It was 1977. New York City was melting. A brutal heatwave paired with a massive blackout had the five boroughs on edge, but something else was keeping people inside. Or rather, someone. A man with a .44 caliber Bulldog revolver was hunting couples in parked cars, and he was leaving notes. He called himself the Son of Sam.
Honestly, the way we remember David Berkowitz today is a bit of a caricature. Most people think of the guy who said a neighbor’s dog told him to kill people. It’s a great headline. It’s spooky. It’s also, by his own admission, a total lie he cooked up to look "crazy" for the courts.
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If you really look at the case, the truth is much grittier and, frankly, more depressing than the supernatural nonsense.
The Man Behind the Son of Sam Legend
David Berkowitz wasn't born a monster. He was born Richard David Falco in 1953. His early life was a mess of rejection. His birth mother gave him up; his adoptive mother, whom he adored, died when he was a teenager. That loss broke something in him. By the time he was in his early twenties, he was a lonely postal worker living in a cramped Yonkers apartment, feeling like the world had moved on without him.
He was a "firebug" first. People forget that. Before he ever pulled a trigger, Berkowitz was obsessed with arson. He reportedly set over 1,400 fires in New York City. He kept a meticulous diary of them. That's a classic hallmark of the "homicidal triad," but nobody was looking for a postal worker with a lighter back then.
The Victims and the Terror
The spree officially started in July 1976. Over the next year, Berkowitz killed six people and wounded seven others. He didn't have a "type" in the traditional sense, though he seemed to target young women with long, dark hair.
Here is the breakdown of that dark year:
- Donna Lauria & Jody Valenti (July 1976): The first shooting. Donna died instantly.
- Carl Denaro & Rosemary Keenan (October 1976): Both survived, though Carl suffered a severe head wound.
- Donna DeMasi & Joanne Lomino (November 1976): Both survived, but Joanne was left paralyzed.
- Christine Freund & John Diel (January 1977): Christine didn't make it.
- Virginia Voskerichian (March 1977): A student shot dead while walking home.
- Alexander Esau & Valentina Suriani (April 1977): Both killed in their car.
- Sal Lupo & Judy Placido (June 1977): Both survived.
- Stacy Moskowitz & Robert Violante (July 1977): Stacy died; Robert was partially blinded.
The city was paralyzed. Women were cutting their hair short or dyeing it blonde just to feel safe. Sales of wigs skyrocketed. People stayed home. New York felt like a ghost town at night.
The "Son of Sam" Conspiracy: Did He Act Alone?
This is where things get messy. For decades, a journalist named Maury Terry insisted Berkowitz was just one shooter in a larger Satanic cult. Terry’s book, The Ultimate Evil, is a rabbit hole. He pointed out that the police sketches didn't match. Some witnesses described a tall man with blonde hair; Berkowitz was short with dark, curly hair.
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Terry believed the "Sam" in the name referred to Sam Carr, Berkowitz's neighbor. He argued that Carr's sons, John and Michael, were the actual shooters in several of the attacks. Both brothers died under strange circumstances shortly after Berkowitz’s arrest—John by a "suicide" that Terry found suspicious, and Michael in a car wreck.
Why the Theory Persists
Berkowitz eventually started playing along. From prison, he claimed he was part of a cult called "The Children" and that he only personally pulled the trigger in a few of the cases.
But you've gotta take that with a grain of salt. Serial killers love to feel important. They love to keep the game going. While the NYPD officially considers the case closed with Berkowitz as the sole gunman, the discrepancies in the sketches still bother people. How does one guy look like five different people to five different witnesses? Maybe it was the lighting. Maybe it was the adrenaline. Or maybe Maury Terry was onto something. We'll likely never know for sure.
Life After Death: Redemption or Act?
Berkowitz didn't get the death penalty. New York didn't have it at the time. Instead, he got six life sentences—basically 365 years. He’s currently at Shawangunk Correctional Facility.
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In 1987, he had a "born-again" experience. He now calls himself the "Son of Hope." He spends his days working as a peer counselor and writing about his faith. He’s actually been a "model prisoner" for decades. He even turns down parole hearings because he says he deserves to stay behind bars for what he did.
Is it a scam? Some people think so. Others, including some victims' families, have actually met with him and believe his remorse is real. It’s a weird ending to a story that started with so much blood.
The Legacy of the Case
The Son of Sam case changed New York forever. It also led to the "Son of Sam Law." This was designed to prevent criminals from profiting from their crimes (like selling book rights). While the Supreme Court eventually struck down the original version as a First Amendment violation, revised versions still exist today.
Actionable Insights for True Crime Buffs
If you’re fascinated by this case and want to dig deeper without getting lost in the "fake news" of the 70s, here’s how to approach it:
- Watch the Primary Sources: Check out the Netflix docuseries The Sons of Sam: A Descent into Darkness. It gives Maury Terry's theories a fair shake while also showing how obsession can destroy a person's life.
- Read the Letters: The actual letters Berkowitz sent to Jimmy Breslin and the police are available online. They show a man who was deeply literate but incredibly disturbed.
- Study the Arson Links: If you're into criminal profiling, look into Berkowitz's history with fire. It's often overshadowed by the shootings, but it's the key to understanding his escalation.
- Visit the Sites (Respectfully): Many of the locations in the Bronx and Queens are still there. If you do a "true crime tour," remember that these were real neighborhoods where real families were shattered. Stay respectful.
David Berkowitz is 72 now. He’s a graying man in a jumpsuit who spends his time praying. It’s a far cry from the "Beelzebub" who haunted the streets of New York. Whether he was a lone wolf or a cult member, the shadow he cast over the summer of '77 hasn't fully faded.