David BerkowitzKayla Baskind and Kaitlyn Obetz

Childhood

• Born • On June 1, 1953• In Brooklyn, New York

• Birth Parents: Betty and Tony Falco• Divorced before birth• Tony left her for another woman • Betty later had an affair with a married real estate

agent, Joseph Kleinman• Kleinman threatened to abandon her while she was

pregnant if she kept the baby• Betty put David up for adoption • Within a few days of his birth, he was adopted

Childhood

• Adopted Parents: Pearl and Nathan Berkowitz

• Lived in Bronx• Wealthy• Pearl died of breast cancer when David was 14• Disliked Nathan’s second wife

• Behavior• Above-average intelligence• Said to be “somewhat troubled”• Lot interest in learning when young• Seen as spoiled and a bully• Poisoned his girlfriends Parakeet because he felt it was

competing with him for her attention

Adult Life

• Joined US army in 1971 at age 18• Served in the United States and South

Korea

• When returning from service in 1974, he located Betty (birth mother)a• Forensic anthropologists have

found that is adopting and finding out his illegitimacy was detrimental to his personal identity

Mental Disorder

•Chronic schizophrenia •Became obsessed with satanic

cults

Crimes

•Michelle Foreman Stabbing• Actually stabbed two individuals • One was never identified•Michelle Foreman lived but was

severely injured and hospitalized

Crimes

• Donna Lauria and Jody Valenti shooting• First shooting of his criminal history• Lauria was killed instantly from a bullet

to her head• Vealenti survived and said that she did

not recognize the killer

Crimes

• Carl Denaro and Rosemary Keenan shooting• Occurred in Queens• Both victims were sitting in a parked car• Windows Shattered• Kennan sped off• Neither victim was killed, but Danero suffered a

head injury while Kennan only suffered superficial wounds from the broken glass

Crimes

• Donna DeMasi and Joanne Lomino shooting• Both victims had just come home from a

movie and were talking on a front porch• Berkowicz approached the victims and

pretended to ask for directions when he produced a revolver and shot them both

• One in the neck• One in the head and suffered greatly in serious

condition and became a paraplegic

Crimes

• Christine Freund and John Diel shooting• Queens• Victims were sitting outside in a car after

seeing a movie• Frued was killed from two bullets to the

head• Diel, who was driving the car, suffered

minor injuries

Crimes

• Virginia Voskerichian shooting• Colombia University Student• Walking home from school• She lifted her textbooks in attempt to

shield herself• Two bullets to the head killed her

The crimes continue…

• Following these crimes the police received a letter from David

• I am deeply hurt by your calling me a women hater. I am not. But I am a monster. I am the "Son of Sam." I am a little "brat". When father Sam gets drunk he gets mean. He beats his family. Sometimes he ties me up to the back of the house. Other times he locks me in the garage. Sam loves to drink blood. "Go out and kill" commands father Sam. Behind our house some rest. Mostly young — raped and slaughtered — their blood drained — just bones now. Papa Sam keeps me locked in the attic, too. I can't get out but I look out the attic window and watch the world go by. I feel like an outsider. I am on a different wave length then everybody else — programmed too kill. However, to stop me you must kill me. Attention all police: Shoot me first — shoot to kill or else. Keep out of my way or you will die! Papa Sam is old now. He needs some blood to preserve his youth. He has had too many heart attacks. Too many heart attacks. "Ugh, me hoot it hurts sonny boy." I miss my pretty princess most of all. She's resting in our ladies house but I'll see her soon. I am the "Monster" — "Beelzebub" — the "Chubby Behemouth." I love to hunt. Prowling the streets looking for fair game — tasty meat. The wemon of Queens are z prettyist of all. I must be the water they drink. I live for the hunt — my life. Blood for papa. Mr. Borrelli, sir, I dont want to kill anymore no sir, no more but I must, "honour thy father." I want to make love to the world. I love people. I don't belong on Earth. Return me to yahoos. To the people of Queens, I love you. And I wa want to wish all of you a happy Easter. May God bless you in this life and in the next and for now I say goodbye and goodnight. Police — Let me haunt you with these words; I'll be back! I'll be back! To be interrpreted as — bang, bang, bang, bank, bang — ugh!! Yours in murder Mr. Monster[31]

Crime details

• From July 1976 until August 1977, New York City lived in terror.• Killed 6 total• Wounded 7 others• All were shot with a .44 Caliber

Behavior

• A 49 year old women saw David tearing up a parking ticket• She contacted police who said that no

parking ticket was issued on that street• They linked the parking ticket to a car

involved in the murders• They had found their guy…

Behavior

• Police went to his address, and with just one tough question they had their man• "What's your name?" they asked him as he

sat in his car. • "I'm Sam," he replied, smiling maniacally.• In thirty minutes, he confessed to

everything.

Trial

• David Berkowicz did withstand trial• During the trial he would mumble to

himself

Sentancing

•Convicted of murder• Sentanced to 365 years in prison

Where is he now?

• Sullivan Correctional Facility in Fallsburg, New York• 60 years old

Bibliography

• Rule, Ann. Lust Killer. New York, N.Y: Signet, 1988. Web.• Lourie, Richard. Hunting the Devil. New York:

HarperCollinsPublishers, 1993. Online• Kolarik, Gera-Lind, and Wayne Klatt. Freed to Kill: The True

Story of Serial Murderer Larry Eyler. New York: Avon Books, 1992. Online.

• Cahill, Tim, and Russ Ewing. Buried Dreams: Inside the Mind of a Serial Killer. New York: Bantam Books, 1986. Web.

• Schechter, Harold. Deviant: The Shocking True Story of the Original "psycho". New York, NY: Pocket Books, 1998. Web

• Capote, Truman. In Cold Blood: A True Account of a Multiple Murder and Its Consequences. New York: Random House, 1966. Web