David Berkowitz
A postal worker whose 1970s shooting spree, conducted under a demonic delusion, sparked a media frenzy and reshaped New York City's psyche.
Born 1953 (age 73)·American serial killer·Birthday: June 1·Baby Boomers
Biography
David Berkowitz's name is forever tied to the summer of 1977, when New York City, already on edge from a blackout and financial crisis, was gripped by fear of a lone gunman. A quiet, overweight postal worker from Yonkers, Berkowitz claimed a neighbor's demon-possessed dog named 'Harvey' commanded him to kill. Using a .44 caliber revolver, he targeted young couples in parked cars, killing six and wounding seven. His taunting letters to the police and press, signed 'Son of Sam,' fueled a tabloid circus and the largest manhunt in the city's history. His capture, following a parking ticket left near a crime scene, brought a tense relief. Berkowitz pleaded guilty and received six life sentences. In prison, he underwent a dramatic conversion to evangelical Christianity, now works as a counselor, and has repeatedly expressed remorse, claiming his crimes were driven by severe mental illness.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
David was born in 1953, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When David Was Born
The biggest hits of 1953
#1 Movie
Peter Pan
Best Picture
From Here to Eternity
#1 TV Show
I Love Lucy
David's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1953Born
DNA structure discovered by Watson and Crick
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $8,750Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Song from Moulin Rouge" — Percy FaithBest Picture: From Here to Eternity
1958Started school
NASA founded
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $11,050Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Volare" — Domenico ModugnoBest Picture: Gigi
1966Became a teenager
Star Trek premieres on television
Gas: $0.32/galHome: $14,200Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"The Ballad of the Green Berets" — SSgt Barry SadlerBest Picture: A Man for All Seasons
1969Could drive
Apollo 11: humans walk on the Moon; Woodstock festival
Gas: $0.35/galHome: $15,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Sugar, Sugar" — The ArchiesBest Picture: Midnight Cowboy
1971Could vote
Voting age lowered to 18 in the US
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $18,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Joy to the World" — Three Dog NightBest Picture: The French Connection
1974Turned 21
Nixon resigns the presidency
Gas: $0.53/galHome: $22,600Min wage: $2.00/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"The Way We Were" — Barbra StreisandBest Picture: The Godfather Part II
1983Turned 30
Internet adopts TCP/IP, creating the modern internet
Gas: $1.16/galHome: $57,700Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Every Breath You Take" — The PoliceBest Picture: Terms of Endearment
1993Turned 40
European Union officially established
Gas: $1.11/galHome: $86,600Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"I Will Always Love You" — Whitney HoustonBest Picture: Schindler's List
2003Turned 50
US invades Iraq; Human Genome Project completed
Gas: $1.59/galHome: $146,000Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"In Da Club" — 50 CentBest Picture: The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
2013Turned 60
Edward Snowden reveals NSA surveillance programs
Gas: $3.53/galHome: $152,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Thrift Shop" — Macklemore & Ryan LewisBest Picture: 12 Years a Slave
2023Turned 70
ChatGPT goes mainstream; Israel-Hamas war begins
Gas: $3.52/galHome: $361,600Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"Flowers" — Miley CyrusBest Picture: Oppenheimer
2026Age 73 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- His crimes directly led to the formation of the NYPD's Major Case Squad, a dedicated unit for investigating high-profile serial crimes.
- The media frenzy surrounding the case prompted New York to pass 'Son of Sam' laws, preventing criminals from profiting from their crimes through book or movie deals.
- His use of letters to taunt police and the press became a blueprint for how modern serial killers seek notoriety and engage with the media.
- His capture, aided by a single parking ticket, is a classic case study in forensic luck and detective work in pre-digital policing.
- His subsequent prison ministry and claims of redemption have sparked ongoing debate about remorse, mental illness, and the possibility of rehabilitation for violent offenders.
Did You Know?
He served in the U.S. Army as a fireteam leader in South Korea before his crimes.
He was an avid arsonist in his youth, setting over 1,400 fires according to his own accounts.
The name 'Son of Sam' was derived from his neighbor Sam Carr, whom he believed housed the demonic dog that gave him orders.
He was apprehended after police traced a parking ticket issued near his final shooting to his car, a yellow Ford Galaxie.
In prison, he changed his name to 'Son of Hope' and has co-authored books about his religious conversion.
“I am the 'Son of Sam'. I am a little brat.”
