The Amityville Possession Claims

While the Amityville Horror is primarily known as a haunting case, the Lutz family also reported experiences suggesting demonic possession. During their 28 days in the house at 112 Ocean Avenue, family members claimed to have been influenced, controlled, and possessed by malevolent forces. Whether genuine supernatural encounter or elaborate hoax, the possession elements of the Amityville story added a disturbing dimension to an already famous case.

Background

George and Kathy Lutz moved into the Dutch Colonial house at 112 Ocean Avenue in Amityville, New York, on December 18, 1975. The house had been the site of a mass murder just thirteen months earlier, when Ronald DeFeo Jr. killed six family members.

The Lutzes purchased the house at a reduced price, aware of its history. Within days, they claimed, supernatural phenomena began—phenomena that would escalate to include apparent possession.

George Lutz’s Experiences

George Lutz reported the most dramatic possession-like experiences. According to his account:

He became increasingly obsessed with the fireplace, spending hours feeding it wood and staring into the flames, even during warm weather.

He woke at 3:15 AM repeatedly—the time of the DeFeo murders—drawn to check the boathouse though he could not explain why.

He experienced violent mood swings, becoming angry and aggressive toward his family without apparent cause.

He began to physically resemble Ronald DeFeo Jr., according to his wife and others who noticed the change.

He felt external influence on his thoughts and actions, as if something else was directing him.

Kathy Lutz’s Experiences

Kathy Lutz reported experiences suggesting spiritual attack:

She was levitated off the bed while sleeping, suspended in the air before being dropped.

She was embraced by an invisible presence she perceived as demonic.

Burn marks appeared on her body resembling welder’s burns.

She felt constantly watched and threatened.

She became convinced that the house was trying to possess or destroy her family.

The Children

The Lutz children also reported unusual experiences. Young daughter Missy allegedly befriended an entity she called “Jodie,” which she described as a pig with glowing red eyes. The entity supposedly appeared at windows, in her room, and during quiet moments.

The boys experienced nightmares, behavioral changes, and a sense of being watched. Whether these represented possession, psychological response to the adults’ behavior, or something else remains debated.

Clergy Involvement

Father Ralph Pecoraro (referred to by the pseudonym “Father Mancuso” in the book) blessed the house at the Lutzes’ request. He claimed to experience illness and hear a voice commanding him to “Get out!” during the blessing.

Father Pecoraro reportedly continued to experience negative effects after leaving the house, including illness and car accidents. He recommended the family leave immediately, a warning the Church later distanced itself from.

The Flight

After 28 days, the Lutz family fled the house, leaving most of their possessions behind. They never returned. Their claim was that the house had been haunted by demonic forces that were possessing and destroying them.

Investigation and Controversy

The Amityville case became intensely controversial. Subsequent owners of the house reported no unusual phenomena. Investigations by researchers and journalists found inconsistencies in the Lutzes’ account. Some concluded the entire story was a hoax designed to profit from the notorious murder site.

However, the Lutzes maintained their account until their deaths. George Lutz in particular insisted that something had invaded his mind and body during those 28 days, though he later softened claims about demonic forces specifically.

Assessment of Possession Claims

The possession elements of the Amityville case are among its most disputed:

George’s personality changes could reflect psychological response to living in a murder house, financial stress, or various mundane factors.

The physical phenomena (levitation, burns) have never been independently verified.

The 3:15 AM awakening could be coincidence or suggestion.

The possession narrative might have been added to make the story more dramatic and saleable.

Yet the Lutzes’ fear appeared genuine to many who knew them. Whether that fear resulted from supernatural attack or other factors, their 28 days in Amityville clearly traumatized the family.

Legacy

The possession elements of Amityville influenced subsequent horror films and books. “Amityville II: The Possession” (1982) focused on the DeFeo murders and added explicit demonic possession themes.

The case contributed to public understanding—or misunderstanding—of what possession allegedly involves, shaping cultural expectations that influence how people interpret unusual experiences.

Whether the Lutzes were possessed, frightened by their own imaginations, or deliberately fabricating, the Amityville possession claims became part of one of the most famous and controversial supernatural stories of the twentieth century.