The Lutz Family: Possible Motives Behind the Haunting of the Amityville House

I wonder if someone did something to drive people crazy in that house. Or maybe there was a gas leak or something like mold that drove people insane. However, all the people who lived there after them had no problems.

The got in over their heads financially and wanted to get out of a mortgage.

They made up some stories that got out of hand, and decided to roll with it.

I just watched a documentary on this, and one thing that strikes me is that they bought the house furnished, and the furnishing were all those of the murdered family! The Lutz and their children even slept on the very bedframes that the family members were murdered on. Nerves of steal?

R2 That's odd because apparently they got a very good deal on the house due to the murderous history, but then they also sold for a loss. But maybe that's possible.

Crisis actors!

I also wonder if some people are more sensitive to echoes of past violence in homes than others. Also, I wonder if more recent violence has a more powerful effect.

That house is so lovely--the character, the location near the water, the town. I would love it!

What was the motive for the original murders? The young man never did explain why he shot his parents and his siblings in their sleep, did he?

Jesus r3, I didn't know that. That's creepy as hell.

I don't think they lied deliberately but I think their knowledge of what went down there, coupled with the fact that they were likely under water financially caused them to do what they did. It was a form of hysteria driven by desperation, I think. And I'm not a total skeptic, I think hauntings can happen, but.......

There are several more possible explanations than those three listed.

1. They accidentally ingested something that caused hallucinations, but they were not long-term drug or alcohol users.

2. A third party was involved who was targeting them as they claim it followed them after they left the house.

3. Pure coincidence - it does happen. The stress of moving and other personal issues caused them both to have mental breakdowns.

Have any of their kids ever said anything publicly?

I’ve read a lot of books about supposedly haunted houses, and I read this one when it came out, but there were aspects of it — like the “pig” named Jodie—that just seemed too bizarre for anyone to make up if they wanted to be taken seriously.

Yeah my money's on #3, r10. Occam's razor.

I agree with R2. I recall many years ago, shortly after the book came out, a journalist did some research and found that the Lutzes were swimming in debt and one missed mortgage payment away from bankruptcy. I think they made up the story to sell books and get themselves solvent again.

Plus, subsequent owners never reported experiencing anything out of the ordinary in the house.

The article said the Lutz made very little money on any book sales or deals for their story. And they lost money on the sale of their house as well as left employment. The film made tons of money, but the Lutz did not, according to the article.

Simple. $$$$$$$

They pretty much admitted it at some point years after IIRC.

We watched this "documentary" the week before last. It was horrible, of course. The longer it went on, the more they strayed away from the actual story and got into the Lutz's marketing of their books. (You know things are going downhill fast when Ed and Lorraine Warren show up. Those two seemed like classic charlatans and snake oil salesmen. So sketchy and always finding their way into these things to make a profit.)

I think something did indeed spook the family initially, if not outright happened. They were only there for 28 days. The guy worked for his family's surveying company, and they got the house for a steal, so it doesn't add-up that they would just bail on it overnight due to financial issues. Presumably, the first mortgage payment hadn't even come due. By all accounts, Lutz, the dad/husband, was initially a good, upstanding guy, even adopting his new wife's kids. But clearly, they couldn't handle the fame/money from the book and film. It became a money maker that the Lutzs weren't prepared or really smart/educated enough to handle or protect, so others were benefitting and Lutz attempted to keep the stories coming in order to make money. He was also clearly on drugs at some point, found in the "red room" and left behind by Ronnie DeFeo, the son and murderer of the original DeFeo family who lived there. The house is beautiful, though. I'd have a hard time not wanting to buy and live there.

That murder was so horrific, so random, and so, so strange that even those who don't subscribe to any religion or supernatural possibilities may have to consider that, at the very least, some bad energy, or something, was left behind from that gruesome night.

The son who was being interviewed during the documentary seemed to get more and more unhinged as the series went on. By the end, he was nearly enraged and focused more on his disdain for his stepfather. He was also clearly bitter that he hadn't profited from the story. His brother also tried to push his own documentary on the story. From what I've read, the daughter/sister has never spoken of it and refuses to take part in talking about it. THAT'S the person I'd like to hear from.

The couple who live there now of course say they haven't experienced anything. BUT, stated they wanted to sell the home. So, would they admit to anything weird if they knew they'd be marketing the house? I wouldn't.

Another odd fact I found online about the Lutz husband and wife: Both died rather young. Kathleen Theresa Lutz (October 13, 1946 – August 17, 2004) died of emphysema and George Lee Lutz (January 1, 1947 – May 8, 2006) died of heart disease. This was years after their divorce in the 1980s. So, it seems they were unfortunate people. Perhaps the darkness did follow them out of that house, as they claimed.

R3, WHERE did they say or show the family slept in the same bedframes? That isn't true. They noted that SOME of the furniture was there and they even showed a desk in the boy's room and a vanity table in the girl's room. It's not like they moved into the house with all the furniture there. Why would you make that shit up?

Mental illness + addiction issues + financial stress

Oooh, a story about a scary house! Somebody make a mini-series and we'll star in it! Bad acting and all!!! It's not like people are sick of seeing us or anything.

R18 What are you on about? The documentary is available on the MAX subscription package. There is more than one documentary out there, you realize? This documentary showed photos of bedframes and made that particular point about the furnishings and the beds. I did NOT make that up. Why are you so invested of accusing me? Haven't had your coffee or meds this morning? You sound unhinged.

There were no ghosts. DeFeo was an enraged junkie. Simple. The Lutz family came up with a get rich scheme. I haven't seen the doco. Was the step-father abusive?

"Nerves of steal"

I wonder if the DeFeo junkie murderer killed his family due to paranoia related to his drug use, or because the parents told him he needed to move out and get a job or because they got rid of his stash or because he stole from them and they kicked him out, or some common junkie reason like that? What is odd is that he didn't just kill his parents but all his siblings--even the younger ones. That seems so senseless and cruel, even for a junkie.

He killed the little kids FIRST. That strikes me as significant. I wonder what that means in terms of his psychology. If the parents were awake, I would assume it was to terrorize them with the knowledge that he had killed the little ones, but it seems all were in their beds, sleeping or barely haven waken--even the parents.

As soon as professional "ghost hunters" like the Warrens show up, you know it's fishy. Total fraudsters and sexual deviants. Pure John Waters' characters.

The Lutzs' lawyer admitted they made the whole thing up. Heavy drinking was involved.

The murders were very real. There were mob connections and a lingering question of the sisters' involvement.

It's a fun story but in the end it's just a story. The original murders are far more interesting with some still unanswered questions.

Here's another odd detail--The neighbors claimed not to have heard anything that sounded like a gun. Some heard some noise but it wasn't loud and they didn't think it was a gun, yet this gun apparently had no silencer. You would think more people would have heard that many shots at night in a quiet neighborhood.

And how did such a large family end up staying in their beds as one family member after another was shot? It was something like 5 or 6 people shot that night, mostly in different bedroom? You would think some would wake up and start hiding or running. Something doesn't add up.

[quote]Total fraudsters and sexual deviants.

I know they are frauds but how are they sexual deviants? Genuinely curious.

I thought the Defeo guy was schizophrenic?

I remember at some point after the book came out and became such a hit, childhood friends of the Defeo kids gave interviews objecting to the book. One girl that gave an interview took the camera crew to the infamous red room. It was just a small space but it was indeed painted red. Anyway, she crouched inside of it and was touching her hands against the walls and was like, see? It’s not even a room. It’s just a space. There aren’t any demons here (or whatever). She seemed really pissed off and disgusted about all the hysteria.

I want to hear more about the Warren's deviancy too. Please, do go on r26.

Mr. Warren had a sexual relationship with a young woman who lived with him and his wife.

Yeah, Ronnie “Butchie” DeFeo fought with his dad a lot, but I don’t understand the reasoning behind killing the poor siblings, especially.

There are still a few mysteries to that murder; like everyone being shot in the back, as if they were all sleeping/laying on their stomachs. He went around the house with a shotgun, even if someone didn’t get up, wouldn’t they have at least stirred because of the sound? the entire family was sleeping on their stomach’s and no one woke up to shotgun blasts?

The killings also took place at 3 AM or just after which in and of itself is kind of a creepy time because, you know that’s supposed to be the witching hour or whatever.

R32 he fucked the babysitter? Was she underage? If not, I don't get the sexual "deviance" part.

R34 you’re too far gone as a deviant yourself to embrace reality.

They would have gotten away with it if weren’t for those meddling kids!