David Berkowitz “Son of Sam”
Criminal Profile of a Serial Killer
Serial killers have always fascinated, intrigued, and frightened people. For decades, the concept that someone could execute such horrible atrocities and elude arrest has fascinated spectators. David Berkowitz, the Son of Sam, is the subject of this biography. The paper contains the annotated bibliography and body section. This bibliography provides an overview of Berkowitz and his crimes. Several books, articles, and films were examined to comprehend this situation. This compendium helps readers understand serial killers’ minds and motivations.
Annotated Bibliography
Burling, A. (2019). The Son of Sam Killings. ABDO.
The life and crimes of David Berkowitz are chronicled in detail in Burling’s book. The book summarizes Berkowitz’s early life, family, and mental health problems. The author investigates Berkowitz’s criminal career and describes each of his killings in great detail. This biography of Berkowitz is grounded in extensive study; the author consulted both primary and secondary sources to paint a complete picture of his life. The author has done a fantastic job with the book’s structure and writing. Overall, being a published book, the source is valid and accurate. In sum, this book is essential for anybody curious about David Berkowitz’s criminal career.
Castle, T., & Hensley, C. (2002). Serial Killers with Military Experience: Applying Learning Theory to Serial Murder. International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology, 46(4), 453–465. https://doi.org/10.1177/0306624×02464007
In their 2002 article, Castle and Hensley explore the link between military service and serial murder. Using several learning theories, they argue that military service can facilitate the maturation of a serial murderer. The authors contend that the rigors of military training, particularly conditioning, and desensitization, foster the aggressive and violent conduct characteristic of serial killers. The journal explores distinguished serial killers like David Berkowitz and Jefferey Dahmer, who had military experiences. The source’s validity is established by being a peer-reviewed academic journal article. The authors use evidence to support their main points making the source accurate. The source helps us understand the relationship between serial murder and military experience.
Fowler, L., Brewer, T., Puckett, C., Zimmerman, C., Carter, C., Ferguson, L., & Stokes, E. (1953). David Berkowitz “Son of Sam”
In their analysis of David Berkowitz’s life and crimes, Fowler et al. present a thorough summary. The writers delve into Berkowitz’s early years, familial dynamics, and battles with mental illness. The article gives a comprehensive breakdown of the events leading up to Berkowitz’s arrest and the murders he committed. The writers have accurately portrayed the events surrounding Berkowitz’s life using primary and secondary sources. The text flows well, and the writers do a great job laying out the information. The article provides a new perspective on how serving in the military messes with the psyche of an individual and may lead to the formation of a serial killer. The writers provide compelling insight into the probable reasons for serial killing through their research of the link between military training and the development of a serial murderer. Being an investigation report into the killings of Son of Sam, this source has some validity and accuracy. The sources provide a primary source on the Son of Sam killings.
Hickey, E. W. (2015). Serial Murderers and Their Victims. In Google Books. Cengage Learning.https://books.google.co.ke/books?hl=en&lr=&id=MjJ-BAAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PR4&dq=Hickey
“Serial killers and their victims” by Hickey examine the psychological causes of serial murder. The book discusses serial murderers David Berkowitz, the “Son of Sam” killer, is one of the serial killers researched. Hickey has extensively studied primary and secondary sources to create a complete portrait of Berkowitz’s life, including his boyhood and the circumstances that led to his infamous killing spree. This well-written book summarizes the variables that might lead to serial killers. The validity and accuracy of the book are established by being published. This book provides a good source for a general overview of victims and their perpetrators.
Schechter, H. (2003). The Serial Killer Files: The Who, What, Where, How, and Why of the World’s Most Terrifying Murderers. Ballantine Books.
Schechter’s book comprehensively looks into serial killers like David Berkowitz worldwide. The book gives a thorough analysis of Berkowitz’s criminal activities and delves into the motivations behind them. The author examines Berkowitz’s mental health problems and traumatic upbringing as possible causes for his behaviour. The book is extremely well-written and informative, covering every aspect of Berkowitz’s life and crimes. The circumstances surrounding Berkowitz’s life have been faithfully depicted thanks to the author’s utilization of primary and secondary sources. Also, its validity and accuracy are established by being a published book.
This book is essential for anybody curious about David Berkowitz or other notable serial murderers worldwide. The validity and accuracy of the book are established by being published.
Body
David Berkowitz entered the world in Brooklyn, New York, on June 1, 1953. His parents, Betty Broder and Tony Falco, raised him in a Jewish household. Berkowitz had a rough life because his mother passed away when he was young, and his father abandoned the family (Burling, 2019). Nathan and Pearl Berkowitz, his adopted parents, brought him up. David Berkowitz was known to be a loner who did not socialize much with people. After graduating from Highschool, he joined the armed forces and was later discharged honorably. He then moved to New York, where he worked as a postal carrier.
His criminal behavior history indicated a prevalent mental health issue for which he needed professional help (Burling, 2019; Fowler et al., 1953). In 1971 he was taken into custody for arson and then released without getting the help he needed. He blamed his landlord for setting fire to his apartment complex. After his arson conviction, the court gave Berkowitz five years of probation. Again accused of burglary in 1973, he was incarcerated for a brief while. The shooting spree that shook New York City began shortly after his release from jail. Berkowitz’s past convictions shed light on his type of person and the factors that may drive him to commit crimes. Arson and burglary accusations point to a consistent history of criminal conduct. Berkowitz may have been motivated to perpetrate the shootings by his hatred of authority people like his landlord in the arson case and law enforcement agents.
David Berkowitz, alias the Son of Sam in New York City in the late 1970s, murdered six people and wounded seven more. On July 29, 1976, Berkowitz started his murdering spree in the Bronx by shooting two women. The following year, he kept going after young couples, usually shooting them while sitting in their parked automobiles. Berkowitz’s arrest in August 1977 came about after he taunted authorities and the media with letters in which he claimed to be the Son of Sam. In his confessions, he said that his neighbor’s dog was demon-possessed and instructed him to kill people; according to Castle & Hensley (2001), this disorder is called probable psychotics. He was later found sane and sentenced to six life sentences in prison.
The “Son of Sam” victimized young, brown-haired women. He shot DeMasi, 16, and Joanne Lamino, 18 (Burling, 2019). During his rampage, he shot and murdered six people and wounded even more. His targets were mostly in their reforms to their late twenties, most from Bmostly or Queens, New York. They had no apparent ties to one another, and Berkowitz’s victim selection seemed random. Nonetheless, he only committed his murders at night, and always in broad daylight, in areas like parks and parked automobiles. Berkowitz said a devil in his neighbor’s dog ordered him to kill. He said the dog talked to him and instructed him to kill certain persons. There is no proof that Berkowitz specifically targeted victims he believed to be under demonic control, although it is plausible that this was his motivation. Experts speculate that Berkowitz’s rejection by women and resentment of society may have impacted his choice of victims.
There was no set routine that Berkowitz, the serial killer, followed before, during, or after his killing sprees. Yet, he frequently taunted the authorities with cryptic remarks and left letters and notes at several crime locations. He called himself the “Son of Sam” and said in some letters that a demon hound was telling him to kill. Many in New York City were terrified and confused by these notes and messages and the randomness of the shootings. Berkowitz did not remove any physical evidence from the crime scenes, but he did keep a diary in which he detailed his emotions and motivations before each murder (Fowler et al., 1953). At his apartment, he also stored a variety of firearms and ammo. Although Berkowitz did not engage in any ritual before committing his atrocities, evidence in his letters, notes, and arsenal indicates that he enjoyed the mayhem and panic his actions brought about.
While David Berkowitz, as the Son of Sam, was not killing people, he had a rather ordinary existence. On June 1, 1953, Berkowitz entered the world. Nathan and Pearl Berkowitz adopted him and brought him up in the Bronx. According to his family and friends, Berkowitz was a quiet and reserved youngster. Classmates frequently tormented him due to his academic difficulties.
After graduating from high school, Berkowitz enlisted in the army and was eventually sent to Fort Know, where he was discharged in 1974 and went on to work for the postal service sorting letters at a branch in the Bronx (Schechter, 2003). Berkowitz was a bachelor with no family. While working as a security guard, though, he met a lady called Rochelle, with whom he eventually began a relationship. Berkowitz’s paranoia and delusion led to the breakup of their relationship. Others have speculated that Berkowitz’s killing spree stemmed from his resentment and contempt toward women. Young ladies who looked like his birth mother, who had left him as a baby, were his prey. Nevertheless, when Berkowitz was not murdering, his life was ordinary.
David Berkowitz’s “Son of Sam” killings sparked New York City’s largest police operation. The NYPD, FBI, and NYSP coordinated the case. The police used surveillance teams and thorough interrogations of local neighbors to find the murderer. Berkowitz was arrested after a year, despite the case’s intricacy and public attention. In addition, the police utilized forensic ballistics to link together the numerous shooting locations and the bullets used. One crucial bit of data was provided by a witness who said he had seen a man pacing around the hotspot area with a 44-caliber gun. Because of this tip, authorities began looking specifically for persons who had firearms.44 caliber, which led them to Berkowitz. During his arrest, Berkowitz admitted to the killings and said he followed the orders of a demon he believed had possessed his neighbor’s dog.
David Berkowitz, or the “Son of Sam,” was apprehended after a string of fortunate events and tenacious police work led to his demise. Berkowitz parked his automobile illegally in front of a Yonkers, New York, apartment complex on August 10, 1977. A curious neighbor saw both the car and Berkowitz, who was pacing erratically in the parking lot. The police officers checked the traffic tickets given in the region, and they could trace them back to Berkowitz’s car (Hickey, 2015). They retrieved one of the notes he used to leave for them inside his vehicle.
David Berkowitz did admit to his crimes. He initially wrote a letter to authorities mocking them and welcoming them to the crime of “Son of Sam.” The two corresponded back and forth until the police could tie him to the murder weapon. Berkowitz claimed that a demon had spoken to him via his neighbor’s dog and ordered him to do the murders. Moreover, he said he was acting in the demonic cult’s direction. It should be noted, however, that many specialists think these assertions were part of a strategy to plead insanity and therefore avoid the death penalty. Several people believe that Berkowitz’s poor upbringing and subsequent emotions of inadequacy and rejection contributed to his actions. Nonetheless, his assertions of being influenced by demons and belonging to a satanic sect have fueled his notoriety and made him a cultural curiosity.
The “Son of Sam,” David Berkowitz, admitted to eight charges of murder and received six consecutive life sentences after entering a guilty plea. He was first taken to Central New York Psychiatric Centre in Marcy, NY; after eight weeks, he was taken to Attica prison (Burling, 2019). Each of the attempted murders against his victims resulted in an additional prison term, as did the many counts of weapon possession. At his trial, Berkowitz displayed no remorse for his actions and blamed a demon-possessed dog for them. Notwithstanding his protests, he was determined to be legally competent and sane. Since his conviction in 1978, Berkowitz has been locked up at New York’s Shawangunk Correctional Institution in Wallkill. His parole requests have also been continually denied, and it is unlikely that he will ever be released from prison.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the notorious Son of Sam case involving David Berkowitz remains one of the most intriguing in modern times. The intricate and sometimes enigmatic world of serial murder has been illuminated by the study and discussion of Berkowitz’s motivations, deeds, and psychological profile. This bibliography details Berkowitz’s background, criminal past, victims, capture, conviction, and punishment from various reliable sources. Included are books and articles that go further into this intriguing subject, discussing what may have led to Berkowitz’s spiral into violence and his final detention by authorities.
References
Burling, A. (2019). The Son of Sam Killings. ABDO.
Castle, T., & Hensley, C. (2002). Serial Killers with Military Experience: Applying Learning Theory to Serial Murder. International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology, 46(4), 453–465. https://doi.org/10.1177/0306624×02464007
Fowler, L., Brewer, T., Puckett, C., Zimmerman, C., Carter, C., Ferguson, L., & Stokes, E. (1953). David Berkowitz “Son of Sam”
Hickey, E. W. (2015). Serial Murderers and Their Victims. In Google Books. Cengage Learning.https://books.google.co.ke/books?hl=en&lr=&id=MjJ-BAAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PR4&dq=Hickey
Schechter, H. (2003). The Serial Killer Files: The Who, What, Where, How, and Why of the World’s Most Terrifying Murderers. Ballantine Books.
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