Son of Sam
| David Berkowitz | |
|---|---|
Berkowitz's arrest mug shot on August 11, 1977
|
|
| Born |
Richard David Falco June 1, 1953 Brooklyn, New York, U.S. |
| Other names | Son of Sam The .44 Caliber Killer David Richard Berkowitz |
| Criminal penalty | Six life sentences |
| Conviction(s) |
Murder in the second degree Attempted murder in the second degree |
| Killings | |
| Victims | 6 killed, 7 wounded |
|
Span of killings
|
July 29, 1976–July 31, 1977 |
| Weapons | .44 caliber Bulldog revolver |
|
Date apprehended
|
August 10, 1977 |
David Richard Berkowitz (born Richard David Falco; June 1, 1953), known also as the Son of Sam and the .44 Caliber Killer, is an American serial killer who was convicted of eight separate shooting attacks that began in New York City during the summer of 1976. The crimes were perpetrated with a .44 caliber Bulldog revolver. He killed six victims and wounded seven others by July 1977. As the number of victims increased, Berkowitz eluded the biggest police manhunt in the history of New York City while leaving letters that mocked the police and promised further crimes, which were highly publicized by the press. The killings terrorized New Yorkers and achieved worldwide notoriety.
Berkowitz was taken into custody by New York City police homicide detectives in front of his Yonkers apartment building on the evening of August 10, 1977, and was indicted for eight shooting incidents. He confessed to all of them, and claimed to have been obeying the orders of a demon, manifested in the form of a dog "Harvey" who belonged to his neighbor "Sam". Despite his explanation, Berkowitz was found mentally competent to stand trial. He pled guilty to second-degree murder and was incarcerated in state prison. In the course of further police investigation, Berkowitz was also implicated in many unsolved arsons in the city.
Intense coverage of the case by the media lent a kind of celebrity status to Berkowitz, and some observers noted that he seemed to enjoy it. In response, the New York State legislature enacted new legal statutes, known popularly as "Son of Sam laws", designed to keep criminals from profiting financially from the publicity created by their crimes. Despite various amendments and legal challenges, the statutes have remained law in New York, and similar laws have been enacted in several other states.
Berkowitz has been imprisoned since his arrest and is serving six life sentences consecutively. During the mid-1990s, he amended his confession to claim that he had been a member of a violent Satanic cult which orchestrated the incidents as ritual murder. He remains the only person ever charged with the shootings, yet some law enforcement authorities have questioned whether Berkowitz's claims are credible. A new investigation of the murders began during 1996, but was suspended indefinitely after inconclusive findings.
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Wikipedia