Ronald DeFeo Jr., killer whose murders inspired ‘The Amityville Horror’ books and movies, dies

Ronald DeFeo Jr., the killer who inspired “The Amityville Horror” book and movie series, has died, according to a spokesperson for the New York State Department of Corrections and Community Services (DOCCS).

DeFeo, who was 69, was convicted of killing his father, mother, two brothers and two sisters inside their Amityville home in 1974, according to CNN affiliate WABC.

He was serving a sentence of 25 years to life when he died on March 12 at Albany Medical Center, the DOCCS spokesperson said.

His cause of death was not immediately available, but it “will be determined and released by the Albany County Medical Examiner’s Office” and is at that office’s discretion whether the results will be made publicly available, the spokesperson said.