David Berkowitz, born Richard David Falco, was the product of a complex and tumultuous family situation. His mother, who had an affair with a married real-estate agent, gave him up for adoption to Nathan and Pearl Berkowitz, who named him David. This rejection by his birth mother would later have a profound impact on his psyche, causing him to develop an inferiority complex, particularly with women.
As a young adult, Berkowitz worked as a postman and security guard, but his life took a dark turn in 1974 when he began to hear voices in his head that ordered him to kill. He would later blame these voices on his neighbor's black Labrador, which kept him up at night with its barking.
Berkowitz's modus operandi was to approach unsuspecting victims late at night, pull out a gun from a brown paper bag, and shoot them at point-blank range. Most of his victims were couples, often brunettes with long hair, which caused widespread fear and panic in parts of New York City. The authorities advised couples to stay indoors at night, and many women began to "blond" themselves and cut their hair short in an attempt to avoid being targeted.
The police task force, known as "Operation Omega," was formed to catch the killer, who was dubbed the ".44 Caliber Killer" due to the type of gun used in the crimes. The case took a dramatic turn when a letter was found inside the car of one of the victims, addressed to a police captain and a New York columnist, identifying the killer as "Sam's." The press soon dubbed him the "Son of Sam."
The last "S.o.S" killing occurred on July 31, 1977, and a witness had seen Berkowitz near the crime scene, walking away from the scene with something tucked under his jacket. The police traced the parking tickets in the area to Berkowitz's address in Yonkers and found a loaded.44 caliber gun in his car. Berkowitz was arrested, and after a brief struggle, he surrendered and confessed to being the "Son of Sam."
Despite being diagnosed as a paranoid schizophrenic, Berkowitz was found sane enough to stand trial and was sentenced to six life sentences on August 23, 1977.
