David Berkowitz
“Son of Sam”
Information summarized by Radford University students
Leann Fowler
Teresa Brewer
Charlie Puckett
Charles Zimmerman
Serial killer researched by Radford University students
Cassandra Carter, Lori Ferguson, Amy Goodman, Susanna Heilbron, Marcus Kilgore, Greg Murphy, Missy Shank, Sherron Shaw, and Eric Stokes
Department of Psychology
Radford University
Radford, VA 24142-6946
Date
Age
Life Event
June 1, 1953
0
Born Richard David Falco to Joseph Kleinman who was a Long Island businessman and Betty Broder Falco, who was a waitress. Was given up for adoption because his father wanted nothing to do with him. He had one ½ sister, Roslyn.
June 1953
2 weeks
Adopted by Nathan and Pearl Berkowitz. Renamed David Richard Berkowitz. He was the couple’s only child.
1958
5
Grew up in the Soundview section of the Bronx with mostly Jewish and Italian families.
Enrolled in P.S. 77 at Ward Avenue and 172nd Street in the Bronx. Missed 46 days of Kindergarten.
Pearl slaps David in the face for coming home with sand on his head, which was poured on him by some girls he was playing with. Hits his friend Lory in the head with a gun.
Began to take showers with his father, Nathan.
Went to Shore Haven Beach Club with his adopted parents. His mother bathed him in the shower in the presence of other naked women.
1959
6
Notices the power men have over women when a male entered the women’s side of the bathhouse and all the women shrieked.
February 1960
7
Scored 118 on an IQ test.
1960
Berkowitz was hit by a car and suffered head injuries. A few months later, ran into a wall and again suffered from head injuries.
1960
7
Very good at baseball, especially throwing the ball.
1960
Parents tell him he is adopted.
1961
8
Hit in head with pipe and received a four inch gash in the forehead. Watched a girl die after being hit by a car.
1962
9
Berkowitz began to masturbate at this age.
1962
Was absent from school 28 days during 4th grade. He was chubby and teased by his classmates.
1953-1967
10-14
Berkowitz is described as big for his age and was teased in school for his “chubbiness”. Was a loner and states that he felt “different and less attractive”. Described by neighbors as assaultive to other kids. Saw a boy die from falling form the side of a bus. Didn’t have many friends because he didn’t know how to react with other children because he had no brothers or sisters.
1963
10
Sees a girl and her mother die instantly after being hit by a car.
1963
Teachers comment that his math skills have improved and his is showing signs of patience. He is bigger than his peers. He deliberately chose younger and smaller playmates so that he could bully them.
1963
Got bit by a dog.
1963
Was given lots of toys by his parents.
1964
11
Teacher described him as a “moody child, can do good work if he wants to, and he is easily upset.”
Claims monsters were bothering him. Slept with the light on or with his parents. This annoyed and angered them.
1965
12
Enters junior high school (P.S. 123).
Begins to set hundreds of fires. Says the monsters stopped bothering him just before his 13th birthday and then reappeared at a later age.
1966
13
Begins to kill and torture animals. He killed his mother’s parakeet “Pudgy” by giving it small doses of cleaning fluid over a period of three weeks. Kills thousands of bugs by burning and gluing them with rubber cement.
Sees a boy die after falling from the side of a bus.
Bar Mitzvah at Temple Adath Israel. There were no friends in attendance because neither he nor his parents had many friends.
10-5-67
14
Adoptive mother, Pearl, died from breast cancer. Very mad at his father for hiding his mother’s illness from him. David’s grades begin to slip. He became an avid rock climber.
10-6-67
Father sat Shiva (a 7-day Jewish mourning ritual). David still attended school but could not watch television during the mourning week.
1968
15
Grades that once averaged a B- were now either Fs or low Cs. Teachers state that he showed more strength in understanding than in vocabulary. Therefore, his difficulties in school were thought to be emotionally rooted.
Went on a few dates but mostly fantasized and masturbated about girls because he did not have much luck dating.
1969
16
Truant 36 days from tenth grade and failed most of his classes. Formed a volunteer fire department with some friends.
David’s first experience with oral sex. He preferred oral sex and also enjoyed petting and fondling over regular intercourse.
1970
17
Moved to Co-op City (housing development in the Bronx)
Engaged in petty vandalism, breaking car windows, setting fires and started to torture animals
1971
17
Father, Nathan, Remarried to a woman named Mary. Mary had a 25 year old daughter. David was unhappy about the marriage.
1971
18
Graduated high school with a GPA of 3.3. He was absent 12 days during his last semester.
6-23-71
Enlists in the Army.
July ‘71
Passes psychological and physical tests fro the Army. Tests indicate that he would do well in infantry training and was a normal recruit.
Dec ‘71
Shipped to Korea as a Specialist E4 where he is stationed for 10 months. During his years of service, he uses marijuana, mescaline, amphetamines, and LSD. His peers in the barracks call him “Wolf” because of his abundant body hair.
3-9-72
Is caught stealing food from the mess hall and is cited for two incidents where he refused to move with his unit when ordered to do so. Had a tendency to be tardy. Went AWOL one night because he missed the bus going back to the barracks (fined $50).
1972
19
Has intercourse for the first time. It is with a prostitute and he contracted a venereal disease.
Jan 1973
Stationed in Fort Knox, Kentucky. Started attending a Baptist church and praying because he felt empty.
3-24-73
Given a general rating of “an outstanding and dependable soldier.”
5-13-74
20
Started to set fires again. He was responsible for starting over 1,411 fires, which he kept a detailed journal of.
5-18-74
Changes religion to Baptist, and is Baptized.
6-25-74
21
Honorably discharged from the Army.
1974
Begins working at I.B.I. as a security guard. He was bitten by a guard dog (still has the scar) but worked well with the dogs and was one of the few employees not afraid of the dogs.
1974
Enrolls at Bronx Community College
1974
Starts job as a cab driver.
1974
Discovers his real name is Richard Falco
9-28-74
Begins to set a series of fires in New York.
Jan 1975
Moves into an apartment at 2161 Barnes Avenue
3-2-75
Shoots a German Shepherd
May 1975
Found his birth mother Betty Falco and sent her a Mother’s Day card. Subsequently, they begin a relationship. David started to drive a taxi cab and enrolled in Bronx Community College.
June 1975
22
Set more fires. Hired as a security guard at JFK airport. Claimed to hear voices from the dogs that accompanied him during his shifts.
Fall 1975
Quits his security job and begins to work as a duct worker for an air conditioning company.
November 1975
Wrote a letter to adoptive father admitting to feelings of deep depression. Starts listening to voices and starts attacking.
12-23-75
Set the last of 1,488 fires (he kept a log of his fires in three notebooks)
12-24-75
Attempted to kill two young women with a knife. The first victim was unidentified but wasn’t seriously hurt and was able to fight back. The second victim was Michelle Forman and he attacked her as she crossed a bridge. She also survived.
January 1976
Stopped visiting birth mother and sister. Moved into a two-family home in New Rochelle owned by Jack and Nann Cassara. Signed a two-year lease and put down a $200 deposit.
Jan 76
Receives his rifle permit and purchases a Commando Mark III semi-automatic rifle for $152.50 and four boxes of ammunition.
3-15-76
Started working for the Postal Service for $13,000 a year.
April 1976
Moved from the Cassara’s to escape the howling from the demons. Moved into an apartment at 35 Pine St. in Yonkers. One of his neighbors was 63-year old Sam Carr.
May ‘76
22
Made a Molotov cocktail to kill Sam Carr’s dog, but it did not work.
June 1976
23
Bought a .44 caliber Charter Arms Bulldog handgun while visiting an old army buddy (Billy Dan Parker) in Houston.
7-29-76
At 1a.m he fired five shorts into a parked car. Killed Donna Lauria (18) with a shot to the neck. Jody Valenti (19) was shot in the hip and survived.
9-22-76
Wrote a poem entitled “Mother of Satan”
10-23-76
At 2:30 a.m. fired five shots into a parked car wounding Rosemary Keenan and Carl Denaro. Carl underwent major head surgery and survived.
11-27-76
He shot Donna DeMasi (16) and Joanne Lamino (18) while pretending that he needed directions. Both survived, however, Joanna was paralyzed from the waist down her spine shattered when the bullet hit it.
January 30, 1977
Shot John Deil and Christine Freund (26). Christine died after being shot in the head at the hospital; John survived and ran for help.
March 8, 1977
Shot Virginia Voskerichian in the face as she returned home from classes at Barnard College. She was killed instantly.
March 10, 1977
Police released information concerning the use of a .44 caliber gun being used in all the killings. Linked the murders of Donna Lauria and Virginia Voskerichian.
4-10-77
Sam Carr receives anonymous letter complaining about his Labrador Retreiver, Harvey. The letter is signed, A Citizen.
April 1977
Hired at Post Office near his home.
4-17-77
Valentina Saurani (18) died instantly and Alexander Esav (20) died at the hospital. Left a note for the police stating, “Come and get me. Son of Sam.” Berkowitz receives traffic summons for driving a car with no insurance.
4-19-77
Operation omega, a task force, was assembled under the leadership of Timmy Dowd and included 75 detectives and 225 uniformed officers.
4-19-77
Sam Carr receives a 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 is so shaken that he takes the letter to the Yonkers police.
4-29-77
Carr’s dog was shot but survived.
May 1977
A psychological profile of the killer is released describing him as , “neurotic, schizophrenic, and paranoid” and “probably shy and odd, a loner inept in establishing personal relationships, especially with women.”
6-1-77
24
Writes a letters to Daily News reporter Jimmy Breslin.
6-6-77
Sends his downstairs neighbor, Craig Glassman, a threatening letter stating, True, I am the killer, but Craig, the killings are at your command.”
6-7-77
Failed to answer court summons so his driver’s license is automatically suspended.
6-10-77
Jack Cassara receives a get-well card for falling off his roof. He never fell and did not know Sam & Francis Carr, the couple who supposedly sent the letter.
6-18-77
Craig Glassman receives another threatening letter.
6-26-77
Shot Judy Placido in the neck, temple, and shoulder and shot Salvatore Lupe. Both survived.
7-29-77
Quits his job at the post office on the one-year anniversary of Donna Lauria’s murder.
7-31-77
Stacy Moskowitz and Robert Violante were shot. Stacy died; Robert was blinded. David parked next to a fire hydrant and received a ticket. Cassara family phoned the cops about Berkowitz doing the killings, but they didn’t believe them.
8-6-77
Set a fire with 20 .22 caliber bullets in it on Craig Glassman’s front door.
8-10-77
Detectives tracked down David’s car in Yonkers and arrest him.
8-23-77
Arraigned for two murders and five attempted murders.
8-24-77
Arraigned for three more murders and one additional attempted murder.
8-24-77
Berkowitz undergoes psychiatric testing at Kings County Psychiatric Center
8-30-77
Judge Gerald Held reads the psychiatric report stating that Berkowitz was insane.
10-20-77
24
First competency hearing. Dr. Abrahamsen evaluated David’s sanity and stated “While defendant shows paranoid traits, they do not interfere with his fitness to stand trial”.
April 78
Second competency hearing. His IQ was 115 (verbal=117, performance =110). Doctors agree that he was a psychopathic personality with malingering concomitant paranoid and hysterical traits.
5-8-78
Berkowitz pleads guilty to the six shootings.
5-22-78
Was to be sentenced at 11 a.m. Berkowitz entered the courtroom in a state of hysteria and panic chanting, “Stacy is a whore, Stacy is a whore, I’ll shoot them all.” The judge postponed sentencing pending additional psychiatric reports.
6-12-78
25
Is sentenced to 365 years in prison.
6-13-78
Taken to Ossining Correctional Facility (Sing Sing Prison) and then to Clinton Correctional Facility near Dannemora, NY, where is undergoes a series of psychiatric tests.
7-7-78
26
Transferred to Central New York Psychiatric Center in Marcy NY. He stays here for 6-8 weeks before being transferred to Attica Prison.
Feb 1979
Admits to F.B.I. agent Robert Ressler that he did not hear voices from hs neighbor’s dog, but had fabricated this so that he would be found insane. He claims to have skilled because of “resentment toward his mother and his inability to establish good relationships with women.”
July 1979
Attacked in Attica Prison. Required 58 stitches and has an eight inch scar as a result.
1987
34
Berkowitz accepts Christ as his personal savior and rededicates his life.
July 2002
49
First parole meeting. Parole was denied.
June 2004
51
At this time, he will be up for parole hearing once again.