by account deleted by request » Tue Nov 07, 2006 9:27 am
Amityville Horror a pure hoax!
Kaplan discovered that the "Amityville Horror" was pure invention. In 1979, attorney William Weber confessed to his part in the hoax during a paranormal radio show hosted by author Joel Martin. Weber admitted that he and George Lutz had concocted the story of the haunting over a few bottles of wine. Weber's motive was to get a new trial for DeFeo, using a "Devil made him do it" defense. According to Weber, Lutz merely wanted to get out from under a mortgage that he couldn't afford. His business was in trouble and he needed a scheme to bail him out. Weber later filed a $2 million lawsuit against the Lutz's, charging them with reneging on their book deal.
Kaplan found ample proof, outside of the glaring confession, that the story was a hoax. He gained access to the house on many occasions and found that the so-called "Red Room", where the book claimed occult ceremonies took place, was nothing more than a small pipe well that gave access to them if they needed to be repaired. No "demonic face" had ever appeared on the bricks inside of the fireplace. He also noted that the original front door of the house (blown off its hinges in the book) was still in place and intact. In fact, the extensive damage to doors and windows that was recounted in the book never happened at all. All of the old hardware - hinges, locks and doorknobs - was still in place and there were no disturbances to the paint or the varnish.
In addition, Kaplan found a writer for the local newspaper that had also been suspicious of the story. After some searching, the columnist discovered that the Lutz's had returned the day after "fleeing" from the house to hold a garage sale. He also charged that during their "28-day nightmare" that never once called the police for assistance, something that would have been commonly done under the circumstances. He also found that there had been no snowfall when the Lutz's claimed that they found "cloven hoof prints" in the snow.
He also learned that the role of the priest was completely exaggerated in the drama. In the book, the priest character named Father Mancuso is terrorized by a demon while trying to bless the new home. He is then stalked by the specter back to the rectory, where he is afflicted with boils, bleeding palms, a fever, and the smell of excrement. In real life, a priest did bless the house, and did have some concern about the possibility of a haunting. Both the real priest and rectory were unharmed by any such demon though.
More recently, author Ric Osuna has stated that George Lutz - now divorced from his wife and criticized by his former stepsons - informed him that "setting the record straight is not as important as making money off fictional sequels."
The list of things that did not happen in the house went on and on and to most researchers, like Kaplan and many others, the evidence for an "Amityville Hoax" was overwhelming.
Jim and Barbara Cromarty, who later moved into the house, also maintained that it was not haunted. Because of the problems they had experienced with the curiosity-seekers, they sued the hardcover and paperback publishers of the "Amityville Horror", as well as Jay Anson and George and Kathy Lutz. They stated that the entire case had been a put-on from the beginning and it had "blighted their lives". The suit was later settled with the new occupants for an undisclosed amount.
compared to everything else iv'e just stated
but basically it makes this f@cked up planet we live on seem more exciting if you believe in all the other stuff, Demons,Ghosts, and all the other stuff.
Not me dude i see one of those 
by 116-1065305004 » Sat Oct 18, 2003 1:43 pm
