Chris's Crime Forum

CALGARY - A new owner has bought the house a Medicine Hat family was slain in - and for tens of thousands less than its listed price just two weeks ago.

The 1,014-square-foot house owned by the Richardson family before their murders inside was listed earlier this month for $239,900 after being extensively remodelled last spring.

It sold for $219,000 on Friday.

The sale is final, according to a Medicine Hat real estate company.

Interest in the notorious split-level house was steady during its brief availability on Medicine Hat's housing market, Cameron Road neighbours say.

"There was lots of activity for the first two weeks. There were people coming and going, two or three a day," said Vernon Gehring, who lives next door.

"There was one night when four vehicles were out front. There was a lot of interest. It's surprising."

The discounted price reflects the home's dark history. Marc, Debra and their eight-year-old son were stabbed to death inside on April 23, 2006.

A girl who was 12 at the time and her boyfriend, Jeremy Steinke, now 24, were arrested with friends the next morning in Leader, Sask., and charged with the killings.

As the girl's first-degree murder trial was in full swing this summer, the province quietly took ownership of the home in June.

The 13-year-old girl was found guilty on July 9. Steinke has not yet entered a plea.

News of a new owner has lifted the spirits of many in the community who have seen the silent, darkened house as a painful reminder of the family tragedy.

"Sometime in the next month or two, we'll have somebody moving in and that will make it better," said Gehring.

"It's not been the best year."

Real estate experts say "crime scene stigma" typically scares superstitious buyers off. Stigmatized properties can stall sales and see homes sell for less than they're worth.

The Richardson house was built in 1977. It has four bedrooms and two bathrooms.

Houses of similar size and vintage in Medicine Hat are listed between $240,000 and $289,900.

http://tinyurl.com/2drvev

I have this friend who is a realtor.
She became very interested in the Debbie Key case, so I told her all about it. The part she was most interested in was about the "Bad Dream House," and compared it to the "Amityville Horror."
We also talked about the Richardson family murders.

My friend tells me about how hard it is to sell a house when there is a sinister history to it. People who claim not to believe in ghosts often secretly do, and realtors know that, so they avoid telling anything dark about the house's history when they are trying to sell it. Such houses are often greatly reduced in price. leaving the buyer to wonder why it was so cheap, but glad to get it anyway. The Amityville house is a good example.

There are people who believe thier own good energy will take over any negative vibes left in the house after they move in, get settled, and make it their own. Often they learn about the history of the house afterward, and have already decided they like it there. Realtors count on this.

For some people this works, and for others it doesn't. My friend asked me if John Allore still lived in that house, and I told her he sold the house and bought another one. However, he did write an exciting story about it.

As far as I know, no one has lived in the Amityville house since the story was written, which ends with the family leaving in a hurry, and never returning to collect their belongings.

I have never had the opportunity to meet the person who bought John's house, but I hope someday I will. I would like very much to ask him how he likes living there now.

I wish good luck to whoever bought the Richardson house.

By the way...
I saw my realtor friend again and told her I have mentioned something we talked about in CCF.

She wants to add that realtors are legally required to inform prospective buyers of any crimes that have taken place on the property, once it has become a police case. This does not include rumors that are not confirmed.

In the case of the "Bad Dream House," this law did not apply, due to the fact that Dalzell has not been arrested for the murder at that time, and there was still very little evidence to connect him with Debbie Key's disappearance.

But, as what usually happens, there are neighbors who tell the stories, and as John said, it was written all over the house.