Disclaimer: The article contains mentions of murder. Reader discretion is advised.
Between 1976 and 1977, a serial killer named David Berkowitz killed six people with his .44 revolver. The Sun reported that he started his crime spree in July 1976 by killing two teenagers. One of them died, while the other victim survived. A few months later, he shot a couple in a parked car. Even though the authorities initiated an investigation into the killings, Berkowitz continued terrorizing the nation. The entire case of David Berkowitz, also known as the Son of Sam, has been featured in the Netflix documentary Sons of Sam.
Months after the second shooting, in November 1976, David Berkowitz shot two teenage girls walking home. The shooting left one girl paraplegic, per The Sun. The serial killer continued his crime spree and attacked another couple in January 1977. Later that month, Berkowitz killed a woman and severely injured a man near the Forest Hills LIRR station in Queens. The Sun reported that the man sustained minor injuries while the woman died at the hospital. The killer kept on committing crimes until his arrest in August 1977.
During the interrogation, David Berkowitz noted that his neighbor’s dog told him to carry out these slayings. The Sun noted that his neighbor’s “possessed” dog ordered him to kill people. Initially, the investigators believed that he might be mentally unstable. However, several psychological evaluations declared that he was “competent” and ready to stand trial. Subsequently, he pleaded guilty to all the charges, and the court sentenced him to six 25-years-to-life in prison for his heinous crimes.
As per New York’s Department of Corrections, David Berkowitz is currently at Shawangunk Correctional Facility, New York. His next parole hearing is scheduled for May 2024.
David Berkowitz’s murder case explored
David Berkowitz murdered six people between 1976 and 1977. However, it took more than a year to catch the culprit. According to Time Magazine, all the traditional ways of capturing a killer had backfired, and authorities were looking for a solid lead. Finally, a tip from a woman turned out to be crucial in his arrest. The outlet reported that a woman told police about her strange encounter with a man near Gravesend Bay.
She told the authorities that a young man approached her on the sidewalk and looked directly into her face before passing by. Per Time Magazine, the lady alleged that he held his right stiffly as if he held something up his sleeve. Additionally, the outlet indicated that she heard shots five minutes later. The lady also mentioned a cream-colored vehicle parked just one block from the crime scene. Police searched for the vehicle and found that the car belonged to David Berkowitz.
While searching for details about the vehicle, authorities found a parking ticket issued to David Berkowitz. Time Magazine mentioned that the investigators found his address and captured him. Before his arrest, Berkowitz said, “I guess this is the end of the trail.”
Court found Berkowitz guilty of six murders
A month later, David Berkowitz wrote a letter from his hospital cell and admitted to killing six young people, per The New York Times. In the letter, he wrote, “When I killed I really saved many lives. You will understand later.” The initial psychological evaluations deemed him mentally incompetent and incapable of standing trial. However, in April 1978, The New York Times reported that the court found him “mentally competent” to stand trial in the murder case.
He pleaded guilty to six murders and received six 25-year-to-life imprisonment.
