There's legitimate arguments for both sides, and in order to follow, we need to go back to the occupants previous to the Lutz family.

Ronald DeFeo, Sr., his wife and five children found brief happiness in the home of their dreams.  Known by many as a strict father, Ronald DeFeo had high expectations for his oldest son, Ronnie, Jr.  He rebelled, had several arguments with his father and was dependent on such drugs as heroin and LSD.  Psychotic tendencies emerged, and one occasion during an argument between his parents, Ronnie, Jr. told his father he was going to kill him, pointed a gun in his face and pulled the trigger.  Nothing happened, and little Ronnie walked away as if the entire exchange didn't take place at all.

In mid-November 1974, the DeFeo's weren't so lucky.  Ronald, Jr. slaughtered his entire family while they slept quietly.  At the trial nearly a year later, he claimed insanity, going so far as to claim demons walked beside him and not only told him to do it, but helped.  Amazingly, from the locations of the bodies, not one DeFeo awoke at the sound of the gunshots.  And while the houses were only 40 feet from one another in the neighborhood, none of the neighbors heard a thing.

Oddly enough, the Defense expert that testified to the insanity of Ronnie, Jr., would later go on to testify in the same capacity at the trial of Son of Sam, and earn fame, to a degree.

In the DeFeo trial, however, the jury didn't buy the insanity plea for the slaughter of six family members.  Today, Ronnie DeFeo, Jr. still sits in prison.

Twenty-seven days after the verdict, George and Kathy Lutz, and Kathy's three children moved into their dream home, fully aware of the tragedy that befell the former residents.  They did not, however, expect what they experienced there.

According to the story the Lutz's told, their house was home to a host of entities that manifested in many ways:

~ George and Kathy saw the burned impression of a demonic face along the back wall of the fireplace.
~ George was bitten on the ankle by a porcelain lion that came to life.
~ George saw a ghostly version of Ronald DeFeo, Jr. in the cellar.
~ The toilets filled with foul, black ooze.
~ Kathy was levitated above the bed.
~ The walls oozed slime and blood.
~ Hoards of flies gathered at a particular window.
~ A priest heard a disembodied voice tell him to "Get out!"
~ Several members of the family saw a floating pig with glowing red eyes. Kathy's daughter named it Jodie.
~ George was plagued by the sounds and visions of a marching band parading around the living room.

Some say this is too varied to be true.  Usually, there's one type of phenomena, so therefore it can be deduced as untrue.  When did ghosts, spirits, and demons agree to this rule?

There's other reasons as to why the hoax-believers call the Lutz's liars.  According to other sources, it's said that they decided the house was too expensive so they crafted a way to get out.  George Lutz met with Ronald DeFeo, Jr.'s lawyer, and over several bottles of wine, they got their facts straight.  It was a way out of the house for the Lutz's, and possibly a new trial for Ronnie, Jr.

If this is true, why did the Lutz's buy a more expensive house when they moved out?  How is it George planned this over wine, when in fact, neither George nor Kathy drink?  Some suggest it was due to the royalties from the best-selling novel, yet how would they know Jay Anson would write it and later a movie would be made?  Truth be known, the Lutz's received very little compensation for the rights to their story.

Rumors of the hoax began with Dr. Steven Kaplan (who never held a doctorate degree).  One version, that of Dr. Kaplan, is that he was called by George for his paranormal expertise.  When Dr. Kaplan told him that if it was phony, the world would know, George hung up and later called the Warrens, a couple involved with paranormal study and demonology.

George's version states that Dr. Kaplan agreed to come, and brought six self-proclaimed witches and the Channel 7 news team.  Upon seeing the news team, George threw them off the property, then called Ed and Lorraine Warren.  Because he was cut from the greatest paranormal study of all time, Kaplan began waging his war and making accusations.

Kaplan went on to get his small piece by writing The Amityville Conspiracy.  He claimed discrepancies in the Lutz's story.  Yet Kaplan's own novel had many more errors.  The miswording by George indicated that he was simply unknowledgeable about the events and what caused them.

Ed Warren offered Kaplan money to show him his evidence (supposedly gathered from Kaplan's own investigation).  Not only did Kaplan never investigate the house first-hand, he declined to put forth his evidence.  When asked about the equipment used, Kaplan faltered, having no idea about the names of methods used.  Later, on a Babylon, NY, radio show, Kaplan apologized.

After research, the Warrens and Lutz's uncovered proof that the house resides on what once was property used by Native Americans in the area for their terminally ill and insane.

The current owners report no such activity and sued the Lutz's because of the attention from tourists.  DeFeo's attorney sued, as well, claiming they stole his story before he could write it, and later made the claim of a hoax.

Was DeFeo led to kill by an evil entity or mere deep-seeded hatred and mind-altering drugs?  Were the Lutz's the type of family that the same evil didn't want there?  Is there truth in either story?  The world may never know, but if 112 Ocean Avenue is for sale, steer clear, just in case.