It has been alleged that the all-important “bloody shoes” photo that was uncovered in the Suffolk County Police files is a fake because the baseboards behind the shoes do not match the baseboards in the bedrooms. This is an inaccurate assessment of this photo. There are several images on this page that show that there was more than one style of baseboard within the DeFeo house.

So why is the “bloody shoes” significant?

The photo of the bloody shoes is just one piece of evidence that supports the fact that the DeFeos were not asleep at the time of their murders. It also lends credence to retired New York City police detective Herman Race, who was the expert criminologist hired for the DeFeo defense. Mr. Race told the presiding judge that not all of the DeFeos were shot in their beds. Mr. Race arrived at this conclusion because of bloodstains on the floors of the house (More information can be read in The Injustice that Followed section.).

For many years, the Amityville legends have relied on the misconception that the DeFeos were restrained from awakening during their own murders. The “bloody shoes” photo is one simple example of information in The Night the DeFeos Died that shows the DeFeo murders were not as “cut and dry” as originally thought.