David Berkowitz
Kayla Baskind and Kaitlyn Obetz
• 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
Childhood
• 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
Adult Life
• Chronic schizophrenia
• Became obsessed with satanic
cults
Mental Disorder
• 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
Crimes
• Following these crimes the police received
a letter from David
The crimes continue…
• 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]
• 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
Crime details
• 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.
Behavior
• David Berkowicz did withstand trial
• During the trial he would mumble to
himself
Trial
• Convicted of murder
• Sentanced to 365 years in prison
Sentancing
• Sullivan Correctional Facility in
Fallsburg, New York
• 60 years old
Where is he now?
• 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
Bibliography