History Daily – "The Amityville Murders"

Host: Lindsay Graham
Date: November 13, 2025
Theme:
This episode recounts the infamous 1974 Amityville murders, delves into the investigation and trial of Ronald "Butch" DeFeo Jr., and explores how the case spawned a legendary haunted house myth that captured the world's imagination.

Overview of the Episode

Lindsay Graham (host) guides listeners through the harrowing night of the DeFeo family murders in Amityville, New York, providing an immersive reconstruction of the crime, its investigation, and the subsequent trial of the family's eldest son, Butch DeFeo. The episode also traces how these murders morphed into a pop-culture phenomenon, forever linking Amityville with horror.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. The Discovery of the Murders

• (00:00 – 04:08)
  • November 13, 1974: Butch DeFeo bursts into a bar in Amityville, claiming his parents have been shot.
  • Bobby Kelsky, Butch’s friend, races with other men to the DeFeo family home to investigate.
  • Bobby describes a chilling scene: Ronald Sr. and Louise DeFeo, along with their four children, are found shot dead in their beds.
  • The massacre shocks the local community—Amityville "just isn't that kind of place."

Quote:
"He takes the steps two at a time, then hurries along the hall toward Butch's parents' bedroom. The blinds are drawn, but there's a wet and metallic edge to the air... it reveals a horrifying scene."
— Lindsay Graham (01:27)

2. The Crime Scene Investigation

• (04:08 – 09:14)
  • Detective Casper Randazzo arrives and describes a crime scene with an "imposing building" and six victims, all shot at close range in their sleep.
  • No sign of forced entry or struggle and nothing stolen—raising suspicions.
  • Initial questioning of Butch, the sole surviving family member, yields a story about possible mafia involvement due to Ronald Sr.’s alleged mob ties.
  • Police attention quickly shifts to Butch after a gun box and related bullets are found in his room, which forensics match to the murder weapon.
  • Butch is questioned, his stories become inconsistent, and eventually, he confesses.

Quote:
"The rifle has not been found yet, but a forensics expert has matched the wounds on the victims to the bullets used in it. Soon the two police officers are shaking Butch awake to read him his rights."
— Lindsay Graham (07:28)

3. The Trial of Butch DeFeo

• (10:54 – 13:57)
  • Eleven months later, Gerald Sullivan, the prosecutor, presents an airtight case—Butch's confession, the murder weapon, and evidence of a calculated cover-up.
  • The defense shocks everyone by pleading insanity rather than denying the killings.
  • Dramatic courtroom scenes: Butch acts deranged, denying knowledge of his family and making bizarre statements.
  • Competing psychiatric testimonies: Prosecution argues Butch knew right from wrong (antisocial personality disorder), while the defense claims psychosis and memory loss.
  • Prosecution discredits the defense psychiatrist by showing Butch's deliberate efforts to cover his tracks.

Quote:
"But just because he killed them, it doesn't necessarily mean he's guilty. Instead, the defense attorney claims that Butch is innocent by reason of insanity. This unexpected plea forces Gerard to rethink his approach to the trial."
— Lindsay Graham (12:32)

4. Verdict and the Aftermath

• Judge and jury ultimately find Butch DeFeo guilty on all counts; he is sentenced to life in prison.
• The host notes that, despite the open-and-shut nature of the case, the story of Amityville does not end there.

5. The Origin of the Amityville Horror Legend

• (13:57 – 16:10)
  • Just two weeks post-verdict, George and Kathleen Lutz purchase the DeFeo home at a deep discount.
  • The Lutzes only last four weeks in the house, fleeing with tales of supernatural terror: foul odors, sudden chills, swarms of flies, doors slamming, disembodied voices, even "green slime" oozing from walls.
  • Their story is sold to a publisher, resulting in Jay Anson’s bestselling book, The Amityville Horror (1977), then the iconic 1980 film and over 30 spin-offs.
  • Notable disconnect: the actual crimes fade from memory as the haunting legend overpowers the true story.

Quote:
"Doors and windows opened and shut on their own. They even claimed that green slime oozed from the walls and keyholes. So the Lutzes move in with Kathleen's mother, never set foot in 112 Ocean Avenue again."
— Lindsay Graham (14:59)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the atmosphere in the DeFeo House:
  "The DeFeo house sits on a slight rise. It's an imposing building with two quarter moon windows on the top floor and seem to peer down on Ocean Avenue like unblinking eyes."
  — Lindsay Graham (04:27)

• The defense’s shock tactic:
  "He admits that Butch is indeed the killer. And he has no intention of even trying to persuade the jury that Butch did not shoot his parents and siblings. But just because he killed them, it doesn't necessarily mean he's guilty."
  — Lindsay Graham (12:29–12:32)

• On Amityville’s enduring notoriety:
  "The crime which originally inspired it would be almost forgotten... Amityville would become shorthand for a cursed home possessed by evil spirits and demonic influences—a far cry from the quiet New York suburb that was the scene of six gruesome real life murders."
  — Lindsay Graham (15:55)

Important Timestamps

• 00:00–02:56 — Bobby Kelsky’s rush to the DeFeo house and the grisly discovery.
• 04:08–09:14 — Detective Randazzo leads the homicide investigation; the focus shifts to Butch.
• 10:54–13:57 — The DeFeo murder trial, insanity defense, and confrontation between psychiatric experts.
• 13:57–16:10 — The Lutz family’s haunting, the creation of the Amityville Horror legend.

Episode Tone and Style

True to History Daily’s immersive narrative tradition, Lindsay Graham delivers the story with dramatic tension, empathy for the victims, and a historian’s eye for detail. The tone is somber, respectful, and occasionally chilling, especially when evoking the crime scene and the subsequent media frenzy.

Summary

This episode of History Daily offers a compelling, concise retelling of the Amityville murders, the investigation that swiftly unmasked Ronald DeFeo Jr. as the killer, and the sensational trial and insanity defense. The epilogue deftly illustrates how real-life tragedy was eclipsed by legend, transforming Amityville from an ordinary suburb into a touchstone for horror mythology.