November 13 marks the 35th anniversary of the DeFeo murders in Amityville, a crime that placed Amityville on a very dismal map. Since those horrific events, much has been written, talked, lied, filmed and printed about the death of this Amityville family. Most of it is hogwash.

Thetruth is that a young man, under the influence of drugs, angry, and beyond reason and human decency, killed his parents and siblings in cold blood. The crime, and the loss of this family, sent Amityville reeling and placed it under a cloud of grief and disbelief. And, even though more than three decades have passed, this incident still burns in the hearts and minds of many as the tragedy that it was. Most Amityvillians knew the family. Some were Scout leaders or teachers to the DeFeo children, or remember them bright and full of hope and promise. They and their parents were part of a community that cared and supported its members in a variety of ways through school, church, civic organizations and clubs.

So, forget about ghosts and hauntings; don’t listen to the hype and the tales of demonic possession that many have attributed to this crime, most in the interest of making money or bringing some morbid level of fame to someone, somewhere. Those who continue to perpetuate such lies pay disrespect to the memories of the DeFeos who lost their lives.

Instead, everyone should recognize the lethal potential of children lost to anger and drugs. That is the real horror that Amityville and every other community in this country should be putting their energies into in order to eliminate it forever. That would be the best tribute to this family.

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