Post by Eric on Oct 14, 2008 11:51:26 GMT -5
This is an EXCELLENT article by a good friend of mine, Tim Yancey he is a paranormal researcher and a personal friend George Lutz.
Even if you believe this was a hoax this is a must read. This is George's last interview before he died. It is what happened in HIS words. Not the book Not the Movie
The Amityville Horror: Interview with George Lutz
30 years after the incident, most people are under the impression that the haunting that occurred in Amityville was a hoax... but was it?
Article By Tim Yancey
On October 24, 2003 I stepped off a 'red-eye' flight to State College Airport, and into a cold Pennsylvania night. Waiting to meet me was my good friend Lou Gentile, the host of a nationally syndicated radio program that deals with paranormal phenomenon known as 'The Lou Gentile Show'. At his side was John Zaffis - nephew of famed paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren, a man who has spent a lifetime wrapped deep in the Amityville haunting, as well as many other intriguing investigations into the paranormal realm. After collecting my luggage we headed out to the waiting van where George Lutz awaited the group. Apparently... he still doesn't deal with cold temperatures too well.
George Lutz is a friendly, stout former Ex-marine, who immediately offered his handshake as we all tumbled into the van and out of the cold night air. I had talked with George a few times on the phone, and remarked it was nice to meet him in person finally. "We'll see if you still feel that way later", he remarked, a sly grin on his face. I would soon learn that humor is a big part of Lutz's psyche. Lutz is gifted with a soft, almost self-deprecating sense of humor... he would later remark that "humor is one of the greatest things we have to defend ourselves against negative energy". George presents himself as a quiet, almost shy person who doesn't want to attract attention... during various conversations with convention goers, he was soft spoken and often turned the conversation away from Amityville.
The four of us had all gathered together at Penn State University as part of "Penn State UNIV-CON II", a paranormal convention hosted by the Penn State Paranormal Research Society. They had invited Lou Gentile to host a live three hour radio show during the convention, and he had asked George Lutz and John Zaffis to appear as his guests. I would fill the role of audio engineer, recording the show for later broadcast. The topic of course, would be the events that occurred to George Lutz and his family during their 28 day stay in the most famous haunted house of all time.
I had heard George Lutz talk about Amityville before - he had appeared on Gentile's show in the past, the first interviews he had done publically in over 20 years talking about the haunting that occurred to him and his family. But I looked forward to having the opportunity to see into his eyes as he related the story... to watch how he reacted as he talked about the incredible events that Lutz maintains are true to this day. I thought this would be my only chance to see if George Lutz was telling the truth.. to find out if his story rang true.
After all, there is no actual evidence that this haunting occurred... or so I thought. George Lutz did bring evidence, in fact Lutz has more evidence to prove the Amityville haunting occurred than other famous cases I had looked at, like the 'Bell Witch', or the Smurl haunting. More on that later.
Lutz's testimony of what happened during those 28 days are horrific to most... but actually quite common when compared to most haunting cases. Many other violent hauntings are actually more sensational in terms of the phenomenon occurring - during the 'Enfield Poltergeist' case, the spirit is credited with manifesting many voices which would talk out loud to investigators. Chairs and furniture would shift about in front of police officers and investigators.
At the height of the 'Bell Witch' haunting, the family was assaulted endlessly by rappings and poundings throughout the house. The family would be physically assaulted and accosted time and time again. Eventually, the 'Bell Witch' was credited with killing it's intended victim, John Bell.
During the Smurl haunting, black shadowy figures terrorized the family. Why did the Amityville haunting, which didn't appear as sensational... garner such attention and opposition, and cries of 'hoax'? The skeptics demanded 'proof'... but is there actual proof for anything paranormal in nature?
From the very beginning, it was obvious that many enthusiasts of the 'hoax' theory used the book and movie to garner information about the haunting. Most people realize in modern times that movies have a way of using literary license, and often over-dramatize or even create totally fictional scenes. It became such a problem that the phrase 'based on true events', is now standard opening monologue. When enthusiasts compared the book and movie versions to the Lutz's telling of the events... things didn't add up.
Funny part is - George Lutz will be the first person to tell you that some of the events portrayed in the book and movie aren't factual.
Strange and tragic events were happening in the Amityville Home long before the Lutz's moved in. Prior to the Lutz's purchase of the house, Ronald Defeo Jr. tragically murdered his entire family, while they slept peacefully in their beds on the night of November 13, 1974. Armed with a .35 Caliber Marlin rifle, Defeo Jr. moved from room to room... eight shots fired in all. Later, Defeo Jr. would make varying statements to officials; the mob did it. His sister did it. Then he said he did it in self-defense.
At one point, after confessing to the murders, he claimed to have heard voices telling him to commit the murders. He also claimed to have seen dark shadowy figures moving about he house, and talked about how a pair of dark, black hands handed him the rifle that night.
Police found all of the victims lying face down in their beds - it seems apparent that none of the family heard any of the gunshots. None of the neighbors around the home heard any of the shots either. Today, Ronald remains in prison at the Greehaven Correctional Facility, where he is serving six consecutive life term sentences for the crime.
The night that George Lutz was to appear in front of the Penn State crowd, he spoke softly as he related the events that occurred at 112 Ocean Avenue.
George and Kathy Lutz were married the previous July, both of them owning separate houses at the time. Now together as a family, The Lutz's began to look for a new home for the new marriage. The plan was to sell the two houses they already occupied, and use the funds garnered to purchase a dwelling large enough for George and Kathy, and her three children. They put their homes up on the market... Kathy's sold first, and her and the kids then moved into Georges home in Deer Park.
George and Kathy spent much of the Summer touring prospective new homes with no luck. They had already looked at over 50 potential houses, when the realtor told them about the home at 112 Ocean Avenue in Amityville.
The Lutz's were made aware of the tragic events that occurred to the previous owners... "The realtor eventually told us what had happened in the house... that six family members had been murdered there and asked us if that made a difference, if we were still interested in looking at the home. The kids didn't seem to have any reservations about whether to at least look at the house, and so we went through it. Afterwards, we had quite a discussion as a family a couple of different times, about whether or not we should still consider buying the house". The Lutz's concluded that the prior murders that had occurred in the home didn't appear to have an affect on their children, so they agreed to at least tour the property.
"As soon As Kathy had walked into the house, she had a smile on her face that just beamed. That hadn't happened in all the previous homes we looked at... I knew from the look on her face, that this was to be our dream home." George recalls.
The house was on the market for around $100,000. The home included 4,000 square feet of waterfront property, complete with a boathouse and garage. It also included a heated swimming pool in the back yard, and a full basement. "It was pretty much everything we were looking for in a home, and it was at a price that we could afford, if they were willing to take the offer that we were willing to make".
The Lutz's made an offer of $80,000... which was accepted. George had an excellent credit rating, the first bank they applied for a mortgage from accepted their application for $60,000 right away. So they put down the $20,000 cash down payment on their 'dream home', and made arrangements to start moving in.
The first impression that the Lutz's felt of the home can best be described as 'charming', it was well constructed, and everything about the house was exactly what they had hoped for, but unusual events began occurring almost from the moment they arrived.
Moving Day:
"We moved my boat over to the boathouse, and I had just bought another speedboat that we hadn't even used yet - I also built Harley Davidson motorcycles as a hobby, and so we moved those over as well along with my tools" - George Lutz
Thus began moving day - one big happy caravan of trucks, trailers and vans that traveled from George's home in Deer Park to the closing, and then on to the new home. George was busy unpacking one of the trucks when Father Pecararo appeared in the driveway.
"When I told a friend of mine what home we were buying, he made me promise that I would get the house blessed. I didn't know what that was at the time, I was a 'non practicing Methodist". I asked Kathy what a house blessing was... she was Catholic, and so she explained it to me. We agreed that we would do that, and the only priest I knew was Father Ralph Pecararo".
Father Ralph Pecararo had handled George's first marriage anullment, during that process George and Father Pecararo had gotten to know each other well, and they would often talked from time to time over the phone. When the Lutz's called and explained that they had bought a new home, and asked if we would come and bless it... he agreed to.
Father Pecararo was not your average parish priest. He was vice-officialis of the dioscian office, and a judge of the ecclesiastical court in Rockville Center. He wasn't the type that would normally come over and perform a house blessing for just anybody. But as a friend of George's he agreed to come and bless the home. George was in the middle of unpacking one of the trucks when Father Ralph appeared, so they exchanged pleasantries, and Father Pecararo proceeded into the home to perform the blessing.
"While performing the house blessing, a number of abnormal things occurred that he did not tell us about. Later, as he was leaving he told us simply that he was uncomfortable about one particular room, on the second floor. It was a room that we planned on using as a sewing room, and not a bedroom". Father Pecararo was glad of that, he told the Lutz's that he 'felt something in there', that he wasn't comfortable with, and he suggested not using it as a bedroom.
"We didn't really understand what he was saying at the time... but since we weren't using that particular room as a bedroom, it wasn't an issue. It was just another 'thing' that happened.
George Lutz and Father Pecararo never did talk about the specific events that occurred during the house blessing. The priest's testimony about the event's only came to light once Jay Anson had interviewed him for the book.
It is important to note that many of the people who cry 'hoax' concerning the haunting insisted that a priest never existed... nor did he bless the home... nor did he experience anything paranormal in nature while doing so. Truth be told, Father Pecararo did exist. As the story of what happened to the Lutz's became known, they and the Warrens worked hard to protect his identity. Eventually his name did leak to the public, and the media storm caused untold damage to his ability to continue in his chosen profession.
But other strange incidents occurred on moving day. While the Lutz's were unpacking, the family dog, 'Harry' had been tied out back. George discovered he had jumped the fence in an apparent attempt to leave the property, and hung himself in the process. The dog survived... it was just another one of those 'things' that happened.
The Haunting:
"If we hadn't had the house blessed, I don't know how things would have turned out - or what may have happened. Until there was a threat like that of some kind perceived by whatever was there... the events in the house were all very subtle." George Lutz
As the Lutz's settled into their new home... things continued to occur, but only gradually. "The house was very patient... it was willing to wait", George recalled.
Mysterious and repulsive odors pervaded the home. A strange green jello like substance leaked from the walls. The toilet bowls began to turn black. Swarms of houseflies were found time and time again in the sewing room. Strange drops of black goo oozed from the keyholes in the doors. Small indicators that something was wrong inside the house at 112 Ocean Avenue.
Personality changes also began to affect the Lutz family. George would suddenly awake precisely at 3:15 am each morning... with an uncontrollable urge to check the boathouse. He would go for days without bathing. George was often sick, losing a lot of weight, and energy. Kathy began having nightmares. The children often fought and argued with one another.
Then, the noises came. Footsteps could be heard walking about the house. "In the middle of night, you would hear the front door slam... it was a very distinctive sound". George would rush down the stairs to the front entrance... only to find Harry the dog sleeping at the foot of the door. It was obvious that he hadn't been disturbed, yet George distinctly remembers hearing the front door slam. "It was the only door in the house that made that type of sound, I knew what I had just heard ".
George would also hear a strange sound at night... like a clock radio going off. "It sounded like a clock radio that was tuned slightly off station, or a marching band that was tuning up. An unorganized musical sound, coming from downstairs. At first I thought it was indeed a radio that may have gone off... ". George would again reach the first floor, to find the rug rolled back and furniture moved.
When the Lutz's invited people over to their new home, many of their guests would also witness the noises, and hear the footsteps walking about in the rooms above their heads from the kitchen. "We would ask them if they had heard that, and we would go upstairs and find the kids asleep... and their would be no way to explain this".
One of the Lutz's guests who witnessed this explained to them that he had also lived in a house that was besieged by similar noises when he was a kid. He would hear footsteps, and bangings as well. One of the things he remembered was that his parents used to open the windows... and go through the house saying the Lord's Prayer. "He said it had worked for them, as a child he had done this... and it sounded like a reasonable thing." So the Lutz's decided to give it a try.
They opened one of the windows in each room of the house. Together, they went around from room to room, reciting the Lord's Prayer. In George's words, "It didn't work".
From out of nowhere, many voices screamed at them 'Will You Please Stop!". George eventually searched the house for speakers that might have been hidden, thinking someone was playing a cruel joke on them. None were found.
It was obvious to the Lutz's by now, that whatever was occurring in the house, it wasn't going to be fixed simply by them telling it to leave.
One of the most frightening aspects of the Amityville haunting was the apparitions that manifested inside the home. Kathy would be in the kitchen, and suddenly feel a presence embracing her from behind. They would also see things peering in through the windows at them at night. Shadows would move about the house. Then George and Kathy began to notice that their daughter Missy had begun interacting with an imaginary friend named "Jodie".
When it comes to the topic of 'Jodie", it was obvious to me that this was something George Lutz was not comfortable talking about. He took on a very serious tone, and often hesitated before he spoke. "Our daughter came to Kathy one day and asked her if angels talked, and started talking about her imaginary friend. Missy had someone that she spoke of, and she called this... entity, or thing.. person... 'Jodie'. At the time, we thought that it was just an imaginary friend". George continued, "You know, it's a pretty funny thought to have kids with imaginary friends. It's not so funny when the 'imaginary friends' have things that they are trying to influence upon your children".
Lutz went on to explain that, "Missy had a friend, she called him 'Jodie'. Jodie had the ability to change form, and for Missy, she thought it was a good thing. We also did too, having an imaginary friend like that, until Jodie said, 'Your going to live here forever'. That was too strange a thing to come from a four or five year old kid".
Things were rapidly escalating in the house. Again, George and Kathy would see eyes peering in at them in the living room. George raced out of the house after the culprit... only to find hoofprints leading away in the fallen snow. One night Kathy launched a chair towards the eyes that were peering in from Missy's bedroom window. The sound of a squealing pig pierced the night air.
It was time to leave their 'dream home'.
Fleeing the House:
"The last night in the house, we knew that there was a terrible, terrific storm going on outside. Later, people checked the weather reports for the area, and say that there was no such storm. I don't really care what the weatherman said. For us.. there was a storm raging that night". - George Lutz.
The Lutz's had never intended on abandoning their home. But the events unfolding night after night were becoming unbearable. The plan was simply to spend some time away from the house... and sort things out. Figure out what was going on. So arrangements were made to spend time at Kathy's mothers house.
The events that occurred on the final day in the home are somewhat unclear to this writer, George Lutz refused to talk about that day at Penn State. Several attempts by Lou Gentile and a few of the audience members to uncover the details of the final day went unanswered. George would only comment, "There are stories about this that have never been told. They may never be told".
While researching the Amityville case however, I did manage to uncover a few details about the last day in the home. Suddenly there was a great rush on the part of the Lutz's to leave the home. During the time they made attempts to pack a few items together, things rapidly went from bad... to worse.
The family managed to grab a few changes of clothing, while the temperature inside the home fluctuated from chilling cold, to hot. Strange banging noises were heard, and the interior walls of the house seemed to shift about, making groaning noises. And... as they were leaving the home, George encountered another apparition on the second floor landing. This time.. a hooded figure that stood motionless, pointing directly at George Lutz.
At the end of the radio show - George Lutz showed a series of photographs that were taken at Amityville by investigators. The photographs... are startling.
George began by showing various slides taken throughout the house so that people could get a feel for what the home looked like. On the day the investigators were there, the house looked as if it had been abandoned in haste. Clothes were thrown about... food sat stocked in the refrigerators. Plants left on the window sills had withered away.
Other photographs taken both inside and from outside the home showed misty faces peering through the windows. One photograph showed the strange ghostly figure of a young boy standing on the second floor landing... another photograph showed an entity manifesting out of a wall, peering down at the investigators. The pictures deeply disturbed me... they had the ring of truth to them.
In closing, a member of the audience asked Mr. Lutz, "Why do you think it is important to inform people about what happened at Amityville". George took a moment to ponder the question, then softly stated, "You see... you may never go through this. But in your lifetime, as this kind of thing gets talked about more and more, and as we learn more... it's likely in one way or another that you will hear of this kind of thing. This stuff happens... it happens everyday, there are people in this room tonight that can tell you all kinds of stories about things locally, that happen right here".
George continued, "It's my prayer that everyone in this room never go through such a thing. But if you know someone that does, the hardest thing for those people is the loss of being able to communicate with anyone else about it. Not being able to find anyone that can intelligently help them. It's not talked about, it's not understood.... and when it happens to you, you become an alien to everyone else".
From----- www.amityvillehorrortruth.com/articles/lutzinterview1.html
Even if you believe this was a hoax this is a must read. This is George's last interview before he died. It is what happened in HIS words. Not the book Not the Movie
The Amityville Horror: Interview with George Lutz
30 years after the incident, most people are under the impression that the haunting that occurred in Amityville was a hoax... but was it?
Article By Tim Yancey
On October 24, 2003 I stepped off a 'red-eye' flight to State College Airport, and into a cold Pennsylvania night. Waiting to meet me was my good friend Lou Gentile, the host of a nationally syndicated radio program that deals with paranormal phenomenon known as 'The Lou Gentile Show'. At his side was John Zaffis - nephew of famed paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren, a man who has spent a lifetime wrapped deep in the Amityville haunting, as well as many other intriguing investigations into the paranormal realm. After collecting my luggage we headed out to the waiting van where George Lutz awaited the group. Apparently... he still doesn't deal with cold temperatures too well.
George Lutz is a friendly, stout former Ex-marine, who immediately offered his handshake as we all tumbled into the van and out of the cold night air. I had talked with George a few times on the phone, and remarked it was nice to meet him in person finally. "We'll see if you still feel that way later", he remarked, a sly grin on his face. I would soon learn that humor is a big part of Lutz's psyche. Lutz is gifted with a soft, almost self-deprecating sense of humor... he would later remark that "humor is one of the greatest things we have to defend ourselves against negative energy". George presents himself as a quiet, almost shy person who doesn't want to attract attention... during various conversations with convention goers, he was soft spoken and often turned the conversation away from Amityville.
The four of us had all gathered together at Penn State University as part of "Penn State UNIV-CON II", a paranormal convention hosted by the Penn State Paranormal Research Society. They had invited Lou Gentile to host a live three hour radio show during the convention, and he had asked George Lutz and John Zaffis to appear as his guests. I would fill the role of audio engineer, recording the show for later broadcast. The topic of course, would be the events that occurred to George Lutz and his family during their 28 day stay in the most famous haunted house of all time.
I had heard George Lutz talk about Amityville before - he had appeared on Gentile's show in the past, the first interviews he had done publically in over 20 years talking about the haunting that occurred to him and his family. But I looked forward to having the opportunity to see into his eyes as he related the story... to watch how he reacted as he talked about the incredible events that Lutz maintains are true to this day. I thought this would be my only chance to see if George Lutz was telling the truth.. to find out if his story rang true.
After all, there is no actual evidence that this haunting occurred... or so I thought. George Lutz did bring evidence, in fact Lutz has more evidence to prove the Amityville haunting occurred than other famous cases I had looked at, like the 'Bell Witch', or the Smurl haunting. More on that later.
Lutz's testimony of what happened during those 28 days are horrific to most... but actually quite common when compared to most haunting cases. Many other violent hauntings are actually more sensational in terms of the phenomenon occurring - during the 'Enfield Poltergeist' case, the spirit is credited with manifesting many voices which would talk out loud to investigators. Chairs and furniture would shift about in front of police officers and investigators.
At the height of the 'Bell Witch' haunting, the family was assaulted endlessly by rappings and poundings throughout the house. The family would be physically assaulted and accosted time and time again. Eventually, the 'Bell Witch' was credited with killing it's intended victim, John Bell.
During the Smurl haunting, black shadowy figures terrorized the family. Why did the Amityville haunting, which didn't appear as sensational... garner such attention and opposition, and cries of 'hoax'? The skeptics demanded 'proof'... but is there actual proof for anything paranormal in nature?
From the very beginning, it was obvious that many enthusiasts of the 'hoax' theory used the book and movie to garner information about the haunting. Most people realize in modern times that movies have a way of using literary license, and often over-dramatize or even create totally fictional scenes. It became such a problem that the phrase 'based on true events', is now standard opening monologue. When enthusiasts compared the book and movie versions to the Lutz's telling of the events... things didn't add up.
Funny part is - George Lutz will be the first person to tell you that some of the events portrayed in the book and movie aren't factual.
Strange and tragic events were happening in the Amityville Home long before the Lutz's moved in. Prior to the Lutz's purchase of the house, Ronald Defeo Jr. tragically murdered his entire family, while they slept peacefully in their beds on the night of November 13, 1974. Armed with a .35 Caliber Marlin rifle, Defeo Jr. moved from room to room... eight shots fired in all. Later, Defeo Jr. would make varying statements to officials; the mob did it. His sister did it. Then he said he did it in self-defense.
At one point, after confessing to the murders, he claimed to have heard voices telling him to commit the murders. He also claimed to have seen dark shadowy figures moving about he house, and talked about how a pair of dark, black hands handed him the rifle that night.
Police found all of the victims lying face down in their beds - it seems apparent that none of the family heard any of the gunshots. None of the neighbors around the home heard any of the shots either. Today, Ronald remains in prison at the Greehaven Correctional Facility, where he is serving six consecutive life term sentences for the crime.
The night that George Lutz was to appear in front of the Penn State crowd, he spoke softly as he related the events that occurred at 112 Ocean Avenue.
George and Kathy Lutz were married the previous July, both of them owning separate houses at the time. Now together as a family, The Lutz's began to look for a new home for the new marriage. The plan was to sell the two houses they already occupied, and use the funds garnered to purchase a dwelling large enough for George and Kathy, and her three children. They put their homes up on the market... Kathy's sold first, and her and the kids then moved into Georges home in Deer Park.
George and Kathy spent much of the Summer touring prospective new homes with no luck. They had already looked at over 50 potential houses, when the realtor told them about the home at 112 Ocean Avenue in Amityville.
The Lutz's were made aware of the tragic events that occurred to the previous owners... "The realtor eventually told us what had happened in the house... that six family members had been murdered there and asked us if that made a difference, if we were still interested in looking at the home. The kids didn't seem to have any reservations about whether to at least look at the house, and so we went through it. Afterwards, we had quite a discussion as a family a couple of different times, about whether or not we should still consider buying the house". The Lutz's concluded that the prior murders that had occurred in the home didn't appear to have an affect on their children, so they agreed to at least tour the property.
"As soon As Kathy had walked into the house, she had a smile on her face that just beamed. That hadn't happened in all the previous homes we looked at... I knew from the look on her face, that this was to be our dream home." George recalls.
The house was on the market for around $100,000. The home included 4,000 square feet of waterfront property, complete with a boathouse and garage. It also included a heated swimming pool in the back yard, and a full basement. "It was pretty much everything we were looking for in a home, and it was at a price that we could afford, if they were willing to take the offer that we were willing to make".
The Lutz's made an offer of $80,000... which was accepted. George had an excellent credit rating, the first bank they applied for a mortgage from accepted their application for $60,000 right away. So they put down the $20,000 cash down payment on their 'dream home', and made arrangements to start moving in.
The first impression that the Lutz's felt of the home can best be described as 'charming', it was well constructed, and everything about the house was exactly what they had hoped for, but unusual events began occurring almost from the moment they arrived.
Moving Day:
"We moved my boat over to the boathouse, and I had just bought another speedboat that we hadn't even used yet - I also built Harley Davidson motorcycles as a hobby, and so we moved those over as well along with my tools" - George Lutz
Thus began moving day - one big happy caravan of trucks, trailers and vans that traveled from George's home in Deer Park to the closing, and then on to the new home. George was busy unpacking one of the trucks when Father Pecararo appeared in the driveway.
"When I told a friend of mine what home we were buying, he made me promise that I would get the house blessed. I didn't know what that was at the time, I was a 'non practicing Methodist". I asked Kathy what a house blessing was... she was Catholic, and so she explained it to me. We agreed that we would do that, and the only priest I knew was Father Ralph Pecararo".
Father Ralph Pecararo had handled George's first marriage anullment, during that process George and Father Pecararo had gotten to know each other well, and they would often talked from time to time over the phone. When the Lutz's called and explained that they had bought a new home, and asked if we would come and bless it... he agreed to.
Father Pecararo was not your average parish priest. He was vice-officialis of the dioscian office, and a judge of the ecclesiastical court in Rockville Center. He wasn't the type that would normally come over and perform a house blessing for just anybody. But as a friend of George's he agreed to come and bless the home. George was in the middle of unpacking one of the trucks when Father Ralph appeared, so they exchanged pleasantries, and Father Pecararo proceeded into the home to perform the blessing.
"While performing the house blessing, a number of abnormal things occurred that he did not tell us about. Later, as he was leaving he told us simply that he was uncomfortable about one particular room, on the second floor. It was a room that we planned on using as a sewing room, and not a bedroom". Father Pecararo was glad of that, he told the Lutz's that he 'felt something in there', that he wasn't comfortable with, and he suggested not using it as a bedroom.
"We didn't really understand what he was saying at the time... but since we weren't using that particular room as a bedroom, it wasn't an issue. It was just another 'thing' that happened.
George Lutz and Father Pecararo never did talk about the specific events that occurred during the house blessing. The priest's testimony about the event's only came to light once Jay Anson had interviewed him for the book.
It is important to note that many of the people who cry 'hoax' concerning the haunting insisted that a priest never existed... nor did he bless the home... nor did he experience anything paranormal in nature while doing so. Truth be told, Father Pecararo did exist. As the story of what happened to the Lutz's became known, they and the Warrens worked hard to protect his identity. Eventually his name did leak to the public, and the media storm caused untold damage to his ability to continue in his chosen profession.
But other strange incidents occurred on moving day. While the Lutz's were unpacking, the family dog, 'Harry' had been tied out back. George discovered he had jumped the fence in an apparent attempt to leave the property, and hung himself in the process. The dog survived... it was just another one of those 'things' that happened.
The Haunting:
"If we hadn't had the house blessed, I don't know how things would have turned out - or what may have happened. Until there was a threat like that of some kind perceived by whatever was there... the events in the house were all very subtle." George Lutz
As the Lutz's settled into their new home... things continued to occur, but only gradually. "The house was very patient... it was willing to wait", George recalled.
Mysterious and repulsive odors pervaded the home. A strange green jello like substance leaked from the walls. The toilet bowls began to turn black. Swarms of houseflies were found time and time again in the sewing room. Strange drops of black goo oozed from the keyholes in the doors. Small indicators that something was wrong inside the house at 112 Ocean Avenue.
Personality changes also began to affect the Lutz family. George would suddenly awake precisely at 3:15 am each morning... with an uncontrollable urge to check the boathouse. He would go for days without bathing. George was often sick, losing a lot of weight, and energy. Kathy began having nightmares. The children often fought and argued with one another.
Then, the noises came. Footsteps could be heard walking about the house. "In the middle of night, you would hear the front door slam... it was a very distinctive sound". George would rush down the stairs to the front entrance... only to find Harry the dog sleeping at the foot of the door. It was obvious that he hadn't been disturbed, yet George distinctly remembers hearing the front door slam. "It was the only door in the house that made that type of sound, I knew what I had just heard ".
George would also hear a strange sound at night... like a clock radio going off. "It sounded like a clock radio that was tuned slightly off station, or a marching band that was tuning up. An unorganized musical sound, coming from downstairs. At first I thought it was indeed a radio that may have gone off... ". George would again reach the first floor, to find the rug rolled back and furniture moved.
When the Lutz's invited people over to their new home, many of their guests would also witness the noises, and hear the footsteps walking about in the rooms above their heads from the kitchen. "We would ask them if they had heard that, and we would go upstairs and find the kids asleep... and their would be no way to explain this".
One of the Lutz's guests who witnessed this explained to them that he had also lived in a house that was besieged by similar noises when he was a kid. He would hear footsteps, and bangings as well. One of the things he remembered was that his parents used to open the windows... and go through the house saying the Lord's Prayer. "He said it had worked for them, as a child he had done this... and it sounded like a reasonable thing." So the Lutz's decided to give it a try.
They opened one of the windows in each room of the house. Together, they went around from room to room, reciting the Lord's Prayer. In George's words, "It didn't work".
From out of nowhere, many voices screamed at them 'Will You Please Stop!". George eventually searched the house for speakers that might have been hidden, thinking someone was playing a cruel joke on them. None were found.
It was obvious to the Lutz's by now, that whatever was occurring in the house, it wasn't going to be fixed simply by them telling it to leave.
One of the most frightening aspects of the Amityville haunting was the apparitions that manifested inside the home. Kathy would be in the kitchen, and suddenly feel a presence embracing her from behind. They would also see things peering in through the windows at them at night. Shadows would move about the house. Then George and Kathy began to notice that their daughter Missy had begun interacting with an imaginary friend named "Jodie".
When it comes to the topic of 'Jodie", it was obvious to me that this was something George Lutz was not comfortable talking about. He took on a very serious tone, and often hesitated before he spoke. "Our daughter came to Kathy one day and asked her if angels talked, and started talking about her imaginary friend. Missy had someone that she spoke of, and she called this... entity, or thing.. person... 'Jodie'. At the time, we thought that it was just an imaginary friend". George continued, "You know, it's a pretty funny thought to have kids with imaginary friends. It's not so funny when the 'imaginary friends' have things that they are trying to influence upon your children".
Lutz went on to explain that, "Missy had a friend, she called him 'Jodie'. Jodie had the ability to change form, and for Missy, she thought it was a good thing. We also did too, having an imaginary friend like that, until Jodie said, 'Your going to live here forever'. That was too strange a thing to come from a four or five year old kid".
Things were rapidly escalating in the house. Again, George and Kathy would see eyes peering in at them in the living room. George raced out of the house after the culprit... only to find hoofprints leading away in the fallen snow. One night Kathy launched a chair towards the eyes that were peering in from Missy's bedroom window. The sound of a squealing pig pierced the night air.
It was time to leave their 'dream home'.
Fleeing the House:
"The last night in the house, we knew that there was a terrible, terrific storm going on outside. Later, people checked the weather reports for the area, and say that there was no such storm. I don't really care what the weatherman said. For us.. there was a storm raging that night". - George Lutz.
The Lutz's had never intended on abandoning their home. But the events unfolding night after night were becoming unbearable. The plan was simply to spend some time away from the house... and sort things out. Figure out what was going on. So arrangements were made to spend time at Kathy's mothers house.
The events that occurred on the final day in the home are somewhat unclear to this writer, George Lutz refused to talk about that day at Penn State. Several attempts by Lou Gentile and a few of the audience members to uncover the details of the final day went unanswered. George would only comment, "There are stories about this that have never been told. They may never be told".
While researching the Amityville case however, I did manage to uncover a few details about the last day in the home. Suddenly there was a great rush on the part of the Lutz's to leave the home. During the time they made attempts to pack a few items together, things rapidly went from bad... to worse.
The family managed to grab a few changes of clothing, while the temperature inside the home fluctuated from chilling cold, to hot. Strange banging noises were heard, and the interior walls of the house seemed to shift about, making groaning noises. And... as they were leaving the home, George encountered another apparition on the second floor landing. This time.. a hooded figure that stood motionless, pointing directly at George Lutz.
At the end of the radio show - George Lutz showed a series of photographs that were taken at Amityville by investigators. The photographs... are startling.
George began by showing various slides taken throughout the house so that people could get a feel for what the home looked like. On the day the investigators were there, the house looked as if it had been abandoned in haste. Clothes were thrown about... food sat stocked in the refrigerators. Plants left on the window sills had withered away.
Other photographs taken both inside and from outside the home showed misty faces peering through the windows. One photograph showed the strange ghostly figure of a young boy standing on the second floor landing... another photograph showed an entity manifesting out of a wall, peering down at the investigators. The pictures deeply disturbed me... they had the ring of truth to them.
In closing, a member of the audience asked Mr. Lutz, "Why do you think it is important to inform people about what happened at Amityville". George took a moment to ponder the question, then softly stated, "You see... you may never go through this. But in your lifetime, as this kind of thing gets talked about more and more, and as we learn more... it's likely in one way or another that you will hear of this kind of thing. This stuff happens... it happens everyday, there are people in this room tonight that can tell you all kinds of stories about things locally, that happen right here".
George continued, "It's my prayer that everyone in this room never go through such a thing. But if you know someone that does, the hardest thing for those people is the loss of being able to communicate with anyone else about it. Not being able to find anyone that can intelligently help them. It's not talked about, it's not understood.... and when it happens to you, you become an alien to everyone else".
From----- www.amityvillehorrortruth.com/articles/lutzinterview1.html