Son Of Sam: The Truth About The Serial Killer

In 1977, serial killer David Berkowitz gained worldwide notoriety after terrorizing New York City with a string of seemingly random murders. Berkowitz taunted the police and the media with cryptic letters calling himself "Son of Sam" and "Mr. Monster" before he was finally caught on August 10, 1977. Berkowitz ultimately pleaded guilty to eight separate shooting attacks.

Along with documentaries like Netflix's Sons of Sam, the Berkowitz case has been used as fodder for several TV show episodes and feature-length movies, including Spike Lee's 1999 thriller Summer of Sam. Having a hard time separating fact from fiction? Here's the truth about the serial killer known as Son of Sam.

#SonOfSam #TrueCrime #Netflix

Six murders | 0:00
He had a type | 1:32
Did he act alone? | 2:21
The neighbor's dog | 3:41
A prolific arsonist? | 4:43
Army training | 5:40
Born again | 6:35
Changing laws | 7:28
Tabloid legend | 8:30
Poorly handled investigation | 9:25
Getting caught | 10:21
Inventing Son of Sam | 11:23

[saints]

He was declared sane. He admitted he made up the story about the talking dog.

[timothysprewell]

This man had infused sheer terror in my world. The fact that he could be anywhere & be anyone!! A co-worker, a cop, your neighbor hell even a family member. He started my facination with serial killers....I wanted to know what makes them "tick!"

[andromedanative]

I was a child then, remembering how scared I was for my father who worked in the city, New York was so dangerous then, terrified as a child to even take the train to meet my dad, never forgotten that fear.

[arreola]

The fact that there were so many different sketches of the guy, seems to corroborate the possibility that there were several killers.

[nagone]

I remember back in the late 70's it was believed Berkowitz did not act alone. Some of the victims and witnesses said they saw others, not Berkowitz. This was back in 1979...so we know he didn't act alone. The police and the media didn't want to follow this up, they wanted this over and done with.

[cynthiagonzalez]

My brother-in-law was best friends of son of Sam's brother and they had no clue about him. Even his brother.

[wojtek]

Spike Lee also has a great film based of the son of Sam killings

[nytrayfl]

I was a child during this summer, which became the end of innocence for our generation who grew up in New York. It was the first time many of us followed the news of any kind, and it was a terrifying time that seeped into our daily lives. Kids were afraid to play outside as soon as it got too dark. All our games revolved around Son of Sam, from tag, to cops and robbers. The Daily News or The New York Post replaced the comic books that we’d spend our allowance money on. Kids a little older than myself, the same ages of my cousins, were dying. And we were traveling through the thick of it to bring my baby brother to and from chemotherapy treatments in the city. A month later, Elvis dies. No wonder my poor mother had a breakdown that summer.

[GeOsmomGina]

Never heard that David Berkowitz, was a volunteer Firefighter. He was an Auxiliary police officer. The so called neighbor's dog he shot, was the"dog" who spoke to him. That dog's owner had two son's who were involved with the SOS murders just look at the sketches.

[eddievenuto]

He had bloodlust. He couldn't stop. He had a 44 caliber bulldog revolver. I was surprises he got caught.

[xiaodre]

"That was not me."

David Berkowitz

[stephenclemence]

Interesting for a while there, he seemed to be wearing Jeffery Dahmer's glasses.

[wookinooki]

Maybe someone in the cult forced him to retract his dog story, maybe it was true that he believed it, maybe he and other serial killers were manipulated by cult leaders

[NatrfcWatp]

It’s was a cult a survivor said he was there but it was another person that shot him

[reverse]

Bruh what is that background music, it's so annoying.

[dave]

Yeah, he was a piece of work. The dog made him do it.

[BM-cegm]

AND NO I AM NOT A PROFIT NEVER CLAIMED TO BE AND I DEFINITELY DO NOT WANT ATTENTION NEVER HAVE ESPECIALLY NOT THE ATTENTION I GOT. I WOULD LIKE THOUGH FOR PEOPLE TO STOP TELLING LIES ABOUT ME AND HURTING ME AND OTHERS. I GUESS I AM JUST A SERIAL KILLER IN SECRET FOR THAT RIGHT???? REALLY 😢 SAD. AND TERRIBLE THAT PEOPLE ARE AS RUTHLESS AS THIS GUY IS. BUT I DON'T KNOW HIM PERSONALLY BUT I DO BELIEVE CAN FORGIVE HIM ONLY IF HE'S TRUTHFUL IN HIS BELIEFS IN GOD. I AM A LESBIAN AND I WILL ALWAYS BE AND I WILL ALWAYS BELIEVE IN GOD NOT MANKIND AND TO ME THAT IS THE WAY IT SHOULD BE.