David Richard Berkowitz (Son of Sam)

For 13 months, during 1976 to 1977, David Berkowitz, “Son of Sam” or “The .44-Caliber Killer,” held the attention of millions of people in New York City and across the country. On eight “hunting” forays, he shot 13 young men and women, killing 6 of them. Seven others were severely injured after he fired on young women or couples parked in their cars at night. Investigators finally tracked him down through a parking ticket placed on his car while he was in the area looking for a victim. They expected the killer to be a monster but instead found a well-mannered, 24-year-old postal worker, who lived alone. His apartment was filthy, littered with liquor bottles, and the walls scratched with graffiti. On one area of the wall he had scrawled, “In this hole lives the wicked king.”

To those few who knew him, he lived a rather uneventful life. Born out of wedlock, he had been placed for adoption. He was an exceptional student, frequently taunted by his classmates for being Jewish. He served 3 years in the U.S. Army, worked as a security guard, and once worked as an auxiliary New York police officer. His most notable character trait seemed to be that he was introverted and liked to roam the streets alone at night. On July 29, 1976, two young women, Donna Lauria, a medical technician, and Jody Valenti, sat talking in their car, when David walked out of the shadows and fired five shots through the windshield. Donna died quickly; Jody was wounded in the thigh. In October, he fired on a young couple through their rear windshield, wounding the young man. In November, David walked up to two women sitting in their car in Queens, and as he asked for directions, he pulled out his .44-caliber gun and fired at both women, paralyzing one of them.

On January 30, 1977, a young couple saying goodnight to each other had their windshield shattered with gunfire. Christine Freund died a few hours later of her injuries. On March 8, 1977, an Armenian student, Virginia Voserichian, was approaching her mother's house when David met her on the sidewalk and shot her directly in the face, killing her instantly. On April 17, 1977, in the same area as some of the other attacks, David shot to death Alexander Epaw and Valentina Swiani as they sat in their automobile. A note was found at the scene that read in part: “I love to hunt. Prowling the streets looking for fair game—tasty meat. The women of Queens are prettiest of all.” The killer had identified himself as “Son of Sam” in letters he had sent to a New York columnist, James Breslin. By now, the city was beginning to panic, but David still easily found victims. In June, he shot out the windshield of another car, wounding the two occupants.

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David Richard Berkowitz became known as the “Son of Sam” because he claimed that his neighbor Sam's dog instructed him to kill. During his reign of terror in New York City, Berkowitz also earned the moniker of “.44-Caliber Killer,” gunning down victims while they sat in their cars.

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