DeFeo House ghost vigil resumes July 22, 1976

As a result of a New York daily newspaper’s feature article which appeared last Sunday, hordes of curiosity seekers, many equipped with cameras, trampled the once finely manicured grounds of the former DeFeo home on Ocean Avenue, Amityville.

Crowds were estimated as numbering nearly 1,000 on Sunday alone. An almost carnival-like atmosphere prevailed at the house which was the scene of the November, 1974 murders of six members of the DeFeo family.

Ronald DeFeo, 24, the eldest son, was convicted of the killings last November. He is expected to appeal the conviction.

The story in Sunday’s paper centered around the bizarre incidents allegedly suffered by the Lee Lutz family who moved into the house last November.

The article focused on the family’s macabre experiences while living in the house. It described "strange noises and vibrations," "foul odors" that couldn’t be eliminated and "trickles of red" running from keyholes on bedroom doors all occurring during the Lutz’s 28 day occupancy.

Neighbors reported that groups of between 30 and 50 people were arriving at varying intervals throughout the day beginning as early at 10 a.m.

Police were summoned several times at\ the request of residents who reported that trespassers had actually broken into the house and the adjacent boathouse. At one point more than 30 people were spotted in the house interior.

Late Sunday afternoon police contact a local real estate firm who "for sale" sign was posted in front of the house to inform them that trespassers had been reported and that the house had been entered.

The broker’s representatives arrived at the house at about 3:15 p.m. armed with "No Trespassing" signs. The crowd scattered but minutes later another group arrived en force to scour the premises. The newly posted signs were soon removed by still another throng of sightseers.

An employee of the realty firm told the Record that "people were actually ripping wallpaper off the walls" for souvenirs and a neighbor said people were seen leaving the property with pieces of wood paneling that had evidently been pried loose from the walls. The real estate spokesman said no estimate of the damages had been made.

At about 11:15 p.m. Sunday, while patrol the Ocean Avenue area, Amityville Police Officer Ronald Kuhnia reported seeing Edward F. Lisa, 21 of Bethpage, walking around the grounds of the DeFeo home carrying a machete.

Lisa was arrested for possession of a dangerous weapon. After booking, he spent the night in the Amityville jail and was arraigned on Monday morning in Village Justice Court. Lisa was released on his own recognizance and is scheduled to appear for a hearing on August 17.

Neighbors observed groups of people, many of them carrying flashlights, wandering around the scene at late as 3 a.m. Monday morning.

The stories about the DeFeo home has caused recurrent problems for Amityville Police and Ocean Avenue residents since the murders took place 20 months ago. Last February, a report in a Long Island daily newspaper describing the possible presence of psychic forces within the house created an equally serious situation with hundreds of people showing up at the scene days after the article appeared, to catch a glimpse of the allegedly haunted house.