Offender Record · OFF-2026-012
David Berkowitz (photo from the Radford University biography)
David Richard Berkowitz
Also known as Son of Sam, .44 Caliber Killer, Phantom of the Bronx
Sex
Male
Race
White
Hair
Black
Born
1953
Custody
Incarcerated
States
NY, KR, KY
Distinguishing featuresEight-inch scar on left side of neck from front to back, sustained in 1979 prison attack requiring 58 stitches.
Custody
Sentenced to six consecutive 25-year-to-life terms on June 12, 1978. Transferred to Shawangunk Correctional Facility in April 2016, where he remains as of 2024.
This record documents arrests, charges and convictions reported by courts, law enforcement agencies and news organizations. Every statement is tied to a cited source with an archived copy. A charge is an accusation, not proof of guilt; a person charged is presumed innocent unless convicted. Solve the Case does not allege that this person committed any offense beyond what the cited records state, and this record is not a suggestion that the person is connected to any unsolved case. How records are built, corrected and removed.
Summary of the record
David Berkowitz, born June 1, 1953, pleaded guilty in May 1978 to six counts of second-degree murder and seven counts of attempted second-degree murder committed between July 1976 and July 1977 in New York City. He also attempted to kill two women with a hunting knife on December 24, 1975, in the Bronx. Berkowitz confessed to killing six people and wounding eleven others with a .44 caliber Bulldog revolver. He was sentenced to six consecutive 25-year-to-life sentences in June 1978 and remains incarcerated at Shawangunk Correctional Facility.
Documented Arrests, Charges and Convictions
Dispositions are shown exactly as the cited records report them. Pending charges are updated when a court acts; a record with no remaining conviction or pending charge is removed from the site.
Offense date Dec 24, 1975, Bronx, New York
Attempted second-degree murder (two counts)
New York Police Department · New York Supreme Court · Convicted Convicted · Sentence: Part of six consecutive 25-year-to-life sentences
Berkowitz stabbed an unidentified Hispanic woman and a 15-year-old female (Michelle Forman) with a hunting knife on Christmas Eve 1975. The first victim's injuries were minor and she escaped. The second victim suffered six serious stab wounds to head and torso but survived. Berkowitz was not charged with these attacks at the time; he confessed after his 1977 arrest.
SourcesSon of Sam: Everything to Know About Serial Killer David Berkowitz; Radford University serial killer biography: Berkowitz, David
Offense date Jul 29, 1976, Bronx, New York
Second-degree murder
New York Police Department · New York Supreme Court · Arrested Aug 10, 1977 · Convicted Convicted · Sentence: 25 years to life
Victim Donna Lauria, 18, shot in the neck. An 19-year-old female companion (Jody Valenti) was shot in the hip and survived. Berkowitz approached a parked car and fired five shots with a .44 caliber Bulldog revolver. This was Berkowitz's first fatal shooting and marked the beginning of his Son of Sam rampage.
SourcesDavid Berkowitz; Case File: David Berkowitz; Radford University serial killer biography: Berkowitz, David
Offense date Oct 23, 1976, Queens, New York
Attempted second-degree murder
New York Police Department · New York Supreme Court · Arrested Aug 10, 1977 · Convicted Convicted · Sentence: 25 years to life (concurrent)
Two adults shot in parked car: Carl Denaro, 20, struck in the head and requiring major surgery; Rosemary Keenan, 18, wounded. Both survived. Five shots fired with .44 caliber revolver.
SourcesRadford University serial killer biography: Berkowitz, David; Case File: David Berkowitz
Offense date Nov 27, 1976, Queens, New York
Attempted second-degree murder
New York Police Department · New York Supreme Court · Arrested Aug 10, 1977 · Convicted Convicted · Sentence: 25 years to life (concurrent)
Two young women shot while walking home from movie: Donna DeMasi, 16, survived; Joanne Lamino (Lomino), 18, was paralyzed from waist down after bullet shattered her spine. Berkowitz shot them while pretending to ask for directions.
SourcesRadford University serial killer biography: Berkowitz, David; Case File: David Berkowitz
Offense date Jan 30, 1977, Queens, New York
Second-degree murder
New York Police Department · New York Supreme Court · Arrested Aug 10, 1977 · Convicted Convicted · Sentence: 25 years to life
Christine Freund, 26, shot in head and died at hospital. Her fiancé John Deil, also shot, survived. Both were sitting in parked car.
SourcesRadford University serial killer biography: Berkowitz, David; Case File: David Berkowitz
Offense date Mar 08, 1977, Queens, New York
Second-degree murder
New York Police Department · New York Supreme Court · Arrested Aug 10, 1977 · Convicted Convicted · Sentence: 25 years to life
Virginia Voskerichian, 21, Barnard College student, shot in face as she returned home from classes. Killed instantly.
SourcesRadford University serial killer biography: Berkowitz, David; Case File: David Berkowitz
Offense date Apr 17, 1977, Bronx, New York
Second-degree murder
New York Police Department · New York Supreme Court · Arrested Aug 10, 1977 · Convicted Convicted · Sentence: 25 years to life
Valentina Saurani (Suriani), 18, died instantly; Alexander Esau, 20, died at hospital. Both shot while sitting in car. Berkowitz left note signed 'Son of Sam' at scene stating 'Come and get me. Son of Sam.'
SourcesRadford University serial killer biography: Berkowitz, David; Case File: David Berkowitz
Offense date Jun 26, 1977, Queens, New York
Attempted second-degree murder
New York Police Department · New York Supreme Court · Arrested Aug 10, 1977 · Convicted Convicted · Sentence: 25 years to life (concurrent)
Judy Placido shot in neck, temple, and shoulder; Salvatore Lupe also shot. Both survived and were able to provide police with physical description of attacker.
SourcesRadford University serial killer biography: Berkowitz, David
Offense date Jul 31, 1977, Brooklyn, New York
Second-degree murder
New York Police Department · New York Supreme Court · Arrested Aug 10, 1977 · Convicted Convicted · Sentence: 25 years to life
Stacy Moskowitz, 20, killed; Robert Violante (Robert Violante), 20, partially blinded. Both shot while sitting in parked car. Berkowitz received parking ticket next to fire hydrant; this ticket led to his identification and arrest.
SourcesRadford University serial killer biography: Berkowitz, David; Case File: David Berkowitz
Pattern and Background
Victim counts and the pattern of the offenses as stated by courts, agencies and the cited reporting. Suspected counts are what officials have said publicly, not a finding of this site.
6
Victims convicted
11
Victims confessed
0
Victims suspected
Active years
1975–1977
Victim profile
Young women, Teenagers, Couples, Strangers
Range from home
regional
Confessed
Yes
Education
high school
Marital history
Never married
Children
0
Military discharge
honorable
Places Lived, Worked and Frequented
Each place and date range comes from a cited record. Dates marked approximate are as reported. Know a place that is missing? Use Edit record under the photo; a moderator reviews it before it appears.
KR
South Korea
Dec 1971 – Jan 1973 · Demilitarized Zone; Specialist E4 rank, infantryman · army
KY
Fort Knox, Kentucky
Jul 1971 – Dec 1971 · Army Induction Center and Infantry Training · army
Fort Knox, Kentucky
Jan 1973 – Jun 1974 · Stationed after return from Korea · army
NY
The Bronx, New York
approx. 1953 – Jun 1970 · Soundview section; P.S. 77 at Ward Avenue and 172nd Street
The Bronx, New York
approx. 1970 – 1974 · Co-op City housing development
The Bronx, New York
approx. 1974 – Sep 1974 · Security guard at I.B.I. (Interiors & Building Interiors)
The Bronx, New York
approx. 1974 – 1974 · Enrolled at Bronx Community College
The Bronx, New York
approx. 1974 – Jan 1975 · Taxi driver/cab driver
The Bronx, New York
approx. Jan 1975 – Apr 1975 · 2161 Barnes Avenue apartment
Jamaica, New York
approx. Jun 1975 – Oct 1975 · Security guard at JFK Airport; claimed to hear voices from dogs
The Bronx, New York
approx. Oct 1975 – Mar 1976 · Duct worker for air conditioning company
City of New Rochelle, New York
approx. Jan 1976 – Apr 1976 · Two-family home owned by Jack and Nann Cassara; signed 2-year lease
New York, New York
Mar 1976 – Jul 1977 · United States Postal Service, letter sorter
Yonkers, New York
Apr 1976 – Aug 1977 · 35 Pine Street apartment; neighbor Sam Carr had black Labrador Harvey
Brooklyn, New York
approx. Aug 1977 – Aug 1977 · Kings County Psychiatric Center psychiatric ward
Yonkers, New York
Aug 10, 1977 – Aug 10, 1977 · Arrested in front of apartment building at 35 Pine Street
Village of Dannemora, New York
approx. Jun 1978 – Jul 1978 · Clinton Correctional Facility for psychiatric and physical examinations
Village of Ossining, New York
approx. Jun 13, 1978 – Jun 13, 1978 · Sing Sing Prison (brief transfer)
Town of Marcy, New York
approx. Jul 1978 – Sep 1978 · Central New York Psychiatric Center, approximately 6-8 weeks
Village of Attica, New York
approx. Sep 1978 – 1990 · Attica Correctional Facility, supermax prison; attacked by fellow inmate in July 1979 requiring 58 stitches
Town of Fallsburg, New York
Dec 1987 – Apr 2016 · Sullivan Correctional Facility; accepted Christ as personal savior 1987; worked as janitor and porter
Village of Dannemora, New York
approx. 1990 – Dec 1987 · Clinton Correctional Facility, approximately 7 years
Town of Wallkill, New York
Apr 2016 – present · Shawangunk Correctional Facility, Ulster County
Known Vehicles
Vehicles and approximate dates of ownership or use, as reported in the cited records. A photo next to a vehicle is the vehicle itself as published.
1968 Cream or brown Buick Skylark – Berkowitz's vehicle at time of final shooting and arrest. A cream-colored Ford Galaxie is mentioned as being ticketed at scene of last murder; conflicting reports on vehicle make.
approx. 1976 – 1977
Parking ticket at fire hydrant on July 31, 1977, near Bath Beach, Brooklyn shooting led to Berkowitz's identification and arrest.
Timeline
Jun 01, 1953
David Richard Falco born to Joseph Kleinman and Betty Broder Falco; adopted within weeks by Nathan and Pearl Berkowitz and renamed David Richard Berkowitz.
Oct 05, 1967
Adoptive mother Pearl died from breast cancer; David was 14 years old.
Jun 23, 1971
Berkowitz enlisted in U.S. Army at age 18 at Army Induction Center in Manhattan.
Jul 1971
Passed Army psychological and physical tests; stationed at Fort Knox, Kentucky for infantry training.
Dec 1971
Shipped to South Korea as Specialist E4; stationed in Demilitarized Zone.
Jun 25, 1974
Honorably discharged from Army.
Jan 1975
Moved into apartment at 2161 Barnes Avenue in Bronx.
Jun 1975
Hired as security guard at JFK Airport; claimed to hear voices from dogs accompanying him during shifts.
Sep 28, 1975
Began to set series of fires in New York.
Nov 1975
Wrote letter to adoptive father Nathan admitting feelings of deep depression; began listening to voices and attacking.
Dec 23, 1975
Set the last of 1,488 fires documented in three notebooks.
Dec 24, 1975
Attempted to kill two young women with hunting knife on footbridge in Co-op City, Bronx: unidentified Hispanic woman and 15-year-old Michelle Forman; both survived.
Jan 1976
Moved to two-family home at New Rochelle owned by Jack and Nann Cassara; signed 2-year lease with $200 deposit.
Mar 15, 1976
Started working for U.S. Postal Service at $13,000 per year.
Apr 1976
Moved from Cassara home to apartment at 35 Pine Street in Yonkers; neighbor was 63-year-old Sam Carr with black Labrador Harvey.
Jun 1976
Purchased .44 caliber Charter Arms Bulldog handgun while visiting Army buddy Billy Dan Parker in Houston.
Jul 29, 1976
At 1 a.m., fired five shots into parked car in Bronx; killed Donna Lauria (18) with shot to neck; wounded Jody Valenti (19) in hip. First fatal shooting of Son of Sam rampage.
Oct 23, 1976
At 2:30 a.m., fired five shots into parked car; wounded Rosemary Keenan and Carl Denaro. Denaro underwent major head surgery and survived.
Nov 27, 1976
Shot Donna DeMasi (16) and Joanne Lamino (18) while pretending to ask for directions; both survived, Lamino paralyzed from waist down after spinal injury.
Jan 30, 1977
Shot John Deil and Christine Freund (26); Christine died after being shot in head at hospital; John survived and ran for help.
Mar 08, 1977
Shot Virginia Voskerichian (21) in face as she returned home from Barnard College classes; killed instantly.
Mar 10, 1977
Police released information about .44 caliber gun used in all killings; linked murders of Donna Lauria and Virginia Voskerichian.
Apr 10, 1977
Sam Carr received anonymous letter complaining about his Labrador Harvey, signed 'A Citizen.'
Apr 17, 1977
Valentina Saurani (18) died instantly and Alexander Esau (20) died at hospital from gunshot wounds. Letter left at scene signed 'Son of Sam' stating 'Come and get me. Son of Sam.' Berkowitz received traffic summons for driving car with no insurance.
Apr 19, 1977
Operation Omega task force assembled under leadership of Timmy Dowd; included 75 detectives and 225 uniformed officers.
Apr 19, 1977
Sam Carr received second letter stating 'I can see that there will be no peace in my life, or my family's life, until I end yours.' Carr reported letter to Yonkers police.
Apr 29, 1977
Carr's dog Harvey was shot but survived.
Jun 01, 1977
Berkowitz wrote letters to Daily News reporter Jimmy Breslin.
Jun 06, 1977
Sent threatening letter to downstairs neighbor Craig Glassman stating 'True, I am the killer, but Craig, the killings are at your command.'
Jun 18, 1977
Craig Glassman received second threatening letter.
Jun 26, 1977
Shot Judy Placido in neck, temple, and shoulder; shot Salvatore Lupe. Both survived.
Jul 29, 1977
Quit job at post office on one-year anniversary of Donna Lauria's murder.
Jul 31, 1977
Final shooting: Stacy Moskowitz (20) killed; Robert Violante (20) blinded from gunshot wounds. David parked next to fire hydrant and received parking ticket. Cassara family phoned cops about Berkowitz, but police did not believe them.
Aug 06, 1977
Set fire with 20 .22 caliber bullets in it on Craig Glassman's front door.
Aug 10, 1977
Detectives tracked down David's car in Yonkers and arrested him; charged with being Son of Sam.
Aug 23, 1977
Arraigned for two murders and five attempted murders.
Aug 24, 1977
Berkowitz underwent psychiatric testing at Kings County Psychiatric Center.
Aug 24, 1977
Arraigned for three more murders and one additional attempted murder.
Aug 30, 1977
Judge Gerald Held read psychiatric report stating Berkowitz was insane.
Oct 20, 1977
First competency hearing; Dr. Abrahamsen evaluated David's sanity and stated paranoid traits do not interfere with fitness to stand trial.
Apr 1978
Second competency hearing; Berkowitz's IQ was 115 (verbal=117, performance=110); doctors agreed he was psychopathic personality with malingering, paranoid and hysterical traits.
May 08, 1978
Berkowitz pleaded guilty to six counts of second-degree murder and seven counts of attempted second-degree murder.
Sources
Solve the Case is never the original source. Each item below is the public record a statement on this page rests on, with an archived copy where one exists.
Other · Wikipedia ·
David Berkowitz“David Richard Berkowitz pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and was sentenced to six concurrent life sentences with the possibility of parole after twenty-five years.”
Other government record · Radford University Department of Psychology ·
Radford University serial killer biography: Berkowitz, David“David Berkowitz 'Son of Sam' serial killer researched by Radford University students”
News report · Britannica ·
David Berkowitz“Berkowitz was arrested on August 10, 1977, and on May 8, 1978, he pleaded guilty; in June he was sentenced to 365 years in prison.”
News report · Biography.com ·
Son of Sam: Everything to Know About Serial Killer David Berkowitz“In December 1975, Berkowitz attempted to kill a woman and a teenage girl with a hunting knife on a footbridge in the Bronx's Co-op City. His first victim, an unidentified Hispanic woman, managed to fight him off and escape, while 15-year-old Michelle Forman suffered extensive injuries but survived the attack.”
News report · A&E Television Networks ·
Case File: David Berkowitz“In May 1978, Berkowitz pleaded guilty to all six murders, bypassing a lengthy trial.”
News report · History.com ·
Son of Sam serial killer is arrested“On August 10, 1977, police arrest 24-year-old postal employee David Berkowitz and charged him with being the 'Son of Sam,' the serial killer who terrorized New York City for more than a year, killing six young people and wounding seven others.”
News report · CBS News ·
Son of Sam: A serial killer's reign of terror“The brown 1968 Buick Skylark belonging to Robert Violante, 20, parked in Bath Beach, Brooklyn, N.Y., where Violante and Stacy Moskowitz, 19, were shot by David Berkowitz.”
News report · Military.com ·
5 Military Veterans Who Became Serial Killers“Brooklyn native David Berkowitz enlisted in the Army in 1971 and served at Fort Knox, Kentucky, and with an infantry division in South Korea. He was honorably discharged in 1974.”
News report · Parking Mobility Magazine ·
The Parking Ticket is Mightier Than the Sword“One of those parking tickets was issued to a cream-colored Ford Galaxie that was illegally parked in front of a fire hydrant. Authorities eventually determined that this vehicle belonged to Berkowitz.”
News report · CBS News ·
Serial killer David Berkowitz, aka Son of Sam, tells professor 'I was once an evil person'“During his stay at Attica Correctional Facility, Berkowitz was attacked by another inmate in 1979 and received a potentially fatal slash to the left side of his neck that required nearly 60 stitches to close.”
Discussion
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