‘Amityville Horror’ killer Ronald DeFeo dies in prison

BY LAW OFFICER

FALLSBURG, N.Y. — “Amityville Horror” killer Ronald DeFeo Jr. — who killed his six family members in 1974 on Long Island — has died behind bars, according to officials.

DeFeo died Friday while serving a 25 years-to-life sentence at Sullivan Correctional facility in Fallsburg, New York, officials told Newsday. The notorious killer was 69.

DeFeo was transferred to Albany Medical Center and pronounced dead at 6:35 p.m.

An autopsy by the Albany County Medical Examiner’s Office will rule an official cause of death.

DeFeo, whose nickname was Butch, was convicted of killing his mother, father, two sisters and two brothers inside their Amityville home on Ocean Avenue on Nov. 13, 1974, New York Post reported.

The murderous spree served as the inspiration behind the “The Amityville Horror” book and movie franchise.

The then-23-year-old used a .35-caliber Marlin lever-action rifle to slaughter his family members, who were all in bed at the time — dad Ronald DeFeo Sr., 43, mom Louise DeFeo, 43, and siblings Dawn, 18, Allison, 13, Marc, 12, and John, 9.

Both parents were shot twice, while the siblings were each shot once. All of the victims were found face-down in bed.

At trial, his lawyer mounted an insanity defense, claiming DeFeo heard voices saying his family was plotting against him.

He was convicted in 1975 of six counts of second-degree murder and received six sentences of 25 years to life.

The original address of the home when the murders took place was 112 Ocean Ave. — but it was eventually changed to 108 Ocean Ave. in order to discourage tourists, the Post reported.

A year after the slaughter, George and Kathy Lutz purchased the home — but left 28 days later after reporting paranormal activity in the house, including “strange sounds, voices and green slime oozing from the walls,” according to real estate site 6sqft.

The creepy events served as the inspiration for the 1977 book “The Amityville Horror” and, two years later, the cult classic film “The Amityville Horror,” starring James Brolin and Margot Kidder.

In 2016, the famous five-bedroom, 3½-bathroom Colonial home where the bloodbath took place hit the market for $850,000 — and went into contract months later.

DeFeo was scheduled for a parole hearing in July, online DOC records show.