Ronald DeFeo Jr. (1951-2021) American Criminal

Ronald DeFeo Jr. (1951-2021)
Ronald DeFeo Jr.
Birth 26 Sep 1951
Brooklyn, Kings County (Brooklyn), New York, USA
Death 12 Mar 2021 (aged 69)
Fallsburg, Sullivan County, New York, USA
Burial Cremated
American Criminal

 Convicted murderer of his father, mother, two sisters and two brothers. The heinous acts which occurred in 1974 inspired the “Amityville Horror” book and film series.

Born to Ronald and Louise DeFeo, his father was a successful automobile salesman for his family’s Brooklyn dealership, Ronald Jr., the oldest of six children frequently argued violently with his father. This was further exasperated with the usage of LSD and heroin by DeFeo, Jr. On November 13, 1974 as his family slept, he gunned them down using a .35-caliber Marlin rifle.

Early in the police investigation, DeFeo lied to authorities stating he believed the murders were mob related. Investigators found his story to be full of discrepancies and his guilt was further substantiated with the uncovering of evidence linking him to the crimes.

His defense attorney attempted to use the “insanity” plea, however a jury rejected the argument and DeFeo was convicted of six counts of second-degree murder and sentenced to six consecutive life sentences. Over the years in interviews, DeFeo stated several unsubstantiated explanations of what happened including blaming his sister Dawn for killing their siblings and attempting to kill him which resulted in DeFeo killing her in self-defense.