David Richard Berkowitz American serial killer. Date of Birth: 01.06.1953 Country: USA

1. Biography of David Richard Berkowitz
2. Assisting in the Investigation
3. Media Sensationalism
4. Background and Motivation
5. Source: The Most Dangerous Serial Killers

Biography of David Richard Berkowitz

David Richard Berkowitz, also known as the "Son of Sam," was an American serial killer. Born in New York City, Berkowitz was sentenced to prison in July 1978 for the brutal murders of six young, attractive women and the severe injuries inflicted on seven others. The judge, when delivering the sentence of 315 years in prison, expressed a sincere wish that Berkowitz would remain incarcerated until the very last day of his life. In New York, there was not a single resident who thought otherwise, as there was no other criminal in the city who inspired such fear and hatred. Throughout most of 1977, Berkowitz terrorized the city, earning himself the nickname "Son of Sam." Despite the efforts of law enforcement agencies and psychic investigators, it took a while to apprehend the man responsible for these heinous crimes.

Assisting in the Investigation

Renowned American psychic Uri Geller writes about his involvement in the search for David Berkowitz: "Carl, a customs agent, convinced me of the necessity to help in the hunt for this killer. He introduced me to a police officer who was willing to try any method to catch the murderer. One evening, we went to the scene of the 'Son of Sam's' last crime in a desolate place called 'Lovers Lane,' near the Vernano Bridge. Before we left, he showed me several photographs of the previous victims – the unfortunate girls who were mutilated. I was ready to do everything in my power to assist in capturing the man responsible for what I had seen in those pictures. At the crime scene, I went over every inch, trying to concentrate as much as possible. Perhaps I even concentrated too much. Then, I gathered my feelings and impressions and provided the police with a rough description of the killer. Additionally, I mentioned one word that persisted in my mind: 'Yonkers.'

I felt that I had not been of much help to the police. Yonkers is a vast district in New York, and there are possibly thousands of people with features similar to those I described. Later, I learned that the police did capture Berkowitz by checking all the cars that were parked and received corresponding parking tickets in the vicinity of the crime scene during or shortly before the time of the murders. That's how they stumbled upon the trail of the killer, who indeed resided in Yonkers. They tracked him to his apartment, where the arrest was made.

The fact that the small piece of information I provided turned out to be accurate was of little consolation to me. Unfortunately, it was not precise enough to save the life of at least one more innocent girl. To complete the story of this dreadful case, it can be added that I found out that several psychics were involved at different stages of the manhunt. One of them was able to provide additional information which, combined with mine, brought an end to the criminal activities of the 'Son of Sam.'"

Media Sensationalism

The press, radio, and television went into a frenzy surrounding these tragic events. Long before the capture of the killer, the media became complicit, earning huge sums of money by essentially glorifying the murderer. The press even speculated that the maniac would commit another murder on the anniversary of his first crime. It is quite possible that this instigation led to yet another killing, just two days after that ominous anniversary. When Berkowitz was arrested, his room was found to be filled with newspaper and magazine clippings about his crimes and victims.

Background and Motivation

David Berkowitz had served in the military in South Korea but developed a drug addiction during his time there. After his discharge, he worked as a mailman. The combination of drugs and loneliness led to a distortion of his psyche.

Even before Berkowitz's arrest, American publishers, television, and film companies had already signed contracts for books and screenplays about the killer's life, crimes, and victims. After his arrest, Berkowitz himself took up writing and immediately acquired his own "literary agent."

Source: The Most Dangerous Serial Killers