The gruesome past of the Amityville Horror house
The Dutch Colonial house that stands at 112 Ocean Avenue in Amityville, New York, became known as the terrifying scene of horror that was the inspiration behind the iconic horror movie named after the town.
The history of the house was so terrifying that one former owner was prompted to call in a priest, while another owner requested that the address of the house be changed.
The dark past of the home stems back to November 1974, when 23-year-old Robert DeFeo Jr murdered six members of his family, including his parents, as they slept.
The house then remained empty until over one year later, when new owners George and Kathy Lutz moved in with their three children in December 1975.
The Lutzes paid just US$80,000 for the five-bedroom property, which is more than US$410,000 ($542,000 AUD) in today's money.
The family were aware of the home’s grim past and public stigma, but agreed they would work through it and cope with the public perception.
However, just to be sure, they called in a local priest to bless the house.
Mr Lutz told ABC News that they called in the priest after unexplainable things started to occur in the house.
He said the priest claimed he felt a slap from an unseen hand in the sewing room and heard a voice say “get out”. He then felt sick and his hands began to bleed.
Mr Lutz claimed that one night he also witnessed his wife levitating and claims he also heard his children's beds "flaming up and down on the floor".
After just 28 days, the Lutzes fled the home and their lives returned to normal.
At trial for the murder of his family, Robert DeFeo Jr pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity, which was rejected by the jury who sentenced him to six sentences of 25 years to life.
The Lutzes secured a book deal about their alleged experiences in the home, with The Amityville Horror: A True Story selling more than 6 million copies, as well as being adapted into two films.
Image credits: Realtor.com