A new Netflix documentary seeks to provide fresh insights into the investigation and lasting impact of David Berkowitz’s notorious murder spree in 1970s New York.
One of America’s most infamous serial killers, Berkowitz was known as the “Son of Sam” before he was identified and arrested in 1977.
Who is David Berkowitz and why was he called the Son of Sam?
Gunman David Berkowitz conducted a killing spree that left New Yorkers in fear for a full year, resulting in six deaths and seven injuries. His actions prompted the largest manhunt in the city’s history until his apprehension in 1977.
Prior to his identification, the “.44 Caliber Killer” was also referred to as the “Son of Sam,” a name derived from the signature left on letters found at crime scenes and sent to media outlets.
After a year-long reign of terror which left six dead and seven more wounded, cops were relieved to have brought down the gunman.
After David Berkowitz was apprehended and put on trial, he claimed that his neighbour’s dog, named Sam, was possessed by a demon and commanded him to kill.
With Berkowitz behind bars, the Son of Sam case was closed — until a bizarre theory about a Satanic cult threw new light on the killings.
Not everyone is convinced Berkowitz had acted alone, while some fear that others involved in the spree could still be out there.
In 1993, Berkowitz gave a series of shocking TV interviews to Inside Edition in which he claimed that he had not acted alone during his 1970s bloodbath.
Who were David Berkowitz’s victims?
Donna Lauria and Jody Valenti shooting (July 1976)
The first shooting attributed to the Son of Sam occurred in the Pelham Bay area of the Bronx.
At about 1.10am on July 29, 1976, Donna Lauria, an emergency medical technician, 18, and her friend Jody Valenti, a nurse, 19, were sitting in Valenti’s double-parked Oldsmobile, discussing their evening at Peachtree’s, a New Rochelle disco.
Lauria opened the car door to leave and noticed a man quickly approaching the car, he produced a pistol from the paper bag and aimed his weapon with both hands, and fired.
Lauria was struck by one bullet that killed her instantly.
Valenti was shot in her thigh and survived her injury.
Carl Denaro and Rosemary Keenan shooting (October 1976)
Most of Berkowitz’s activity was in Queens, though he lived farther north in Yonkers.
On October 23, 1976, a similar shooting occurred in a secluded residential area of Flushing, Queens, next to Bowne Park.
Carl Denaro, a Citibank security guard, 20, and Rosemary Keenan, a Queens College student, 18, were sitting in Keenan’s parked car when the windows suddenly shattered.
Keenan quickly started the car and sped away for help.
The panicked couple did not realise that someone had been shooting at them, even though Denaro was bleeding from a bullet wound to his head.
Keenan had only superficial injuries from the broken glass, but Denaro eventually needed a metal plate to replace a portion of his skull.
Donna DeMasi and Joanne Lomino shooting (November 1976)
High school student Donna DeMasi, 16, and Joanne Lomino, a student at Martin Van Buren High School, 18, walked home from a movie soon after midnight on November 27, 1976.
They were chatting on the porch of Joanne’s home in Floral Park, when a man dressed in military fatigues who seemed to be in his early 20s approached them and began to ask directions.
He quickly produced a revolver and he shot each of the victims once and, as they fell to the ground injured, he fired several more times.
DeMasi had been shot in the neck, but the wound was not life-threatening. Lomino was hit in the back and hospitalized in a serious condition.
She was ultimately rendered paraplegic.
Christine Freund and John Diel shooting (January 1977)
At about 12.40am on January 30, 1977, Christine Freund, a secretary, 26, and her fiancé John Diel, a bartender, 30, were sitting in Diel’s car near the Forest Hills LIRR station in Queens, preparing to drive to a dance hall after having seen the movie Rocky.
Three gunshots penetrated the car and in a panic, Diel drove away for help.
He suffered minor superficial injuries, but Freund was shot twice and died several hours later at the hospital.
Virginia Voskerichian shooting (March 1977)
At about 7.30pm on March 8, 1977, Columbia University student Virginia Voskerichian, 19, was walking home from school when she was confronted by an armed man.
She lived about a block from where Christine Freund had been shot.
In a desperate move to defend herself, Voskerichian lifted her textbooks between herself and her killer, but the makeshift shield was penetrated, the bullet striking her head and killing her.
Alexander Esau and Valentina Suriani shooting (April 1977)
At about 3am on April 17, 1977, Alexander Esau, a tow truck operator, 20, and Valentina Suriani, an aspiring actress and model, 18, were sitting in Suriani’s car near her home in the Bronx, only a few blocks from the scene of the Lauria–Valenti shooting, when each was shot twice.
Suriani died at the scene, and Esau died in the hospital several hours later without being able to describe his attacker.
Sal Lupo and Judy Placido shooting (June 1977)
On June 26, 1977, there was another shooting.
Sal Lupo, a mechanic’s helper, 20, and Judy Placido, a recent high school graduate, 17, had left the Elephas disco in Bayside, Queens, and were sitting in Sal’s parked car at about 3am, when three gunshots blasted through the vehicle.
Sal was wounded in the right forearm, while Judy was shot in the right temple, shoulder, and back of the neck, but both victims survived their injuries.
Sal told police that the young couple had been discussing the Son of Sam case only moments before the shooting.
Stacy Moskowitz and Robert Violante shooting (July 1977)
Berkowitz’s final killing happened in Brooklyn.
Early on July 31, 1977, Stacy Moskowitz, a secretary, and Robert Violante, a clothing store salesman, both 20, were in Robert’s car, which was parked under a streetlight near a city park in the neighbourhood of Bath Beach, on their first date.
They were kissing when a man approached within three feet of the passenger side of Robert’s car and fired four rounds into the car, striking both victims in the head before he escaped into the park.
Robert lost his left eye but Stacy died from her injuries.
Where is David Berkowitz now?
In 1978, Berkowitz was convicted of the murders of two men and four women, ranging in age from 18 to 25, and sentenced to six consecutive life sentences in prison, which he is still serving.
How was David Berkowitz caught?
Berkowitz grew up as a difficult child with occasional bouts of violence but his real troubles began after the death of his adoptive mother in 1967.
His adoptive father remarried in 1971 and moved to Florida without him, forcing him to join the army.
Claiming to be pushed to kill by demons, Berkowitz attempted to murder a woman in December 1975, but she survived with several stab wounds, beginning his year-long killing spree.
He named himself Son of Sam, a reference to a demon he believed lived inside the black labrador owned by his neighbour, Sam Carr.
David Berkowitz was caught when a young woman named Cacilia Davis unwittingly walked past his crime scene, and past Berkowitz himself in his car.
Davis tipped off the police and the officer who had been ticketing cars in the area that night, including Berkowitz’s.
He was arrested on August 10, and in his car they found a rifle, a bag of ammunition, maps of the crime scene and further threatening letters. Then, the police uncovered the .44 gun.
What did David Berkowitz say after being caught?
During his arrest, Berkowitz said with a smile on his face: “Well, you got me.”
He confessed to all his crimes while in police custody, changing his story several times, claiming to be part of a cult and falsely confessing to the murder of a young woman in New York.
In the new series, viewers are given an insight into his state of mind at the time.
Ahead of one court appearance, Berkowitz told prison guards: “I guess the press is waiting with their cameras … can you comb my hair?”
About Netflix’s The Son of Sam Tapes
The three-part series delves into the mind and troubled past of Berkowitz, featuring newly unearthed audio interviews recorded with him by reporter Jack Jones in 1980 at Attica Correctional Facility in Wyoming County, New York.
Alongside interviews with detectives, journalists, and survivors of Berkowitz’s attacks, it claims to offer new insights into the investigation and the enduring impact of Berkowitz’s crimes on the local community.
The series is directed and produced by Emmy-winning and Academy Award-nominated director Joe Berlinger (Cold Case: Jon Benet Ramsey, Crime Scene: The Texas Killing Fields, and Hitler and the Nazis: Evil on Trial).
Berlinger told Netflix: “With The Son of Sam Tapes, we delve into the world of David Berkowitz and his chilling influence on 1970s New York City.
“These rare tapes reveal unnerving insights into his psyche, shedding light on the intricate details of the case and the pervasive fear that gripped the city.
“Through these tapes, we hope to not only revisit history, but to bring clarity and depth to a narrative that has long intrigued and unsettled the public.”
The Son of Sam Tapes airs on Netflix on July 30.
