of their origins.
I got absorbed reading this..
I thought it was a fascinating look at the workings into the criminal mind, investigation, legal process, the town and about all the people involved..Good and bad stuff too..
It is NOT about the infamous haunted house part of the story, but rather the original murders of the De Feo family, prior to the haunted house story from Jay Anson.
Best read by those who like detective/crime/murder mysteries..
February 4, 2020
A very clear, concise account of the crime and trial that made the house at 112 Ocean Avenue a real horror story. Nothing about the "supernatural" events that supposedly occurred after the Lutz family took ownership. I was glad to get the real story, from someone who was actually involved with the case.
March 8, 2020
I would LOVE to get my hands on courtroom footage. I think the overall trial and DeFeo murders are so overlooked because of the apparent "haunting" that occurred to the family that purchased the house after. Ronnie JR was a class A psychopath, and this was a freaking awesome true crime read.
October 22, 2019
Great book, the real Amityville Horror!!!
November 27, 2019
Read this more than once back in the 80s and 90s. A great true crime book, with barely a mention of the alleged haunting. Amityville fascinated me when I was a teenager (many years ago).
October 25, 2021
Provides excellent insight into the murders, arrest, and all of the court proceedings (trial included) regarding Ronnie DeFeo.
January 29, 2022
This was awfully written and the author couldnt check his ego for a second
May 3, 2016
I have always been fascinated with true crime and the Amityville case has always intrigued me. This book focuses on the facts and makes no mention (with the exception of the prologue) of the paranormal stories that made the case famous. It gives insight into the mind of Ronald DeFeo Jr. and the heinous crime he committed. Reading detailed facts about the murders gave me an entirely new perspective on the case and the details regarding the trial kept my full attention. I could only imagine how it felt for the jurors. I would have loved to have been in the courtroom to watch as this story unfolded. I highly recommend this book for any true crime enthusiast or anyone interested in the Amityville murders.
July 25, 2015
This is a true-crime book about the DeFeo murders in Amityville, New York. In 1974, Ronnie DeFeo shot and killed 6 people (his parents and 4 siblings). This book documents the murders, investigation, and trial of DeFeo. It is an interesting look at the legal system. The main author is the prosecuting attorney from the case. I would have rated it higher, but there were some parts that seemed repetitive and the early chapters seemed a little mixed up. Overall, if you are interested in the case, this is a pretty good read.
Oh, by the way, the house where the murders took place is the house the Lutz family bought and claimed to be haunted in The Amityville Horror.
Oh, by the way, the house where the murders took place is the house the Lutz family bought and claimed to be haunted in The Amityville Horror.
December 19, 2012
This is the story of a murder case that took place in 1974. It is about the oldest son of a family with four younger children. The family was wealthy and what I took away from the story was that the young man was a spoiled rotten brat who thought he was supposed to get whatever he wanted and that his father was supposed to give it to him. He was a dead beat, drinking and drugging, who couldn't or wouldn't hold a job. When he got mad because he didn't get what he wanted he shot and killed his whole family.
June 27, 2015
REREAD: I'd read this book when I was about 14 after having read Jay Anson's book. I decided to read it again.
I have to say I've read a lot more compelling true crime books, but I did learn several interesting points that I hadn't remembered or heard much about before.
What was in the metal box in the DeFeo parents closet floor? What happened to those contents....
I have to say I've read a lot more compelling true crime books, but I did learn several interesting points that I hadn't remembered or heard much about before.
What was in the metal box in the DeFeo parents closet floor? What happened to those contents....
October 2, 2016
Very dry, as crime and trial books go. Just not that well written, although the case itself is interesting.
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews