Donnie Wahlberg unravels The Amityville Murders in this 6-episode true crime series, ‘Very Scary People’
One November night in 1974, a series of murders shocked the suburban, waterfront town of Amityville, New York. Police arrived at the scene to find six DeFeo family members dead, shot face-down in their beds. The family’s only survivor was their oldest and very troubled son, 23-year-old Ron DeFeo Jr.
On “Very Scary People,” host Donnie Wahlberg unravels this grisly tale in six episodes released over the next few weeks. We’ll hear what happened that fateful night and how this mass-murder inspired haunted tales involving possessions and paranormal activity. It’s possible you’re already familiar with several novel and film adaptations, but this podcast is going to investigate the facts and share what those murders left behind.
So far, the episodes run less than 30 minutes each and should be streamed from episode one to hear the entire story. Donnie’s storytelling is accompanied with spooky sound design and interviews. We’ll hear from people like officials from the case, Amityville residents, journalists who arrived at the murder scene, authors who wrote about the murders, and more.
The first episode transports listeners to Long Island, New York. Donnie does a great job guiding the storyline while the case is mostly told from people’s firsthand perspectives. It is particularly chilling to hear Amityville’s retired Chief of Police, Ken Greguski, share what he found upon arriving at the murder scene.
On the night of the murder, Ron Jr. allegedly went home and broke a window to enter since he forgot his keys. Ron Jr. saw the bloodbath, ran to a bar, found a friend, and called for help. He and his friend raced back to the house. But who actually killed the family? Ron Jr. was interrogated and several inconsistencies were found in his claims.
Word spread quickly around the town, swept the country, and people embellished the story with ghosts, stories of bleeding walls, possessed future residents, and demon visits. Several films, shows, and books have interpolated the events, and people claim the house is still haunted to this day. It still stands in Amityville.
By episode 2, hear about the DeFeos’ dark secrets and complex past. Scary people, indeed. Donnie digs deep into the family’s history, and we learn that Ron Jr. was convicted of killing his mother, father, two brothers, and two sisters.
In addition to podcasting, Donnie is in New Kids On The Block, acts, and produces. If you’re a horror fan, you might have seen him in the Saw series about the Jigsaw Killer or The Sixth Sense.
“Very Scary People” is for fans of puzzling true crime cases explored in podcasts like “Grim Tide: Hunting the Long Island Serial Killer” and “The Pink Moon Murders.”
To learn more about the Amityville Murders, tune into “Very Scary People” wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts.