The "High Hopes" sign on the lawn ...

[radiomixer]

Does anyone know what ever became of it?

[krizzy]

Bex, i'm not sure if this has ever been proven, but rumor has it that the DeFeo relatives burned it along with several other items from the house.

[SilkyPup]

and that's the weird thing....why would they burn it if there was nothing bad about the house? See what i mean?

[krizzy]

What else would they do with it though Silk?

[SilkyPup]

What else would they do with it though Silk?

I think I would keep it. Sure, right now it's painful to look at...but I would keep it because it was a symbol of what my children and grandchildren were looking for. So I would put it up in the attic and maybe someday I would look at it again, and even if I didn't....it would be something to hold on to. Does that make sense?

[krizzy]

It certainly makes sense Silk, yet...of all of the items to keep and cherish, I doubt a sign reading 'High Hopes' would have been my first choice. Especially considering that those very "High Hopes" were never fulfilled for them.

[SilkyPup]

Yeah, you have a point. It's normal for me to get sentimental when I am grieving though, so I can see myself keeping that.

[Brendan72]

Does anyone know what ever became of it?

I understand that it was still standing when the Lutz's looked at the house for the first time in late 1975. Kathy Lutz recalled in the History Channel interview, seeing the sign when first visiting the house. From this we know it was still standing in late 1975. From this point I am unsure whether the DeFeo relatives got rid of the sign after the deal went through for the selling of the house to the Lutz family.

From this point I could only theorize that the sign was removed along with the statuary. I believe George and Kathy had requested the removal of the statuary from around front lawn and other areas of the yard. Whether the DeFeo relatives had removed the sign as well around this time is anybody's guess.

[radiomixer]

Bex, i'm not sure if this has ever been proven, but rumor has it that the DeFeo relatives burned it along with several other items from the house.

I heard that too, I've just never found evidence one way or the other. If I were in their shoes I would have discarded it one way or another too. I guess if it were burned, at least they'd know that no 'murder fans' would have gotten to it, with the possible response of claiming so publicly or displaying it publicly.

[radiomixer]

That's interesting, Brendan, thanks!

[Spectral Birth]

If I were in their shoes I would have discarded it one way or another too. I guess if it were burned, at least they'd know that no 'murder fans' would have gotten to it, with the possible response of claiming so publicly or displaying it publicly.

Just so you know I'm not attacking you in any way whatsoever, but the "murder fans" would have only gotten hold of the sign if you'd let them. Personally I would have kept it. I agree with SilkyPup on this one.
Interesting thread, I've always wondered what happened to that sign.

[NCPilot]

I wonder if the sign can be re-produced.

[tallman]

Bex, i'm not sure if this has ever been proven, but rumor has it that the DeFeo relatives burned it along with several other items from the house.

hmm... i highly doubt thats true. I think the real estate agent or somebody took it down before any body moved in after the murders.

[DryWellToHell]

I heard it was burned too. I don't blame the surviving DeFeo's for destroying the sign. It represented all that the slain family had worked for and achieved and it light of such tragedy why keep it around?
DRY

[Spectral Birth]

I would have left it in the front yard as a warning to whoever buys the house next.
MUHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Kidding.
I probably would have kept it for sentimental reasons. More than likely I would have built a garden for the Defeos and put the sign in there somewhere. I would have tried to create something positive with it.
If that didn't work I'd burn it.

[newyorkguy]

I think George Lutz, in his crazed actions to get warm and keep the fireplace going used the sign for firewood.

[tallman]

hey specteral birth, sorry for stealing and outdoing your avatar

[tallman]

hey specteral birth, sorry for stealing and outdoing your avatar

[gator812k]

Does anyone know what ever became of it?

I understand that it was still standing when the Lutz's looked at the house for the first time in late 1975. Kathy Lutz recalled in the History Channel interview, seeing the sign when first visiting the house. From this we know it was still standing in late 1975. From this point I am unsure whether the DeFeo relatives got rid of the sign after the deal went through for the selling of the house to the Lutz family.



From this point I could only theorize that the sign was removed along with the statuary. I believe George and Kathy had requested the removal of the statuary from around front lawn and other areas of the yard. Whether the DeFeo relatives had removed the sign as well around this time is anybody's guess.

I just saw in The History Channel where George and Kathy did say that it was there when they first visited the house. If it was not burned by the DeFeo's, does anyone know now what happened to it?

[sherbetbizarre]

This guy think he's got it

[Anarane]

Either someone's a fibber or they got seriously conned!