David Berkowitz: Son of Sam
David Berkowitz (Son of Sam), born Richard David Falco on June 1, 1953, in Brooklyn, New York, is infamously known as the “Son of Sam,” a moniker that became synonymous with terror in the late 1970s.
Adopted shortly after birth by Nathan and Pearl Berkowitz, David’s early life was marked by behavioral issues, including pyromania and petty theft.
In 1971, Berkowitz joined the U.S. Army, serving in South Korea before being honorably discharged in 1974. Upon returning to New York, he began a series of violent attacks that would grip the city in fear. Between July 1976 and July 1977, Berkowitz killed six people and wounded seven others, primarily targeting young women and couples in parked cars. His weapon of choice was a .44 caliber Bulldog revolver, earning him the nickname “.44 Caliber Killer.”
“I am a monster, I am the ‘Son of Sam’.”
~ David Berkowitz
Berkowitz taunted police and the media with letters signed “Son of Sam,” claiming that a demon, speaking through his neighbor’s dog, commanded him to kill. This narrative contributed to his classification as a paranoid schizophrenic, though some experts also identified traits of narcissism and psychopathy in his psychological profile.
The widespread panic caused by his crimes led to one of the largest manhunts in New York City’s history. A break in the case came when a parking ticket issued near the scene of his last murder led investigators to Berkowitz. He was arrested on August 10, 1977, and subsequently confessed to the shootings.
In 1978, Berkowitz was sentenced to six consecutive life terms, totaling 365 years, and remains incarcerated at Shawangunk Correctional Facility in New York. While in prison, he experienced a religious conversion and now refers to himself as the “Son of Hope.” Despite multiple parole hearings, he has been consistently denied release.
“I didn’t want to hurt them. I only wanted to kill them.”
~ David Berkowitz
While Berkowitz claimed to have been driven by demonic voices, he later admitted that this narrative was fabricated.
Media:
- The Sons of Sam: A Descent into Darkness (2021) – Netflix documentary series
- Mindhunter (2017–2019) – Netflix series featuring Berkowitz in Season 2
- Son of Sam: The Hunt for a Killer (2017) – Investigation Discovery documentary
David Berkowitz (Son of Sam)
Name: David Richard Berkowitz (born Richard David Falco)
Alias: Son of Sam, .44 Caliber
Body Count: 6
Crime Location:
Status:
Mortality:
Born: June 1, 1953
Brooklyn, New York, USA
🧬 Classification
🧠 Mental Profile
🔪 Modus Operandi
🕯️ In Memory
Donna Lauria (18), July 29, 1976 | Christine Freund (26), January 30, 1977 | Virginia Voskerichian (19), March 8, 1977 | Valentina Suriani (18) and Alexander Esau (20), April 17, 1977 | Stacy Moscowitz (20), July 31, 1977
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Movies, Documentaries and Docuseries
Watch online through various different streaming platforms and services.
Featured Crime Shows
Son of Sam: Hunt for a Killer (2017)
Son of Sam: Hunt for a Killer takes viewers back to the blistering hot nights of 1970s New York City,
Featured Crime Shows
Mindhunter (2017)
Mindhunter isn’t a documentary it’s a masterful dramatization that changed how we view criminal profiling. In Season 2, David Berkowitz
Featured Crime Shows
Sons of Sam: Descent into Darkness
What if David Berkowitz wasn’t acting alone? The Sons of Sam follows journalist Maury Terry’s obsessive investigation into what he
Content Creators – YouTube
Son Of Sam: Destined To Be A Serial Killer? | Born to Kill?
In the summer of 1976, New York City was gripped by fear. A sadistic gunman stalked the night, preying on
6
Body Count
(victims)
368
Kill Span
(days)
5
