David Berkowitz

Case overview

David Berkowitz (born June 1, 1953) was known by the nicknames “Son of Sam” and “The .44 Caliber Killer.” He was described as an infamous serial killer who confessed to killing six people and wounding several others in New York City in the late 1970s. Although Berkowitz remained the only person charged or convicted in relation to the case, some law enforcement authorities suspected that unresolved questions existed about the crimes and that others might have been involved. In 2004, the case was officially considered open.

Timeline

• June 12, 1978 — Berkowitz was sentenced to six life sentences in prison for the killings, with his maximum term described as some 365 years behind bars.
• June 2004 — Berkowitz was denied in his second parole hearing after he stated that he did not want one.
• October 12, 1974 — Arlis Perry was killed in a chapel on the grounds of Stanford University.
• October 1979 — Michael Carr was killed in a traffic accident in Manhattan’s West Side Highway.
• 1979 — Robert Ressler interviewed Berkowitz in Attica Prison three times.
• 2002 — Berkowitz’s first parole hearing was conducted at Sullivan Correctional Facility in Fallsburg, New York.

Background

Berkowitz was born Richard David Falco in Brooklyn, New York. He was adopted shortly after birth. His adoptive parents were Nathan and Pearl Berkowitz, a Jewish couple who reversed the order of the baby’s first and middle names.

Betty Broder was Berkowitz’s mother. She was married to Tony Falco, although Falco abandoned her and they never divorced. Broder later had an affair with the married Kleinman. When Broder told Kleinman she was pregnant, he told her to get rid of the baby, but Broder had the baby and listed Falco as the father. After Berkowitz was adopted, Broder resumed her affair with Kleinman until Kleinman died of cancer in 1965.

Pearl died of breast cancer in 1967. Berkowitz had a tense relationship with his father and disliked the woman Nathan later married.

Berkowitz joined the U.S. Army in 1971 and was active until 1974. He served in both the U.S. and South Korea and avoided service in the Vietnam War. Afterward, he toyed with Christianity and located his birth mother, but after a few visits, Berkowitz learned the details of his conception and birth and fell out of contact with her.

Berkowitz worked at several jobs, including as a security guard, and he was employed by the U.S. Postal Service at the time of his arrest.

John Vincent Sanders wrote that “David’s childhood was somewhat troubled. Although of above-average intelligence, he lost interest in learning at an early age and began an infatuation with petty larceny and pyromania.” He was also described as an avid baseball player and as having a reputation as something of a bully in his neighborhood. He was described as hyperactive and very difficult for Pearl and Nat to control.

The offence

Berkowitz confessed to killing six people and wounding several others in New York City in the late 1970s.

Claimed basis for the attacks

During questioning, Berkowitz described “Sam” in the first letter as Sam Carr, a former neighbor. Berkowitz claimed that Carr’s dog, Harvey, was possessed by an ancient demon and that it issued commands to Berkowitz to kill.

Berkowitz said he once tried to kill the dog, only to see his aim spoiled due to supernatural interference.

He later claimed that the Hall & Oates song “Rich Girl” motivated the murders.

Berkowitz also later claimed to have been a Satanist at the time of the murders and suggested he was part of a violent cult that perpetrated the crimes. In these claims, he stated he did not act alone and was one of many look-out men. He blamed John “Wheaties” Carr as one of the shooters and also blamed Carr’s brother, Michael, as the shooter in the Queens disco shooting. He said the father’s name was Sam.

Berkowitz claimed that the “Son of Sam” shooter was not him.

First attacks

Berkowitz claimed that his first attacks on women occurred in late 1975, when he said he attacked two women with a knife on Christmas Eve. One alleged victim was never identified. Charles Montaldo wrote that the other victim, Michelle Forman, was hospitalized due to her wounds. Berkowitz was never charged with committing either crime.

1976–1977 shootings and victims

• July 29, 1976 (Bronx) — Jody Valenti (19) and Donna Lauria (18) were shot while they sat inside a car parked on the street outside Lauria’s apartment in the Bronx. Lauria was killed and Valenti survived.
• October 23, 1976 (Queens) — Carl Denaro (19) was shot in the head and survived; his companion Rosemary Keenan died of her injuries. The victims were in a parked car.
• November 26, 1976 (Queens) — Donna DeMasi (16) and Joanne Lomino (18) were walking home from a motion picture when both were shot in Queens. DeMasi recovered. Lomino was paralyzed.
• January 30, 1977 — Christine Freund (26) and her fiancé John Diel were shot where they sat together in a parked car. Diel survived and Freund died of her injuries. Police determined the shooter had used an uncommon .44 caliber Charter Arms Bulldog revolver in this shooting.
• March 8, 1977 (Queens) — college student Virginia Voskerichian (21) was shot by a passerby as she walked in Queens and died instantly.
• April 16, 1977 (Bronx) — Alexander Esau (20) and Valentina Suriani (18) were both killed in the Bronx. A hand-written letter addressed to Captain Joe Borelli of Operation Omega was found near the victims.
• April 16, 1977 (Queens) — Sal Lupo and Judy Placido (17) left the Elephas discotheque in Queens. They were shot while sitting in their car. Both were struck, but neither was seriously injured. Police offered composite sketches of suspects.
• July 30, 1977 — Stacy Moskowitz (20) and Robert Violante (20) were shot in the head while they sat in a parked car. Moskowitz died and Violante survived but was blinded. They were described as the final victims of the .44 Caliber Killer.

Shooting letter content (Son of Sam letter)

A hand-written letter was found near the April 16, 1977 victims and was addressed to “Captain Joe Borelli of Operation Omega.” Its text was:

I am deeply hurt by your calling me a weman-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 our 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 kills" commands father Sam. Behind our house some rest. Mostly young - raped and slaughtered - their blood drained - just bones now. Pap 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 to 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 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 prettiest of all. I must be the water they drink. I live for the hunt - my life. Blood for papa. Mr. Borelli, sir, I don't want to kill any more. 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, bang - ugh. Yours in murder, Mr. Monster.

Based on analysis of the letter, psychiatrists thought the shooter might have paranoid schizophrenia.

Investigation

Police made extensive efforts including tracking down many yellow Volkswagen cars and trying to locate the owners of many thousands of .44 Bulldog revolvers. Thousands of people were interviewed. An Operation Omega task force was charged with investigating the crimes. It eventually comprised some 300 police officers and was directed by Deputy Inspector Timothy J. Dowd.

Police speculated that the killer had a vendetta against women, perhaps due to chronic rejection. It was described as having drawn sensational media coverage.

Police publicly insisted that only a single suspect was being sought. One sketch and description matched Berkowitz (medium height, slightly pudgy, with hair short, dark and curly), while another reported suspect was a taller and slimmer man with jaw-length hair described as light brown or dark blonde. Police speculated they might have been seeking one killer using a wig.

A press conference was held on March 10, 1977, where police announced that the same .44 caliber pistol had been used in several of the shootings.

Breslin letter

On May 30, 1977, columnist Jimmy Breslin of the New York Daily News received a hand-written letter from the shooter. A week later, after consulting with police and agreeing to withhold portions of the letter, the Daily News published the letter. It contained the following text:

Hello from the gutters of N.Y.C. which are filled with dog manure, vomit, stale wine, urine and blood. Hello from the sewers of N.Y.C. which swallow up these delicacies when they are washed away by the sweeper trucks. Hello from the cracks in the sidewalks of N.Y.C. and from the ants that dwell in these cracks and feed in the dried blood of the dead that has settled into the cracks...

The writer noted: “J.B., I also want to tell you that I read your column daily and find it quite informative.” The writer added: “What will you have for July 29?”

Jimmy Breslin urged the killer to turn himself into police. In 2004, John Hockenberry quoted Breslin:

"He had that cadence. I remember when I read it, I said, this guy could take my place with a column. He had that big city beat to his writing. It was sensational.”

Police withheld portions of the letter at the insistence of police. The omitted passage was:

Here are some names to help you along. Forward them to the Inspector for use by the NCIC [National Crime Information Center] Center. They have everything on computer, everything. They just might turn up, from some other crimes. Maybe they could make associations. "Duke of Death. Wicked King Wicker. The twenty-two Disciples of Hell. And lastly, John Wheaties, rapist and suffocator of young girls. P.S., drive on, think positive, get off your butts, knock on coffins, etc.

Partial fingerprints were salvaged from the letter.

Eyewitness and other leads

• Cacilia Davis was described as claiming she had seen the man who shot Stacy Moskowitz and Bobby Violante. In her account to Detective Joe Strano, she said:

• On August 3, 1977, after the attack on Stacy Moskowitz and Bobby Violante, two Yonkers police officers discussed bizarre letters received by the Carrs and Cassaras and the shootings of two dogs. They questioned the state computer network and obtained a profile based on Berkowitz’s driver’s license. Police also checked the rental agent of the building at 35 Pine Street.

"...he looked like he was trying to hide behind a tree. But the tree was too small, too narrow. He stood out. He kept staring in my direction....Then he began walking in my direction, smiling a peculiar smile. It wasn't anything sinister, just a friendly kind of smile, almost." She also said: "I was frightened. I walked into my house and began to slip off Snowball's collar. Just then I heard pops, or something that sounded like firecrackers. They were kind of loud, but far off. I didn't think too much of it at the time. " She stated: "The next morning...there were crowds of people at Shore Road . It was then that I learned what happened the night before. Suddenly I realized that I must have seen the killer. I panicked, and I couldn't say anything.... " She added: "I would never forget his face until the day I die. It was frightening."

Cartridge and weapon determination

Ballistics reported that the weapon employed was a .44 Charter Arms Bulldog in the January 30, 1977 killing, and earlier shootings were linked by matching .44 caliber shell evidence. Police later described the matching shell from the March 8, 1977 shooting as matching one from the July 29, 1976 shooting.

Arrest

Police arrested Berkowitz outside his apartment in Yonkers on August 10, 1977. His first words upon arrest were reported to be:

"What took you so long?"

When Berkowitz emerged from the building hours later, police had found a rifle in the backseat of his car and searched it. They found a .44 caliber Bulldog pistol, maps of the crime scenes, and a letter to Sgt Dowd of the Omega task force.

Police searched Berkowitz’s apartment and found it in disarray with “occult” graffiti on the walls. They also found a diary in which Berkowitz took credit for dozens of arsons throughout the New York area.

Trial

Berkowitz confessed during questioning and expressed an interest in pleading guilty in exchange for receiving life imprisonment rather than facing the death penalty. He was questioned for about 30 minutes and confessed to the Son of Sam killings.

Sentencing

Berkowitz was sentenced on June 12, 1978, to six life sentences in prison for the killings, with his maximum term described as some 365 years behind bars.

During sentencing, he repeatedly chanted:

"Stacy was a whore" The courtroom was adjourned after his behavior caused an uproar.

Appeals

No appeals were described in the provided material.

Outcome

Berkowitz remained the only person charged or convicted in relation to the case. The case was reopened in 1996 and, as of 2004, was officially considered open.

Aftermath

Parole

On July 9, 2002, Berkowitz’s first parole hearing was conducted at Sullivan Correctional Facility in Fallsburg, New York. Berkowitz attended, but he had chosen not to attend a hearing scheduled a month earlier. Commissioner Irene Platt asked why he did not attend in June; Berkowitz answered:

"I had a lot of anxiety,"
"and I thought it would be best for the families that I not come at all and I after a lot of soul searching and a lot of praying I just decided it would be best to just come and face you and apologize. I'm not seeking parole. I don't feel that I deserve parole." Berkowitz responded to Platt’s question about why he did not deserve parole by stating: "Well, for the crimes that were committed and people that are suffering today because of my actions. I know they have a lot of pain and hurt that will probably never go awayI wish that I can go back and change the past. I can't, so I have to I came to terms with this and realize that I'm here in prison." He told Platt: "I was hoping that after this was over with, after the 25-year mark and the media says all that they can possibly say, that everybody, myself, my family, the victims' families can all get on with their lives." When asked what attracted him to their whereabouts and his need to kill them, he replied: "Ma'am, I'm sorry. I don't know. I don't understand what happened.It was a nightmare. I was tormented in my mind and in my spirit. My life was out of control at that time and I have nothing but regret for what happened." Platt asked about the torment, and Berkowitz answered: "It was just my mind was not focused right. I thought I was a soldier for the devil and all kinds of crazy thingsI had things like the satanic bible that I was reading. I just got stupid ideas out of it. I'm not pushing the blame on anything. I take full responsibility, but I just at the time things got twisted." At the end, Platt suggested Berkowitz had not developed much understanding of the motivations of his crimes; Berkowitz replied: "Ma'am, in all honesty I really haven't. I still struggle with coming to grips with the things of the past. There are still issues that I have to deal with. I'm not there yet." Parole was formally denied despite acknowledgment of good behavior, his activities in helping other inmates and his role as a chaplain’s clerk, his completion of a 2-year degree from the state university, successful completion of other prison rehabilitation programs, and his expression of remorse. The rationale recorded was: "the extraordinary pain, suffering and anger that you have inflicted on the families and the community at large continues. Discretionary release at this time would deprecate the seriousness of these atrocious crimes and diminish respect for the law." Berkowitz’s next parole hearing was described as scheduled in 24 months in June 2004.

In June 2004, Berkowitz’s second parole hearing was denied after he stated he did not want one. The board saw that Berkowitz had a good record in prison programs but decided the brutality of his crimes called for him to stay imprisoned.

“Son of Sam laws”

After his murder spree, “Son of Sam laws” were described. The first of these laws was enacted in New York after speculation that publishers would offer Berkowitz large sums for his story. The law authorized the state to seize money earned from such deals from a criminal for five years to compensate victims. The Supreme Court declared such laws unconstitutional in 1991.

Unsolved related murder and claims

Berkowitz mailed a book about witchcraft and occult subjects in October 1978 to police in North Dakota. He underlined passages and offered marginal notes including the phrase:

"Arliss [sic] Perry, Hunted, Stalked and Slain. Followed to Calif. Stanford University." Arlis Perry had been killed in a chapel on the grounds of Stanford University on October 12, 1974. Her murder remained unsolved.

A San Jose Mercury News writer reported that local investigators interviewed Berkowitz in prison and “now believe he has nothing of value to offer” regarding the Perry case.

Attempts on life in prison

After the arrest, Berkowitz survived at least one attempt on his life by a fellow inmate while in prison. His behavior in prison early in his sentence reportedly earned him the nickname “David Berserkowitz.” A 1979 attack on Berkowitz’s life was also described; he refused to identify who cut his throat and suggested it was directed by the cult he once belonged to.

Prison ministry and publishing efforts

Berkowitz was described as involved in prison ministry and regularly counseled troubled inmates. As of 2005, he was writing memoirs, planning to publish despite outrage from family members of victims and victims’ rights advocates. He was described as using his publishing efforts to bring funds for victims’ families.

In 2006, Berkowitz sued his former attorney. He alleged that the attorney took possession of letters and other personal belongings from Berkowitz to publish a book. Berkowitz stated he would only drop the lawsuit if the attorney signed over all money he made to victims’ families.

Other details

Operation Omega personnel mentioned

The Omega task force was described as headed by Deputy Inspector Timothy Dowd. Captain Joe Borrelli was identified as a key member of the Omega Group. Detective Sergeant Joe Coffey and Detective Redmond Keenan were also mentioned. Sergeant Joseph Coffey was also referenced in lists of personnel.

Additional operational descriptions and letters

Operation Omega expanded to some two hundred detectives and included officers such as Captain Joe Borrelli and Sergeant Joseph Coffey. It was described that assignments were considered an honor, with long hours leading to strained conditions among detectives.

Letter to Captain Joseph Borrelli (verbatim)

A letter addressed to “Dear Captain Joseph Borrelli” was described as containing misspellings. The text was:

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.

Victim-related injuries and survival notes (as described)

• Jody Valenti survived and was wounded in the thigh.
• Carl Denaro survived and had a metal plate replacement for part of his damaged skull.
• Joanne Lomino survived but became paraplegic.
• John Diel survived.
• Christine Freund died of her injuries.
• Virginia Voskerichian died instantly.
• Sal Lupo and Judy Placido were struck but neither was seriously injured.
• Stacy Moskowitz died.
• Robert Violante survived but was blinded and had 20% vision in his right eye and lost his left eye.

Berkowitz’s prison statement (verbatim)

Berkowitz’s personal statement included the following content:

My name is David Berkowitz , and I am a prison inmate who has been incarcerated for more than twenty-two years. I have been sentenced to prison for the rest of my life. My criminal case is well known and was called the Son of Sam shootings. It was eleven years ago, when I was living in a cold and lonely prison cell, that God got a hold of my life. Here is my story of Hope...

His statement also included additional verbatim portions such as:

"this poor man cried, and the Lord heard him, and saved him from all his troubles". and: "For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved." and: "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God". and: "For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord ".

The statement ended with:

With Love in Christ, David Berkowitz March 1999