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Aug 10, 2007 9:48 pm US/Eastern
CBS 2 Classic: 'Son Of Sam' Captured
Berkowitz Murdered 6, Put NYC In Constant State Of Fear
NEW YORK (CBS) ―
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"Son of Sam" killer David Berkowitz granted CBS 2 HD investigative reporter Scott Weinberger as jailhouse interview early in 2007. The four-part series chronicled Berkowitz's rise to infamy that led to a life in an upstate correctional facility.
CBS
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David Berkowitz's reign of terror in New York City started in late July of 1976 and lasted for the better part of a year. The self-proclaimed "Son of Sam" killed six and kept the city in a constant state of fear.
AP
Everything surrounding the series of murders in New York City during the summer of 1977 was bizarre: the victims, the notes and clues left by the killer, the elusiveness of the "Son of Sam." What was also strange, however fitting, were the words uttered by the suspect as police finally arrived at his home to put an end to a year's worth of terror on Aug. 10, 1977: "Okay," he said. "You got me."
After murdering six people and wounding several others during a summer that left New York City in a perpetual state of fear, David Berkowitz, now more widely known as the Son Of Sam, was surprised it took police so long -- a year since his first attack -- to find him. And unlike most people arrested for murder, he made no attempt to defend himself.
Who Is David Berkowitz?He mostly targeted couples, especially attractive women with shoulder length brown hair. Using a .44-caliber revolver, he first attacked two teenage girls in the Bronx. On July 29, 1976, he shot Jodi Valenti, a 19-year-old who survived the attack, and Donna Lauria, an 18-year-old who did not.
Four more shootings occurred in the New York City area, as five more people were killed and police struggled to identify a suspect. While it wasn't an easy task for the NYPD to identify the man who came to be known as "The .44-caliber Killer," they had some help along the way -- from the murderer himself.
The first note left by Berkowitz is now known as the "Son of Sam Letter," and was found in April of 1977 along a street near which one of the killings took place. Addressed to NYPD Captain Joseph Borrelli, the author of the handwritten note identified himself as the Son of Sam before he continued on a rant that led many psychiatrists to believe the anonymous killer had severe mental problems.
The second clue is known as the "Breslin Letter." On May 30, 1977, New York Daily News columnist Jimmy Breslin also received a handwritten letter from the killer, instilling even more fear in the people of New York. In the letter, the Son of Sam questions Breslin as to what type of column he would write to commemorate the one-year anniversary of the Son of Sam's first attack.
After Robert Violante and Stacy Moskowitz, a young couple, were attacked in Bensonhurst on July 31, a local woman came forward to help police connect the dots.
Cecilia Davis, a Brooklyn resident, called police to alert them that she had seen a man around the scene of the crime only minutes before the shooting. He appeared to be the owner of a Ford Galaxie, and his car may have been ticketed, she told police.
Using this information, police tracked down David Berkowitz -- a resident of Yonkers. On Aug. 10, 1977, police finally saw an end to the intense manhunt in sight.
How Detectives Tracked Him DownDespite the fact that police had no warrant to search Berkowitz property, they did investigate his car. While searching the vehicle parked outside his home, officers found the .44-caliber weapon that had given David Berkowitz his nickname. Along with this, they found maps of the various crime scenes and a loaded machine gun.
That evening, the killer emerged from his apartment as police surrounded the home. It was then that he spoke the words that ended the state of ongoing confusion and terror for the city of New York: "Okay, you got me."
The ArrestBerkowitz, the then 24-year-old postal worker, quickly confessed to the crimes when apprehended at police headquarters. In a fully cooperative effort, Berkowitz pleaded guilty to six counts of murder, and wounding seven others.
Ballistics Tests Link Berkowitz To KillingsOn June 12, 1978, Berkowitz was sentenced to serve six life sentences.
The Son Of Sam Faces Charges Berkowitz Undergoes Psychiatric TreatmentAfter being locked away for three decades, David Berkowitz spoke exclusively with CBS 2's Scott Weinberger.
The Interview:
Son Of Sam Exclusive Interview, Part 1 Son Of Sam Exclusive Interview, Part 2 Son Of Sam Exclusive Interview, Part 3 Son Of Sam Exclusive Interview, Part 4 Bonus Footage: Behind The Scenes Look At The 'Son OF Sam' Interview
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