 I've always loved the horror film genre, and I kind of got into the genre after watching the classic Amityville Horror films. However, because of this new segment on my blog, I figured it would be wise to investigate the story to see what really happened, and I was shocked to learn that what I had already known about the paranormal activity in that house, may have been completely wrong. In this installment of "Investigating the Mysterious," we will look into what happened in the Amityville Horror house that made it a multi-million dollar story that chills many to the bone to this day. THE CASE OF THE AMITYVILLE HORROR HOUSE
want to make it your own. That's exactly what George and Kathy Lutz decided to do when the large home's list price sat well under market value. However, to their horror, the two would only stay in the house for 28 days before the terror of the home got to be too much. However, that's not the first time the Amityville Horror house made the news. It started only about a year prior when grisly murders were brought to light.
troubled past with his father and his family in general. He had several conflicts with his father that turned physical, so much so that the family sent him to a psychiatrist. However, it didn't seem to help. Instead, the DeFeos would reward Butch with gifts like a speedboat or cash to help appease him. However, Butch started using LSD and heroin and was expelled from his school at the age of 17 for violent outbursts.
who was hired for the prosecution proved beyond a reasonable doubt that DeFeo wasn't crazy, but had antisocial personality disorder. This meant that Butch knew what he was doing when he killed his family, but was motivated by his ego. Butch was found guilty of six counts of second-degree murder and sentenced to six consecutive life sentences at Green Haven Correctional Facility in Beekman, N.Y. He has appealed for parole, but they've all been denied. Check out this short interview with DeFeo: So creepy, I know! But, where did the paranormal claims come from? That leads us back to the Lutz couple. THE ALLEGED HAUNTINGSAbout 13 months after the murders, the Lutz family purchased the home for only $80,000. It was discounted after the murders. However, the family lived in the home for less than a month before they claimed they had to move out.
and other paranormal phenomena. He actually claims to have called the Lutz family to warn them, but he couldn't actually get through. The interview was for a show called "In Search Of" which investigated paranormal sites and stories.
slime dripping from the walls and out of keyholes. They also supported the priest's claim that there were cold spots throughout the house. Other paranormal activities included a knife being knocked down in the kitchen, a creature that looked like a pig with red eyes staring at George and his son from a window, and members of the family levitating in their beds as they slept. The one piece of evidence that they Lutz family managed to get was this photo of the supposed ghost haunting the home.
WHY PEOPLE ARE SKEPTICAL
the Lutz family a household name for a time. In addition, it is fair to say that Hollywood twisted the Amityville story beyond recognition. Here is an interview with Chris Lutz, one of the children who lived in the home. Chris does admit that he did witness a shadow figure chasing after him, but that's all he will attest to witnessing while in the home, which was only his home for 28 days. INTERESTING AMITYVILLE FACTS- Each DeFeo family member Butch killed was found dead in their beds lying on their stomachs. It is just creepy that they ere all found in the same position. - The DeFeo furniture was actually still in the house when the Lutz family moved in. They actually paid an extra $400 to keep the furniture, and all of the furniture was reportedly placed the same way it was placed the night of the murders. - Police officers believed for a time that Butch had an accomplice because no silencer was used on the gun, but no one heard the shots, woke up, and tried to get away. However, the interview linked above of Butch seems to indicate that his mother grabbed a handgun, but still didn't overpower him. - No one else who has lived in the Amityville house has experience paranormal activity like what the Lutz family claimed to experience. - The home has been sold several more times and, even though it is now a Hollywood great, it still sold at a low price due to its jaded past. CONCLUSIONFrom what I can tell from my research, I am pretty sure that, if the Amityville Horror house is haunted, it isn't nearly as bad as George and Kathy Lutz painted it to be. It seems that their child remembers the occasional shadow figure, but largely disputes the claims made by the movies and seemingly some made by his parents. But, I guess we will never truly know if the Amityville Horror house is an actual haunted location, or just a hoax. I encourage you to delve further into research to decide what you think for yourself. If you have any ideas, leave them in the comments so we can discuss!
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 If you live in America, you've likely heard the story of Lizzie Borden, a young woman from Massachusetts who allegedly killed her step mother and father with an old hatchet. I've heard the story of the Borden Murders all my life, but some of the details that were left out leave the case in a whole new rather mysterious light. So, without further ado, here is all that we know about the curious case of the Borden Murders THE CASE OF THE BORDEN MURDERS
often addressed as "Mrs. Borden." The sisters were convinced that Abby was only after their father for his money. After everyone in the house came down with a mysterious illness, Lizzie seemed convinced that Abby had attempted to poison their food.
Andrew was killed a bit later in the day as he napped on the family's couch. Reports say he had about 11 axe wounds. But who was the killer? If you've heard the story, you likely think it was Lizzie, but the truth is that no one was actually convicted. The truth behind the murders remain a mystery. But, police, neighbors, and close family friends have reason to believe it was Lizzie.
Because police had no concrete evidence pointing to Lizzie Borden as the murderer, they had to let her go. Lizzie and Emma inherited tons of money and land from their father's estate. They lived together for years following the murders, and nothing new was revealed in regards to the case. She died in 1927 at the age of 67 of pneumonia. ALTERNATIVE KILLER POSSIBILITIESBecause there was really no solution found in the Borden murder case, several other theories have come into the light. Here they are: - It was the maid, Bridget, who was perhaps sick of taking care of the Borden patriarch and his wife. - It was Emma, Lizzie's sister, who hated her father for marrying Abby after their mother's death. - It was John Morse, the family member who came to stay with the Bordens (who stayed in the room where Abby's limp body was found). Perhaps his motive was hope of stealing the Borden fortune. - It was an illegitimate son of Andrew's who was angry that he wouldn't cash out on his father's fortune. But, as you can see, nothing compares to the evidence that Lizzie killed her father and step mother out of anger and possibly to inherit all of the family money and property. INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT THIS CASE
father was "so discourteous to people." Aside from his attitudes toward his fellow man, Andrew Borden was also wealthy and affluent, which would have given many a motive to kill him off. - Lizzie changed her name from Elizabeth to Lisbeth and was ostracized by the community following the trial. - Lizzie's lawyer kept a journal. In it, the lawyer revealed that Lizzie grieved terribly following her father's death. - While many think Lizzie may have done it for the money, she already had nearly $1,000 in her own account at the bank, thanks to the stock she owned and the $2 a week her father gave her from his pocket money. - Despite her dismissal from the crime, many people still speculate she did it. There have been several movies, documentaries, YouTube videos, and paranormal research shows made about Lizzie Borden and her family. CONCLUSIONSo, now that you know all of the facts surrounding the case, who do you think committed the crime? I'll be interested to read your responses!
In this series, I dive head first into research regarding a paranormal or supernatural being or occurrence, or just investigate some of the world’s most infamous stories and people. This week, I investigate the mysterious Bell Witch of Tennessee. 
But Batts died before she could see her vow through in the land of the living. By 1817, the Bell Family started to have terrifying experiences, almost always centering around Betsy Bell, one of John and Lucy’s daughters. The hauntings were typical: weird tapping noising, vague whispers in an unfamiliar voice, and even the sighting of a peculiar dog-rabbit hybrid. Everything was unexplainable and began to escalate. The tapping sounds became deafening pounds, and the whispers became clearer. One of John’s friends, James Johnston, lent an ear to the Bell Family and wanted to experience the phenomena himself. He and his wife spent the night and could clearly hear the voice of quoting scriptures and singing hymns. Only a year after the happenings began, the whole community had heard word of the Bell Witch and, thinking the Bell’s themselves may have something to do with the hauntings, John Bell was excommunicated from his church. Although the official reason for his excommunication was the charge of usury over a slave trade, it is widely believed that the hauntings had more to do with it.
Suddenly, the horses could pull the wagon again. And the Bell Witch kept her promise. Due to the nightly visits and frequent attacks from the witch, Jackson cut his week-long stay short to escape her grasps.
Lucy, Bell’s wife, was warned that the witch would return in seven years, and she made good on that promise too. At that point, which was the last supposed appearance of the Bell Witch, she told John Bell, Jr. about the Civil War before it happened! MODERN-DAY EXPERIENCES "One weekend, me and my family from Texas went to Adams, TN. We stopped by the old school to see what was there. My daughter and myself went into the ladies’ restroom. I heard a lady’s voice call my name, it was a soft whisper. Immediately, I turned and asked my daughter if she heard it and she said no. My sisters were walking toward the steps going upstairs, they both started saying they felt like someone was poking them." -Carolyn "A couple of years ago, a group of people (I was in that group) went to the Bell Witch cave in Adams, TN. After touring the cave, our group was talking right outside of the opening. I then decided to walk ahead to our car. Well, while I was walking alone, I suddenly heard a woman's voice coming from behind me say in a loud whisper "Linda! Linda!". As I looked around to see who from the group was playing a trick on me, there was no one to be seen. You see, it's an open field going from the cave to the parking lot of this property. Very unexplainable and very unnerving and made me feel numb with shock!" -Linda Thornton, producer of the movie "The Bell Witch Haunting" OTHER INTERESTING THINGS
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