FULL NAME: David Richard Berkowitz
ALIAS: “Son of Sam”, “The .44 Caliber Killer”
DOB: June 1, 1953
POB: Brooklyn, New York, USA
ACTIVE YEARS: 1976–1977
LOCATION: New York City, New York
VICTIMS: 6 confirmed dead, 7 wounded
ARRESTED: August 10, 1977
STATUS: Incarcerated, Shawangunk Correctional Facility, New York
PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION:
Height: 5’8″
Weight: Approx. 175 lbs
Hair: Brown
Eyes: Brown
BACKGROUND
David Richard Berkowitz was born Richard David Falco in Brooklyn, New York, and adopted by Nathan and Pearl Berkowitz shortly after birth. His early years were marked by isolation, behavioral issues, and signs of anger and abandonment. Following high school, Berkowitz served in the U.S. Army and was honorably discharged in 1974. After returning to New York, he struggled with employment and mental stability, displaying paranoid and antisocial tendencies that would later escalate to violence.
CRIME OVERVIEW
Between July 1976 and July 1977, New York City was gripped by fear as a series of shootings targeted young couples parked in cars or walking late at night. The attacks occurred primarily in the Bronx, Queens, and Brooklyn boroughs. Victims were shot with a Charter Arms Bulldog .44 caliber revolver. Berkowitz left behind taunting letters addressed to police and media, signed “Son of Sam,” claiming allegiance to a demonic entity that commanded him to kill.
His victims included Donna Lauria, Jody Valenti, Christine Freund, John Diel, Virginia Voskerichian, Alexander Esau, Valentina Suriani, and Stacy Moskowitz, among others. The shootings followed a distinct pattern, suggesting an organized yet delusional offender driven by paranoia and psychosis.
MODUS OPERANDI
Berkowitz’s weapon of choice was a .44 caliber Bulldog revolver. He attacked from close range, often ambushing couples seated in vehicles or standing near them. He typically fired multiple rounds and fled on foot or in his car. The randomness of victim selection, paired with the signature weapon and written communications, tied the crimes together.
The letters he sent to police and newspapers such as the New York Daily News demonstrated a mix of grandiosity, delusion, and psychotic reasoning. He referred to himself as “Son of Sam,” claiming that a demon living in his neighbor’s dog ordered the murders.
APPREHENSION
Berkowitz was arrested on August 10, 1977, outside his Yonkers apartment after police traced a parking ticket near the final crime scene. A .44 caliber revolver matching ballistic evidence was recovered from his vehicle. During interrogation, Berkowitz confessed, stating, “I am the Son of Sam.” He claimed that the voice of a demon named “Sam” commanded him to kill, a statement consistent with symptoms of paranoid schizophrenia.
PSYCHOLOGICAL PROFILE
Evaluations indicated a combination of paranoid delusion, psychosis, and antisocial traits. Berkowitz was diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia but was declared competent to stand trial. His crimes fit the profile of a visionary killer — one who murders under perceived divine or demonic instruction. Later prison interviews revealed remorse and claimed religious conversion, though experts debate his authenticity.
TRIAL AND SENTENCE
In 1978, Berkowitz pleaded guilty to six counts of murder and received six consecutive life sentences. He remains incarcerated at Shawangunk Correctional Facility, New York. Over time, he has referred to himself as the “Son of Hope” following a professed Christian conversion, though his original delusions and motivations remain central to his classification as a psychotic serial killer.
KILLER THEORY
David Berkowitz exemplifies the VISIONARY KILLER archetype: psychotic, delusional, and motivated by perceived supernatural command. His case demonstrates how untreated mental illness combined with isolation and paranoia can manifest in homicidal delusion. The “Son of Sam” letters, taunting tone, and fixation on demonic influence align with the classic behavioral signature of a visionary offender acting under hallucinated direction.
