CONSPIRACY THEORY: Amityville: Hoax or Haunting?

In November 1974, Ronald DeFeo Jr. shot and killed six members of his family in their house on Ocean Avenue in Amityville, New York. Thirteen months later, George and Kathy Lutz moved in with their three children and left after 28 days, describing green slime, swarms of flies, a demonic pig and voices in the walls. The book that followed sold in the millions and launched one of the most profitable horror franchises in history. Then the story started coming apart, and the word attached to it was hoax: neighbors reported nothing, and investigators found no records supporting key events. DeFeo's own defense attorney later said he and George Lutz had invented much of it over several bottles of wine. In this episode of Conspiracy Theories, Cults, & Crimes, Vanessa Richardson revisits the murders that came first, the 28 days the Lutzes always insisted were real, and the question the case has never fully shaken: how much of the most famous haunting in America was ever true? Please note, this episode contains descriptions of extreme violence and may not be suitable for all audiences.Head over to our YouTube channel to WATCH our video episodes: https://www.youtube.com/@crimehousestudios If you’re new here, don’t forget to follow Conspiracy Theories, Cults, and Crimes to never miss a case! To hear episodes ad-free and released a day early, subscribe to Crime House+. Join at  crimehouseplus.com or if you’re listening on Apple Podcasts, tap “Try Free” at the top of this show’s page. Conspiracy Theories, Cults, and Crimes is a Crime House Original Podcast, powered by PAVE Studios.🎧 Need More to Binge? Listen to other Crime House Originals Clues, Crimes Of Reddit, Serial Killers & Murderous Minds, Crime House 24/7, Murder True Crime Stories and more wherever you get your podcasts!Follow me on SocialInstagram: @CrimehouseTikTok: @CrimehouseFacebook: @crimehousestudiosX: @crimehousemediaYouTube: @crimehousestudios