Customer Reviews

The Night the DeFeos Died: Reinvestigating the Amityville Murders

5 star:		(19)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(5)
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1 star:		(16)

 

 

If you've looked through the customer reviews to help you decide on buying this book like I did, then you've noticed how there's no middle ground there. People either loved it, or hated it. So, I decided to wait until I knew more about it. I then learned a friend of mine owned a copy, and I asked of her thoughts. She offered to send it to me, which she did.

About 1/3 of the way through it, I had to start flipping back through the pages I'd already read to make sure I didn't misunderstand some things. Further into it, I realized I was getting lost, but not the way one typically loses one's self in a book. The author has a tendency to drift off course, which he does several times in the middle of telling his story, or making a point. Speaking of which, the story itself plays out more like a bizarre dream, rather than a series of non-fictional events. The author describes several events, and even quotes dialog, that would have been impossible for anyone to have known since the persons involved were killed before describing any of it to anyone else. He claims to have documents which verify the detailed events he describes, but neglects to show them anywhere in the book (with the exception of the endnotes list in the back). In addition, there were particular events described which just wouldn't have been possible to document at all, at least not as far as I could imagine.

Furthermore, there was a familiarity about this book, but it wasn't in the story itself. The DeFeo murders was a very well publicized case, and there really wasn't too much left to be discovered since it happened some 28-years ago. Yet this book tells a radically different version that keeps falling apart, as it is being pieced together. There were many unnecessary bits of information that seemed to be included, solely on the basis of making it all appear more credible as a whole. It would have made for a far more interesting read (and certainly more credible) if the supporting evidence was shown instead. The familiarity of it came across in the overall tone of the author himself. It was almost the exact same tone of the book written by Dr. Stephen Kaplan, where he attempts expose the Lutz family as willing participants of a hoax. In both cases, there are hints of resentment which leave an impression as being the fuel of the author's motivation. Unfortunately, it also creates a cloud of suspicion which overshadows an already incredulous depiction of events.

This book was largely based on the word of a woman claiming to have been married to Ronald DeFeo at the time of the murders, but the explanations given as to why she played no part in the initial investigation, or the subsequent murder trial are more humorous, than anything else. The author is insistent that he's verified this, and stresses her authenticity. However, the one simply undeniable submission of proof (a certificate of marriage) is again, nowhere to be found. For the lack of this one piece of evidence, is where this entire story takes a nose dive. The first book written about the DeFeo murders titled "High Hopes" (which this book attempts to discredit) was by far more fascinating and well written than this book could hope to be. It's author, Gerard Sullivan, was the prosecuting attorney at DeFeo's murder trial, who wrote the book from the testimonial transcripts. I bought that book almost twenty years ago, and thoroughly enjoyed reading it. If you're interested in reading about the Amityville murders, then that would be the book to read. ...

This is a good book to read if you are at all interested in the real story behind the "Amityville Horror". The author, Ric Osuna, presents a different scenario than what is normally discussed when one thinks of the shenanigans in Amityville. It is somewhat hard to swallow some of the theories presented by Mr. Osuna, especially the so called marriage of Geraldine Defeo to Butch Defeo, why is there absolutely no marriage license or any other legal document to prove their marriage? Also, the book tends to be overly sympathetic to Butch Defeo who even if Mr Osuna is correct, admittedly killed some of the members of his family if not all of them. I do believe, however, that the original "Amityville Horror" book and movies were part of an elaborate hoax and I totally agree with Mr. Osuna in trying to debunk that. It is interesting to read and reinforces the fact that it was a real tragedy that occurred and not the result of some demonic possession.

The author of this book is very uncredible- he flipped back and forth on the issue of whether the house was haunted and even at one time proclaimed on his website that he had proof that it was. [...] Now where I believe the entire story was a hoax, I cannot accept this man's work as fact.

If you can look past all of the careless grammatical, spelling and punctuation errors, this book does offer some relatively fresh insights into what happened up to and including the fateful night of November 13, 1974. Many honours go to Mr. Osuna for caring enough to re-open the files on a tragedy which has tormented so many people for almost twenty years...however, so many lies and cover-ups have festered over this time, that it is almost impossible to take anyone's word anymore on what actually happened to the DeFeo family.
Is Butch DeFeo's word the truth? Is he the thug the media described him to be or a gentle, loving man, as Ric Osuna claims he is? Did Butch murder his entire family, or only his parents and Dawn? Did Dawn commit murder that night - if not, how does one explain the gun powder on her nightgown?
The truth, and certainly the lies that have been concocted since 1974 have been so shuffled around and glossed over, it's difficult to sort throught the mess and know exactly what happened...
Even if you don't agreed with the claims and apparent "new information" in Ric Osuna's book, it does offer a glimpse into the torrid lives of a family whose arguing and bickering was inevitibly going to lead to some kind of catastrophic climax anway. Please read this book and judge for yourself...
And may the DeFeo family rest in peace.
Clint Valcohen.

This gentleman reminds me a lot of his predecesor the late Stephen Kaplan. His book while claiming to be supported by the facts ignores several major points and uses sources he had nod permission to use. Among others Ronald Defeo Jr, Mrs. Nannowitz(the Defeo's nanny), and Brian Kelske(son of the man who he implicates in the book who died last year) have all denounced this work as having no basis in reality. His "truth" relies very heavily on Geraldine Gates. A woman who insists she was married to Ronald Defeo twice and divorced twice. Aside from Mr. Defeo's own denial neither she nor Ossuna can produce either marriage certificate or the papers for either divorce for that matter I'd like to see the person who married them. Even beyond factual errors Ossuna would have greatly benefited from having a publishing company publish his book(its self) if for no other reason then they could have had an editor go over the text and clean up the typos and other spelling and gramatical mistakes. Do yourself a favor and get one of the Warren's books instead. They actualy investigated the house unlike Ossuna or Kaplan and can tell you what really happened.

Wow, what a read!I have always been interested in the DeFeo case.I was really looking forward to Mr. Osuna's book.When I recieved, I started reading it right away. I couldn't put it down.I laughed, cried and got angry while reading about the DeFeo's. It's so sad that money and power can lead to mental and physical abuse.I thought of Allison: Shy, sweet, who only needed to be told she was cared for. Jon Matthew and Mark: Full of energy, always on the go. Scared of what tomorrow would hold by the anger from an abusive father.I think of Dawn and her mother. I still think. Why put up with it? Why? Mrs. DEFeo, what really happened?Mr. Osuna interviewed relatives, friends and the police to get the true story of the real Amityville horror.I feel he was fair and respectful to the DeFeo's.The story will always be of interest for many years to come.Thank you Mr. Osuna for telling the "true" story.Those poor, innocent children had no one to defend them..you came to their rescue.

Mr. Osuna states a lot of things as fact in this book, yet provides little or no proof for anything he says. I feel there are better choices if you want to know about the tragic murder of the DeFeo family. In addition, the author spent a number of years stating that he had absolute proof that the Amityville house WAS haunted. Only after a falling out with George Lutz did he start saying it was a hoax.

While it proved to be a quite interesting read, the book lacks any substantial proof of the author's claims. You are basically expected to take the footnotes and research the information yourself to form an opinion of the book's validity. What the author obviously fails to realize, is that many who wanted to buy this book had no "in depth" knowledge of the events surrounding that fateful November night and were looking for proven answers in this book (That it's previews claimed existed herein). I for one was sadly disappointed by the lack of any substantiated proof, but I must admit, the story the author told was quite interesting, even if unfounded.

This book is a must read for those who even have a mild interest in the infamous murders and subsequent haunted house hoax that occurred in the quaint "town of friendship", Amityville, Long Island. Most people think these murders occurred as portrayed in the fictional motion pictures, "The Amityville Horror" (1979) and "Amityville II: The Possession"(1982). This book presents interviews from prison with the convicted Ronald DeFeo and his ex-wife Gerri and gives a facinating insight into the mind of a criminal and presents new ideas that accomplices participated as well.
The saga continues in the Amityville drama when DeFeo's defense attorney hatches a plan to free "Butch" by participating in a haunting hoax with the Lutz family and the story spins out of control and takes on a life of its own.

This book takes on previously held ideas and challenges them with new evidence and interviews with numerous witnesses,and reviews of countless court documents. Since the author himself performed all of the research, it is written often in a first person stance which makes it easily read and very interesting.

I highly recommend this work to anyone interested in the events that took place and did not take place in 112 Ocean Avenue during that bizarre 14 month time period. Two thumbs up!

ric osunas book is not good enough, he needs to live in that house alone for 28 days, report any paranormal activity