The Son of Sam: 30 Years Later

August 10, 2007 will be the 30^th anniversary of the capture and arrest of David Richard Berkowitz, more commonly known as the "Son of Sam." For 13 months, Berkowitz terrorized New York, viciously gunning down innocent people in cold blood. He primarily targeted attractive females with dark hair, but male companions or boyfriends were just as likely to be attacked and/or killed. He held New York City in a tight grip of fear, claiming all of his victims in Queens, the Bronx and Brooklyn. Berkowitz killed 6 people and wounded several others before being apprehended on August 10, 1977.

During the sweltering summer of 1977, fear spread throughout New York like wildfire. People became paranoid, suspecting their own husbands, sons and co-workers of being the elusive killer. Police received endless calls and tips, almost all of which led nowhere. All sorts of theories were being concocted as to the identity and motive of the killer. People were terrified to leave their homes and no one was safe. Many stopped going out at night, since the killer usually struck in the late hours of the night. Brunette women began dying their hair blonde and wearing wigs to protect themselves against the psychotic gunman.

It all began on July 29, 1976. Donna Lauria and her friend, Jody Valenti, were sitting in the front seat of Jody's car, which was parked outside Donna's home in the Bronx. The two passed the time with small talk and did not notice the young man advancing towards the car. He stopped several yards away, pulled a gun out of a paper bag and opened fire on the two young girls. Donna was hit in the neck and arm; she was dead by the time the ambulance arrived. She was only 18-years-old. Nineteen-year-old Jody was hit in the thigh and survived the attack. She was hysterical, but later managed to describe her attacker. He was a white male, approximately 30 years of age with curly dark hair. Neighbors reported seeing a yellow sedan parked down the block. Immediately after the shootings, the car sped away. Police were not able to determine a motive and theorized that the attack was carried out by the Mafia or an angered ex-boyfriend.

The next attack did not occur until October 23, 1976. Eighteen-year-old Rosemary Keenan and her 20-year-old boyfriend, Carl Denaro, were sitting in a car that was parked outside a bar on 159^th Street in Flushing, Queens. The attacker fired five shots through the rear window of the vehicle. Carl was hit in the head, but the bullet did not pierce his brain. He survived the attack, as did Rosemary who was completely unharmed... physically. At the crime scene, a .44 bullet was found and subsequently matched by ballistics experts with a similar bullet found at the site of the Lauria-Valenti attack. Despite the nexus between the two attacks, police still had not realized that a serial killer was on the loose.

That changed on November 26-27, 1976. Donna DeMasi and her friend, Joanne Lomino, were sitting on the stoop of Joanne's home in Queens. They were approached by a man asking for directions. The man then pulled out a gun and fired two shots. Donna, 16, was hit in the collarbone, but survived. Joanne, 18, was struck in the spine and became permanently incapacitated as a result. The bullets were recovered and matched with the ones used in the first and second attacks. A complication arose when the young girls adamantly insisted that their attacker had long, blonde hair. This was confirmed by a witness who saw a man fitting that description flee the crime scene with a gun in his hand. Police were now trying to determine whether the killer wore a wig during some of his killings, or if two assailants were sharing the same gun.

On January 30, 1977, the fourth attack occurred. Christine Freund and her boyfriend, John Diel, were sitting in a parked car in Queens. The windows were misted because of the cold weather and the two did not see the assailant approaching. The killer fired three shots. Christine, 26, was fatally wounded and died several hours later. Diel survived, but due to the poor visibility, was unable to give a description of the assailant.

On March 8, 1977, Virginia Voskerichian was shot and killed while walking home from school. She was killed only 300 yards away from the site of the Freund-Diel attack. It was later confirmed that the same gun that was used in the other attacks was also used in the killing of Virginia. Now implicitly convinced that there was a serial killer at large, the police established a task force. The task force was named "Operation Omega" and was led by Deputy Inspector Timothy Dowd.

On April 17, Valentina Suriani (18) and her boyfriend, Alexander Esau (20), were sitting in his parked car in the Bronx. Out of nowhere, three shots were fired at them from point blank range. Valentina was struck in the head and died instantly. Alexander was hit in the side of the head and later passed away at the hospital. The two were slain only blocks away from the site of the Lauria murder. As police were assessing the crime scene, one spotted an envelope several feet from Esau's car. The letter was addressed to Captain Joseph Borelli, one of the lead members of the Omega team. The was written in all capital letters, riddled with poor grammar and read:

"I am deeply hurt by you calling me a wemon hater. I am not. But I am a monster. I am the "Son of Sam." I am a little brat... "Go out and kill," commands father Sam... 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...I love to hunt. Prowling the streets looking for fair game--- tasty meat. The wemon of Queens are prettyist of all...Mr. Borelli, sir, I don't want to kill anymore. No sur, no more but I must "honour thy father." I love people. I don't belong on earth... 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!!"

The note was signed "Mr. Monster." It is how David Berkowitz went from being known as the media-dubbed "44 Caliber Killer" to the "Son of Sam." The act of taunting authorities via written messages was first established by the infamous Jack the Ripper and has been subsequently repeated by many. This type of behavior was not exhibited sooner because sensationalist tabloids and official police forces did not exist before the late 1800s. For many killers, the need to taunt the authorities and manipulate the media is a vital part of the criminal experience. It gives them the power that they so desperately seek and bolsters their delusions of omnipotence. Berkowitz sent a second letter was sent to Jimmy Breslin, a columnist at the Daily News. The letter was printed, selling over one million copies of the newspaper.

On June 26, 1977, Judy Placido (17) and her boyfriend, Salvatore Lupo, were sitting in his car, which was parked in Bayside, Queens. Four shots were fired at them, wounding them both. They were fortunate enough to survive, but were unable to describe their attacker.

The final attack took place in Brooklyn on July 31, 1977. Stacy Moskowitz and her boyfriend, Robert Violante, were sitting in a parked car when the assailant fired four shots. Stacy was fatally wounded and died. Robert was shot twice in the face; he survived, but was permanently blinded. A couple had witnesses the attack. They reported having seen a "stocky young man, with 'stringy' fair hair."

A witness named Cecilia Davis would soon give the police the break that they had long awaited. On the night of the final murder, she noticed two police officers issue a parking ticket to a yellow Ford Galaxy for parking too close to the fire hydrant. Later that night, she saw a man get into the car and speed off. She described him as a "white male in his early twenties, with dark curly hair."

Police officers ran a search of all parking tickets issued in that area. On August 9, 1977, the search revealed a ticket issued to a yellow Ford Galaxy owned by one David Berkowitz of 35 Pine Street, Yonkers. The next day, a stakeout of Berkowitz's house was organized. In the backseat of his car, there was a duffle bag containing several firearms. Police found a letter addressed to Inspector Dowd in the glove compartment. They waited several hours for the killer to emerge from his house. When he did, he was holding a paper bag; the bag contained a 44-caliber gun.

He happily confessed and claimed that he received his orders to kill from his neighbor, Sam Carr. These orders were received through Sam's black Labrador, who Berkowitz shot and wounded on one occasion. Berkowitz was found competent to stand trial and on June 12, 1978, received a 365-year sentence.

Berkowitz had a strong desire for attention. He was given up for adoption by his mother and rejected by many female peers, leaving him with feelings of humiliation and inadequacy. He was an inconsequential postal worker and through murder, he achieved everlasting notoriety. Even while in prison, Berkowitz always tries to remain in the public eye. In 1997, he announced that he had "found God" and preached the Gospel on a public television station. In 1999, the New York Times featured an article on Berkowitz, in which he stated his anguish over the release of Spike Lee's film, Summer of Sam. He claimed that the movie reawakened painful memories. Media notoriety was and still is very important to him.

Soon after the murders, New York State issued the "Son of Sam Law." The law came about due to speculation that various publishers were offering Berkowitz large sums of money to tell his story. The law stated that any money earned by a criminal in such a way would be confiscated and used to compensate the criminal's victims. In 1991, the law was declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court in the case of Simon & Schuster v. Crime Victims Board.

In 2005, Berkowitz began writing a memoir, which he is planning to publish. All proceeds will be given to the New York State Crime Victims Board. In July 2006, his parole appeal was rejected for the third time. As of today, he is still living out his sentence at Attica Correctional Facility.