In 1976 and 1977, a serial killer terrorised the streets of New York City.
Son of Sam’s reign of terror, known as the “summer of fear”, saw him kill six and wound seven people with a .44 caliber revolver.
He would leave disturbing, satanic notes at the crime scenes, taunting the police and promising to strike again.
The killer, now known to be 24-year-old postal worker David Berkowitz, targeted mainly young women with long, dark hair.
He evaded police capture for over a year, making headlines all over the world with his sick crimes.
Berkowitz was finally arrested on August 10, 1977.
(Image: Getty Images)
Days before, a woman walking her dog past the scene of Son of Sam’s latest shooting saw police ticketing a car.
Moments later, a young man walked past her with a “dark object” in his hand. She was disturbed by how close the man seemed to be studying her, and so she turned on her heels and ran home.
As she fled, she heard gunshots firing behind her.
While she was initially too scared to contact the place, the woman eventually came forward about her experience.
Police were able to check all the cars that had been ticketed in the area – and David Berkowitz joined their suspect list.
As it turned out, local police already had some suspicious about Berkowitz, so they wasted no time in going to check him out.
They found his car parked outside his apartment building – and spotted a gun in the back seat.
Officers searched the vehicle, and discovered a bag of ammunition, maps of the crime scenes, and a threatening letter.
It seemed they had finally caught their killer.
To avoid a violent confrontation, the police waited outside the building for Berkowitz to come out.
They patiently lay in wait until 10pm, when their suspect finally appeared – leaving his apartment and getting into his car.
With their guns drawn, police approached the vehicle and shouted for Berkowitz not to move.
He turned slowly to look at the officer, and said: “Well, you got me. How come it took you such a long time?”
(Image: NY Daily News via Getty Images)
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Berkowitz confessed to the crimes, claiming he did it because his neighbour’s dog, Sam, was possessed by a demon and “demanded the blood of pretty young girls”.
While his lawyers recommended that he plead not guilty for reason of insanity, Berkowitz refused and plead guilty on all counts.
He was sentenced to 25-years-to life for each murder he committed, and he must serve his sentences consecutively.
The terms of his sentence mean that Berkowitz has been eligible for parole since 2002, and he has a parole hearing once every two years. So far, he has been denied every time.
Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
