My name is John Matthew DeFeo. I am not a movie character, but a real human being. And I should be celebrating my 59th birthday today. But I'm not. The last birthday I celebrated was in 1974, when I turned 9 years old. Three weeks later, I was shot in the back as I slept. The shooter was my own big brother. The person I looked up to took all the birthdays away. The person who took me sailing and fishing on his boat and helped me build my model kits put a bullet into my little body, severing my spinal cord and killing me almost instantly. So, I, John Matthew DeFeo, born on this day in 1965, will stay 9 years old forever. I deserve to be remembered as a real child. A murder victim, yes. But not a footnote in a movie franchise. I was so much more than that.
John Matthew DeFeo (10/24/65-11/13/74)
