2003 mugshot of David Berkowitz, also known as the “Son of Sam”
serial killer. Photo: Bureau of Prisons/Getty Images
From July 1976 to July 1977, a series of shootings in New York City left six people dead and seven wounded. As police conducted a manhunt across the terrorized city, the serial killer began leaving them taunting notes at his crime scenes. In one, he called himself the “Son of Sam.”
Law enforcement linked postal employee David Berkowitz, who lived in Yonkers, New York, to the murders in August 1977, thanks to a parking ticket that placed him in the area of his final shooting on July 31, 1977. After his arrest, he told police that demons had directed his killing spree via a neighbor’s barking Labrador.
Instead of going on trial, Berkowitz pleaded guilty to six counts of second-degree murder and seven counts of attempted second-degree murder. In June 1978, he received six 25-years-to-life sentences.
In 2002, after serving 25 years, Berkowitz became eligible for parole. His parole hearings have taken place every two years, with the next one scheduled for May 2024.
Where Berkowitz Has Been Incarcerated
After his arrest, court-appointed psychiatric experts found Berkowitz was suffering from paranoia and delusions, but even so, they deemed him competent to stand trial. A courtroom outburst—during which he yelled, “I’d kill them all again”—delayed his sentencing.
When Berkowitz’s sentence began, a judge placed him in the custody of New York’s Department of Mental Hygiene. However, the serial killer was moved to state prison within a few months.
In 1979, a fellow inmate at Attica Correctional Facility cut Berkowitz’s throat, nearly killing him. He required more than 50 stitches.
Throughout his incarceration, the New York State Department of Correctional Services has moved Berkowitz to different prisons, a common practice to address security concerns for long-term inmates. Berkowitz spent years at Sullivan Correctional Facility in upstate New York. There, The New York Times reported, he worked as an aide for impaired prisoners.
Berkowitz is currently incarcerated at Shawangunk Correctional Facility, located in New York’s Hudson Valley.
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When I young I thought the post office caused his intense anxiety. When the Zodiac was on his spree, I was wondering if he and The Son Of Sam weren’t maybe keeping in touch . The Zodiac used the post office as well as the news papers. Both had seriously contributed some messages system. Go figure….glad it’s all over with. thank you for a place to commit.