Amityville horror ends: DeFeo dead in prison

Ronald DeFeo, the 'Amityville Horror' murderer who killed his six family members in 1974 on New York's Long Island, has died in prison.

DeFeo, 69, died Friday while serving a sentence at Sullivan Correctional facility in Fallsburg, New York, officials said. His murder spree inspired The Amityville Horror book and movie franchise. 

DeFeo was transferred to Albany Medical Center and pronounced dead at 6.35pm Friday. The Albany County Medical Examiner's Office is expected to perform an autopsy to determine an official cause of death, but does not release the information except to relatives.

The state Department of Corrections said it could not disclose why DeFeo was hospitalized, citing health privacy laws. 

DeFeo, who was 23 at the time of his crimes, used a .35-caliber Marlin lever-action rifle to slaughter the family, who were found lying face-down in their beds on November 13, 1974.

Father Ronald DeFeo Sr., 43, and mother Louise DeFeo, 43, were both shot twice. Siblings Dawn, 18, Allison, 13, Marc, 12, and John, 9, were each shot once.