Who is the Son of Sam? Did David Berkowitz Act Alone? Part 1

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Animal lovers normally believe that animals can hear and understand everything humans say, but what if it is the opposite too? What if I tell you that a man committed multiple murders because a black Labrador retriever commanded him to?

Well, that is the story of the infamous Son of Sam. David Berkowitz, a  24 year old New Yorker had caused havoc in the city during the late 1970's. He was accused of killing 6 victims and wounding 11 with his .44 caliber gun. However, is this the real truth? Had he really killed 6 victims or were there more or is it an unusual case of the killer being accused of more murders than he committed? 

David Berkowitz, the Son of Sam 

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Born as Richard David Falco to his biological parents, Berkowitz was put up for adoption soon after his parents separated. While his foster family gave him the surname and a good life, Berkowitz began to show signs of erratic and violent behaviour since an early age. By the age of 14, he lost his mother to Cancer and his relationship with his father was growing strained. 

In 1971, at the age of 18, he joined the U.S Army and was discharged three years later in 1974. It is unsure what happened during the span of these few years since Berkowitz's killing spree began just one year after he was back from serving in the Army. On December 24, 1975, he stabbed 15 year old Michelle Foreman and another unidentified woman with a hunting knife. This was only the beginning.  

"I never heard anyone scream like that", Berkowitz had stated in an interview. While he clearly remembered stabbing Foreman, he is unsure of what happened to the first victim since he had walked away from the crime scene. 

Soon after his first attempt to murder, Berkowitz kept the New York Police Department (NYPD) busy with his shootings. He struck again on July 29, 1976 killing 18 year old Donna Lauria and leaving 19 year old Jody Valenti wounded. When asked to identify the killer, Jody could not recognise Berkowitz and gave a different description of a man sitting in a yellow car. 

Being popularly recognised as the '.44 killer', Berkowitz struck again on October 23, 1976 injuring Carl Denaro and Rosemary Keenan. While the previous victims were all women, the police did not find a connection with this shooting although the two victims were shot with a .44 caliber gun. Most of the victims who survived and the witness of these attacks were giving different descriptions for each of the shootings.  

By this time, the NYPD began receiving letters from an anonymous 'Son of Sam' who claimed that he was a 'monster'. He taunted the Police for not being able to nab him and used codes that had clues about his motive to murder. 

"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", wrote Berkowitz in one of his letters. 

The Son of Sam Arrest 

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While the first letter written and signed by the 'Son of Sam' was now creating confusion and fear among the masses, analysts were constantly working on deciphering the codes and symbols used by this anonymous killer. 

On June 26, 1977, Sal Lupo and Judy Placido were shot in Queens. They both escaped with minor injuries but could not identify the killer. Witnesses reported a tall, dark haired man fleeing the crime scene while another blonde haired man with a mustache was seen witnessing the crime. However, this witness did not come forward during any interrogation. 

These months were the most tiresome for the NYPD since most of the witnesses and victims would give a different description each time. Either the colour of the car was different or the man did not fit the description. In all the shootings the .44 caliber gun was the only constant. 

On May 30, 1977, Berkowitz sent his second letter to Jimmy Breslin, a columnist of the Daily News, where he mentioned about his previous killings and taunted the NYPD yet again. He also hinted at striking again on July 29, which marked the first anniversary of his shooting. "what will you have on July 29?", he wrote to Breslin. 

True to his words, on July 31, 1977, Berkowitz struck again. This time, he was more gutsy which helped the NYPD. While shooting Stacy Moskowitz and Robert Violante, Berkowitz was oblivious to his surroundings and he failed to notice that there were many witnesses. 

However, again the sketches and descriptions were different. Some claimed that one active witness to the shooting was a blonde man with a mustache who was seen at the last shooting too. While the descriptions varied, one evidently matched with that of David Berkowitz. 

 

Several witnesses reported a man speeding away in a yellow car from the crime scene. The NYPD finally began to search for men that owned yellow cars and matched the description. Berkowitz was listed as one of the suspects but was not looked up until August 10, 1977. 

Curious to know if Berkowtiz was the Son of Sam, the NYPD searched his yellow 1970 Ford Galaxie and found a maps, a duffle bag with weapons and an unsent letter signed by the Son of Sam. With enough evidence to arrest him, the Police waited for Berkowitz to come out of his apartment and immediately cuffed him.

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On being caught, he said, "Well you got me. How come it took you such a long time?". While the city of New York heaved a sigh of relief, David Berkowtiz  was being arrested with a huge smile on his face. However, one of the biggest drawbacks of his arrest was the negligence of the NYPD. Since they did not have a warrant to check Berkowitz's car, all the evidence found in the car would be of no use in the Court. 

While the NYPD was convinced that they had nabbed the Son of Sam, a much bigger story awaited them in the future months to come. After being arrested, David Berkowitz warned the Police that there were "other Sons of Sam" and that they should beware. However, the NYPD did not pay much heed to this statement. But this struck with one man, Maury Terry, a crime journalist who had just begun to dig deeper only to discover one of the worlds most notorious satanic cult.....

to be continued 

written by, 

Jerusha Patel