Previously, the documentary Amityville: An Origin Story featured a strong emphasis on the paranormal investigations taking place within the haunted mansion. In certain ways, the psychics who performed a planchette or whatever within the home felt the presence of an evil spirit there. Following their active participation in the paranormal investigation of the Amityville mansion, Lorraine and Ed Warren gained a lot of attention. Ronnie’s defense attorney, William Weber, was also mentioned, as was his plan to profit off the Amityville horror story. Not only Weber, but nearly everyone engaged in the case, was chasing money. The Lutzes were attempting to advertise their book, “The Amityville Horror True Story,” but it was filled with fabrication rather than what had really happened in that house. Let’s see what conclusion we are going to reach by the end of the final episode of Amityville: An Origin Story Was the Amityville mansion ever inhabited by evil, or were those who lived there the ones with the terrible personalities?
Spoilers Ahead
Did Dawn DeFeo Kill Her Family?
The fourth episode opens in one of the most bizarre rooms in the haunted mansion. It’s one of the house’s hidden chambers that is painted all red, although no one knows why. Perhaps this was only an aesthetic decision made by the architects while designing the home; or maybe, prior owners of the property might have been involved in any sort of satanic rituals that were formerly performed within the red chamber. When authorities discovered that the six members of the family had been slain, it was revealed that Ronnie DeFeo had hidden himself in that red room.
In this episode, Ronnie DeFeo’s case held the audience’s attention and highlighted how difficult it is to sort through the various justifications that people come up with when they are in danger. After being imprisoned, Ronnie first came up with numerous theories as to why his family members were killed. The first mafia story he mentioned suggested that the DeFeo family had a very solid link to the Mafia, but the second story Ronnie shared appeared dubious right from the beginning, raising doubts about its veracity. He said that it was his sister, Dawn DeFeo, who murdered all of the family members; therefore, Ronnie felt compelled to murder his sister in order to protect himself. The investigators were presented with various possibilities, so they actually scratched their heads as to which path they would take. However, it appeared unbelievable that Dawn, a young lady with no firearm expertise, had taken out the entire family on her own.
Ronnie pretended he had nothing to do with his family’s killings. He blamed the Lutzes and their eagerness to popularize the story of “Amityville.” Ronnie discussed how these films and books contributed to people feeling Ronnie was possessed by evil or was a monster himself. Ronnie’s consistent display of a self-righteous facade during interviews was deeply unsettling to witness. In the meantime, George Lutz started generating money off the Amityville Horror book series. George was astounded by how successful and well-known he had become in such a short period of time. To avoid controversy, he developed movie sequels with new authors. But he also used fiction in the sequels since it was the only way his books would be bought. Throughout the entire Amityville horror scenario, a number of people began to gain notoriety. Not just the Lutzes but also the Warrens and practically all of the book’s authors. But Carol, Kathy’s best friend, who had always stood by the Lutz family through their highs and lows, progressively distanced herself from the controversy. She got pregnant and didn’t want her unborn child to be a part of this whole messed-up situation. Eventually, she stopped communicating with the Lutz family.
Was George Lutz An Innocent Man?
Various facts about George Lutz were brought forward. Over time, George got so preoccupied with fame and fortune that he permitted the Amityville Horror to expand through books and films. In 1982, another Amityville Horror film was released, Amityville II: The Possession. By creating an incestuous relationship between Ronald DeFeo and his sister Dawn, the movie Amityville II: The Possession went beyond the bounds of fictionalization and entered an unsettling terrain. Dawn’s neighbors expressed significant dissatisfaction with this representation, which they regarded as quite uncomfortable. They found it difficult to stomach the skewed depiction that the filmmakers had shown in the film.
The documentary portrayed a common thread between George Lutz and Ronald DeFeo in order to show that their behavior was not indicative of being possessed by an evil spirit, but it appeared that these two were not very sane individuals either. If not, who would want to profit off of their painful experiences like George Lutz had done? George Lutz’s first marriage was declared null and void by Father “Ray.” However, after the annulment, George’s former spouse revealed to a therapist that George had physically abused her. The horrifying history of George Lutz made it quite clear that the demons, rather than being in the home, were located deep within George’s psyche. He was even diagnosed with a severe personality disorder by one of his psychiatrists. Perhaps George’s goal was to become famous and embroil himself in controversy at the same time. Perhaps he was lured to the house in the first place, knowing that numerous people had died there, and he later tricked his wife, Kathy, and the children into thinking that the house had been cursed by the devil. George never lost interest in being popular. Over time, he started to make matters worse by making statements like accusing his stepson Christopher of being possessed by the devil. Even worse, he was preparing a follow-up film based on the fabrication that his stepson had attempted to kill him through telepathy. Christopher made every attempt to halt the movie, but all he managed to do was stir up controversy. In connection with the issue, Christopher may have also acquired a lot of notoriety, which aided in his financial growth. In the end, George and Kathy separated because Kathy didn’t like that George would benefit financially from making up stories about their experiences. Kathy died in 2004 as her medical condition deteriorated, and George succumbed to a heart attack in 2006.
Final Words
What conclusion did we draw, then? Is Amityville truly a nightmare, or is it just a hoax? Well, to actually answer that, it would require personally staying in the haunted mansion for a week. Without such an experience, it is difficult to tell the difference between fact and fantasy. Regardless of the fuzzy borders between truth and fiction, Amityville has become a well-known horror story that captivates people’s imaginations and causes terror. Despite the controversy surrounding the case, the real conclusion is still unknown, which prolongs our interest in it. However, it’s crucial to maintain balance and avoid letting such tales inspire unhealthy obsessions or irrational beliefs. For a while, George Lutz’s efforts with “Amityville Horror” stoked an audience’s obsession with the narrative, and while rumors and tales continue to circulate, the fever around Amityville has subsided. The stories now remain in books, films, and internet material, and there have been no fresh claims of haunting experiences at the residence. Hopefully, there will be no further tragedies associated with the house in the future, and we will be able to move on from the specter of figures like Ronald DeFeo and George Lutz.
