The Echoes of Tragedy: Five Homes Torn Down Following Notorious Crimes

Published by Tony Brueski on July 14, 2023July 14, 2023

History carries a heavy hand, and in certain circumstances, it can cast a long, dark shadow. Many houses worldwide have borne witness to grim events — murders that have sent shivers down the spines of even the toughest individuals. Today, we will look at five real homes that were once the sites of such heinous crimes but have since been torn down, seemingly in an attempt to erase the terrible stains they held. We tread lightly and with respect, as we’re venturing into the space where tragedy met the mundane.

1. The O.J. Simpson Estate, Brentwood, Los Angeles
   Perhaps one of the most infamous murder sites in modern American history, the Brentwood estate where Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman were tragically killed in 1994 became a focal point during the notorious O.J. Simpson trial. Following Simpson’s acquittal, the property languished, tainted by the horrifying event it had witnessed. The house was eventually purchased and torn down in 1998, with a new mansion constructed in its place — a clear attempt to sever the property’s links with its bleak past.
2. The Jeffrey Dahmer Apartment, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
   The Oxford Apartments in Milwaukee were once home to one of America’s most notorious serial killers, Jeffrey Dahmer. It was within these walls that Dahmer committed the bulk of his horrifying crimes in the late 1980s and early 1990s. The building was eventually razed in 1992, following Dahmer’s arrest, due to the stigma and the pain it brought to the community. Today, the empty lot serves as a chilling reminder of the horrors that took place there.
3. The John Wayne Gacy House, Norwood Park Township, Illinois
   Known as the Killer Clown, John Wayne Gacy lured, tortured, and killed 33 young men and boys in his suburban Chicago home in the 1970s. The house, which held unthinkable secrets beneath its floors, was razed to the ground in 1979, soon after Gacy’s horrifying deeds came to light. The property was eventually sold, and a new house was built, far removed from the architectural design of the original home, a strong endeavor to erase the haunting memories.
4. The Amityville Horror House, Amityville, New York
   While the Dutch Colonial home at 112 Ocean Avenue in Amityville has not been physically torn down, it has been heavily renovated and had its address changed in an attempt to distance itself from its violent past and the infamous “Amityville Horror” reputation. This was where Ronald DeFeo Jr. shot and killed six members of his family in 1974. Since then, the house has undergone various transformations to try and shake off its history, to the point where it is nearly unrecognizable compared to its original state.
5. The Manson Family Murder House, Los Feliz, Los Angeles
   Known as the “LaBianca house,” this Los Feliz residence was where Leno and Rosemary LaBianca were brutally murdered by members of Charles Manson’s cult in 1969, the night after the infamous Tate murders. While the house remained standing for decades after the horrific event, it was eventually demolished in 2021. A new house was constructed on the property, distancing the site from its eerie past.

Each of these homes carries a weighty history of grief, pain, and loss. The decision to tear them down often came from a place of wanting to heal — to remove the physical reminders of the horrors that occurred and to attempt to restore some normalcy to the locations. And while the buildings may have been erased, it’s clear that the memories and impacts of the tragedies they housed continue to resonate. It’s a profound reminder of the lasting effects of such terrible events — and of the resilience of communities in their wake.