Lined In Chalk

  Introduction:  Seth Privacky The date is November 29, 1998. The Privacky family gathered for a late Thanksgiving. How was the family to know that things would turn to a bloodbath by the end of the night once i8-year-old Seth Privacky murdered his entire family.  Who Were the Victims:  Stephen Privacky was Seth's father. He taught the fifth grade, and was described as a dedicated teacher and was reportedly (at least at one point in time) proud of Seth.  Linda Privacky was Seth's mother. She was a receptionist at a medical office.  John Privacky was Stephen's father, and Seth's grandfather.  Jed Privacky was Seth's older brother.  April Boss was Jed Privacky's girlfriend. She was described as someone who got along with everyone. April's stepfather had said that he just wanted to know why, and that he couldn't believe his stepdaughter would have done anything to Seth.  Jed and April were both 19, attending Muskegon Community College, and studying to becom

The Prosecution:  On October 14, 1975, Butch's case finally went to trial. The prosecutor for the case was Gerard Sullivan, the assistant district attorney with Suffolk County, NY. Even though Butch had confessed, led investigators to the evidence, and investigators had positively identified his own .35 caliber rife as the murder weapon, Sullivan chose not to take any chances. During the pre-trial and jury selection, Sullivan studied and questioned Butch. Sullivan allegedly knew that Butch was a pathological liar, and could be evasive. Sullivan's goal was to make sure the jury knew for sure that Butch was completely sane, and was acting methodically. However, he was also able to see that the idea that Butch was insane might actually not be enough to convince a jury of Butch's insanity. Throughout the trial, many witnesses were called to stand. But, it would appear that the witness who would help Sullivan the most was Butch DeFeo himself. When Sullivan would eventually have

 Last week, I discussed some background around Ronald Defeo Sr. and his son Ronald "Butch" DeFeo Jr. At this point, we're now arriving on the night of the murders. The bodies of the DeFeo family are taken out of the home during the investigation. The Murders:  November 14, 1974. It should be noted that due to his violent tendencies, Butch was the only family member who had his own room. Butch had also collected weapons over the years. Because he had his own room, he also had some private storage for the weapons he collected.  While the rest of the family slept, Butch grabbed a .35 caliber Marlin rifle from his closet and headed towards his parents' bedroom. He fired the first shot at his father, shooting him through the back, ripping through his kidney, and exiting through his chest. Butch then fired a second shot through his father's back, piercing Ronald's spine, and lodging in his neck.  Butch's mother, Louise, was beginning to wake at this point. She b