True crime tip: Conversations with a Killer is back on Netflix

Anyone who is somewhat familiar with the true crime genre will surely know the ‘Conversations with a Killer’ series. In this fourth season, the creators dive into the story of serial killer David Berkowitz, also known as ‘The Son of Sam’. For a year and a half, he terrorized New York, and the impact of his actions lasted for years. The big question always remains: why? And Berkowitz now provides the answer himself. Let's take you into his story.

Who is David Berkowitz?

David Richard Berkowitz was born on June 1, 1953 New York as Richard David Falco. His biological parents had separated shortly before his birth and gave their son up for adoption. Berkowitz began to show violent behavior as a child and was involved in several minor thefts and arsons; however, he was never really punished for anything. When his adoptive mother passed away, his behavior worsened even more; especially when his adoptive father remarried and moved to Florida without him. In 1971, Berkowitz joined the army and served for three years. Not long after, he committed his first crime.

The crimes of David Berkowitz

On Christmas Eve 1975, Berkowitz stabbed a fifteen-year-old girl six times with a knife; severe injuries, but she managed to survive. Berkowitz later claimed that he had also stabbed a woman that evening, but she was never identified. Seven months after this incident, on July 29, 1976, he struck again. He shot 18-year-old Donna Lauria and 19-year-old Jody Valenti in their car. Lauria was killed instantly, but Valenti survived the attack. It was the beginning of a series of attacks spread across New York. In a year and a half, Berkowitz murdered at least six people; nine others survived his attacks but were injured, some so severely that they suffered paralysis or even lost an eye. On August 10, Berkowitz was arrested, eleven days after his last murder.

Why David Berkowitz was called ‘Son of Sam’

In almost all of his murders, Berkowitz used the same weapon: a .44 caliber pistol. This earned him the nickname ‘The 44 Caliber Killer’. Later, he began leaving letters at his victims‘ locations to taunt the police; in these, he referred to himself as ’The Son of Sam', which then became his nickname. When Berkowitz was interrogated, he explained the rather unusual reason why he chose this name. He claimed that he committed the murders on behalf of his neighbor Sam Carr's dog, which he said was possessed by demons. Later, Berkowitz retracted this statement and said he was part of a cult and that the sons of his neighbor had helped him.

What punishment did ‘The Son of Sam’ receive?

In May 1978, Berkowitz pleaded guilty to the six murders and seven additional injuries, and a month later he was sentenced to six times 25 years to life. This actually means he received six consecutive life sentences. In 2002, he became eligible for parole, but that was ultimately denied.

The Son of Sam now

Currently, Berkowitz is still incarcerated at the Shawangunk Correctional Facility in Wallkill, New York. There, he has become an evangelical Christian and has since adopted the name ‘Son of Hope’. With the help of followers, he wrote a book and started his own website. He also writes essays about faith and participates in school projects for psychology, criminology, and sociology students.

More Conversations with a Killer

For ‘Conversations with a Killer: The Son of Sam Tapes’, the creators previously delved into three other murder cases. In 2019, the series began with a series about Ted Bundy; the infamous serial killer who raped, mutilated, and murdered at least thirty young women, and later received the death penalty. Later, in 2022, two new series were added. The first about John Wayne Gacy, who was also known as ‘The Killer Clown’. He too was sentenced to death after raping and murdering 33 men. A few months later, the creators released their third series, this time about Jeffrey Dahmer; the documentary came about two weeks after the successful ‘Monsters’ series and provided an even deeper insight, with the killer himself also speaking. In this latest documentary, detectives, journalists, survivors of the attacks, and Berkowitz himself share their stories. The focus is on the investigation into and the impact of the actions, and of course on that one question: why did he do this? ‘Conversations with a Killer: The Son of Sam Tapes’ is now available on Netflix.

Source: Britannica, Biography, Netflix. Image: Netflix