The story of this famous serial killer has a bit of a personal twist.
It was late summer, 1976. As a twenty-one year old I was not really into or much aware of the news of the day outside of local news. I was planning a trip to visit a friend in New York City and a co-worker asked me if I would drive her to her parents condo in Queens. I agreed.
Stuffed Orca
The three hour trip was fairly normal as we talked about work and other things. We finally got to the condo complex and I parked the car a little bit away from the main entrance. It was very dark and hot as it was about midnight on the 80 degree summer night.
As I was getting out the car, my co-worker took a woolen ski cap out of her purse and stuffed her long flowing brown hair up into the cap and firmly secured it on her head. I thought this rather funny and asked what she was doing. It was only then that I heard about the Son of Sam who was currently terrorizing that very neighborhood. I tried to act bravely as I walked her to her parents unit. Her father and mother told me more stories about the Son of Sam over the next hour. Now after 2am, I was totally paranoid walking, or should I say running, to my car. I'll never forget that night. It was then that I started to read everything I could about the Son of Sam.
The Son of Sam murderer was born Richard David Falco in 1953. Soon after birth he was adopted by Nathan and Pearl Berkowitz and his name was forever changed to David Richard Berkowitz.
Berkowitz was an average student, joined the Army in 1971, was honorably discharged in 1974 and joined a cult that sacrificed German shepherds in 1975.
Berkowitz would spend the majority of 1976 and 1977 terrorizing New York with murdering six and wounding seven others during the course of eight shootings.
Chronologically, the first incident took place on July 29, 1976 when two women, Jody Valenti and Donna Lauria, were shot while talking in a parked car. Valenti survived but Lauria died instantly.
Carl Denaro and Rosemary Keenan were shot while sitting in a parked car on October 23 of that year. Both survived. Then on November 26th Donna DeMasi and Joanne Lomino were walking together at night when Berkowitz came up from behind them and shot them. Lomino was paralyzed for life and DeMasi survived.
A pattern was developing but the police still had no suspect. The City's newspapers were getting very critical of the investigation. They had labeled the shooter as the .44 caliber killer because all of the bullets came from a .44 caliber Bulldog.
On January 30, 1977 Christine Freund and her fiance John Diel were shot as they sat in a parked car. Christine died and John Diel survived the attack. Five weeks later on March 8th, Virginia Voskerichian, a college honor student was shot and killed while walking home from school.
Then on April 17, 1977 the .44 caliber killer raised the stakes. Valentina Suriani and her 20-year-old boyfriend Alexander Esau, were both shot twice. Both died.
But Berkowitz left a letter addressed to the lead investigator. Here is the text of the actual letter with all of its misspellings:
Dear Captain Joseph Borrelli,
I am deeply hurt by your calling me a wemon hater. I am not. But I am a monster. I am the 'Son of Sam.' I am a little brat.
When father Sam gets drunk he gets mean. He beats his family. Sometimes he ties me up to the back of the house. Other times he locks me in the garage. Sam loves to drink blood.
'Go out and kill,' commands father Sam.
'Behind our house some rest. Mostly young - raped and slaughtered - their blood drained - just bones now.
Papa Sam keeps me locked in the attic too. I can't get out but I look out the attic window and watch the world go by.
I feel like an outsider. I am on a different wavelength then everybody else - programmed too kill.
However, to stop me you must kill me. Attention all police: Shoot me first - shoot to kill or else keep out of my way or you will die!
Papa Sam is old now. He needs some blood to preserve his youth. He has had too many heart attacks. 'Ugh, me hoot, it hurts, sonny boy.'
I miss my pretty princess most of all. She's resting in our ladies house. But I'll see her soon.
I am the 'Monster' - 'Beelzebub' - the chubby behemouth.
I love to hunt. Prowling the streets looking for fair game - tasty meat. The wemon of Queens are prettyist of all. It must be the water they drink. I live for the hunt - my life. Blood for papa.
Mr. Borrelli, sir, I don't want to kill anymore. No sur, no more but I must, 'honour thy father.'
I want to make love to the world. I love people. I don't belong on earth. Return me to yahoos.
To the people of Queens, I love you. And I want to wish all of you a happy Easter. May
God bless you in this life and in the next.
And for now I say goodbye and goodnight. Police: Let me haunt you with these words: I'll be back! I'll be back! To be interpreted as - bang bang bang, bank, bang - ugh!! Yours in murder, Mr. Monster
It was the first time the term "Son of Sam" was used and the press picked up on it big time. At the peak of this killing spree there were over 200 police detectives assigned to the case. The city was in a panic. The police had more clues but they still couldn't piece them all together to find a solid suspect.
There would be two more shootings before it all ended. On June 26th Judy Placido and Sal Lupu were shot while leaving a disco. Both survived. And finally, on July 31, 1977, Bobby Violante and Stacy Moskowitz were shot in the car while parked at a lover's lane. Stacy died from a gunshot wound to her head and Bobby lost vision in one eye and partial vision in the other eye.
David Berkowitz was eventually caught after receiving a parking ticket at the time and near the place of the Moskowitz murder. That evidence led police to his door. When he was arrested he immediately surrendered to police and identified himself as Sam.
He pleaded not guilty and received a 365-year sentence and stands today as New Your City's most Famous Serial Killer.
New York's Most Famous Serial Killer - David Berkowitz
Ed Gallagher is a researcher, speaker and the author of both Murder Unsolved, a blog that deals with famous and not so famous Unsolved Murders and Famous Serial Killers, a blog of murder stories about some of the world's most famous serial killers.
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