How David Berkowitz murdered six people across New York City boroughs in a two-year rampage that sparked one of the largest manhunts in American history
Quick Facts
David Richard Berkowitz, born Richard David Falco on June 1, 1953, in Brooklyn, New York, carried out one of the most notorious serial killing sprees in American criminal history. Over a twenty-two-month period from 1975 to 1977, the man who would become known as the Son of Sam, the .44 Caliber Killer, and the Phantom of the Bronx systematically hunted victims across the boroughs of New York City.
The attacks began in December 1975 with a stabbing that left a woman severely wounded but alive. However, it was Berkowitz's turn to firearms that would define his reign of terror. On July 29, 1976, he opened fire on eighteen-year-old Donna Lauria and nineteen-year-old Jody Valenti in the Bronx. Lauria was killed; Valenti survived. The shooting marked the beginning of a calculated campaign that would grip the city in fear.
Over the following months, Berkowitz struck repeatedly. On October 23, 1976, he shot twenty-year-old Carl Denaro and eighteen-year-old Rosemary Keenan in separate incidents, leaving both wounded. A month later, on November 27, he targeted eighteen-year-old Joanne Lomino in Queens—her injuries would leave her permanently paralyzed. The violence escalated on April 17, 1977, when Berkowitz gunned down twenty-year-old Alexander Esau and eighteen-year-old Valentina Suriani in the Bronx, killing both.
Geburt von David Berkowitz
David Richard Berkowitz wird als Richard David Falco in New York geboren.
Erste bekannte Tat
Berkowitz beginnt seine Mordserie in New York City.
Der Son of Sam-Brief
Polizei findet einen Brief am Tatort der Morde an Alexander Esau und Valentina Suriani, in dem sich der Täter erstmals als 'Son of Sam' bezeichnet.
Verhaftung
David Berkowitz wird von der Polizei verhaftet und gesteht alle Taten.
Urteil
Berkowitz wird in allen Anklagepunkten für schuldig befunden und zu lebenslanger Haft verurteilt.
By late spring 1977, New York was gripped by panic. On May 26, police released a psychological profile describing the suspect as neurotic with probable paranoid schizophrenia. The manhunt became one of the largest in New York history as detectives pursued leads across the city.
The break came through a handwritten letter. On the same date as the Suriani-Esau murders, Berkowitz left a note at the crime scene addressed to NYPD Captain Joseph Borrelli. In it, he claimed the identity "Son of Sam"—a name that would dominate headlines for weeks to come. The letter was the first public acknowledgment of what police had been tracking: a methodical killer signing his work.
On August 10, 1977, at age twenty-three, David Berkowitz was arrested. The following day, he confessed. What emerged during interrogation shocked investigators further: Berkowitz admitted to far more than six murders. He confessed to being the Phantom of the Bronx—a prolific arsonist who kept detailed diaries documenting his fire-setting activities since age twenty-one. He claimed responsibility for between 1,500 and 2,000 arsons across New York City during the 1970s.
Berkowitz's claimed motivations were equally disturbing. He told police that demonic voices ordered him to kill, and that a malevolent spirit named "Sam" communicated with him through his neighbor's black Labrador dog. Later, he would admit these claims were fabricated. He also alleged involvement in a violent cult that had aided his attacks, but investigators found no credible evidence to support this assertion.
Berkowitz's background provided some context, though not justification. Adopted at birth, he grew up in the Bronx. In 1974, he discovered his biological name was Richard Falco. A former U.S. Army soldier, Berkowitz had exhibited disturbing behavior for years—petty vandalism, fire-setting, and animal torture since 1970.