Ronald | Defeo Nissa Burkhalter

Focus on the 1975 trial and DeFeo's subsequent appeals, which often cited shifting stories about accomplices or "voices".

Her defense of him was absolute. In interviews, she spoke of his gentle nature, his artistic side, and his desire to start a life with her. She presented a version of Ronald DeFeo Jr. that was entirely divorced from the forensic evidence of the 1974 crime scene. ronald defeo nissa burkhalter

The marriage baffled the public and prosecutors. For Burkhalter, however, the narrative was different. She did not see a monster; she saw a victim of the criminal justice system. She became one of DeFeo’s most vocal defenders, staunchly advocating for his innocence long after the appeals courts had shut the door on his case. Focus on the 1975 trial and DeFeo's subsequent