Berkowitz, David

David Berkowitz was born on June 1, 1953 in Brooklyn . He was born as a result of betrayal by Betty Broder to his Italian-American husband, Tony Folco, and his married man Joseph Kleinman, who made her condition for further meetings - to get rid of the child. David became the adopted son of the barren couple Nathan and Pearl Berkowitz.

Grew up in an atmosphere of warmth and understanding. At school, he was sociable, studied normally, played basketball. However, he could not have close relations with the opposite sex. As a child, he developed pyromania : set fire to more than 200 garbage dumps and empty buildings in New York. Masturbated at the same time. He wrote down all the arson in a notebook.

When David was 14 years old, his adoptive mother, Pearl Berkowitz, died of cancer. For David, this was a terrible tragedy. In 1969, he and his stepfather moved to another part of New York - the Bronx. There Nathan Berkowitz married a second time. All this did not like David.

In June 1971, he enlisted in the army. But, contrary to desire, he was sent not to Vietnam , but to Korea. There, David lost his virginity and contracted gonorrhea , and also tried drugs and converted from Judaism to Christianity , which he even preached.

After serving 3 years, in 1974, David returned to his Jewish stepfather, who condemned him for abandoning Judaism. Soon, David began an independent life. He decided to look for his real parents - he made inquiries at the official bureau and found his own mother, who lived in Long Island . Both of them at the first meeting were overwhelmed by stormy emotions, and soon David became a frequent guest with his mother, as well as with his sister Roslyn and her family. Since February 1974, David lived in New Rochelle, from where he moved out 2 months later, and moved to the city of Yonkers, next to New York, where he settled on Sosnovaya Street and got a job at the New York Post Office.

On July 29, 1976, he shot two accidentally met girls from the Charter Arms Bulldog .44 Special revolver - 18-year-old Danna Loria and her 19-year-old girlfriend Jody Valente, who were sitting in a car. Danna was killed, Jody survived.

On July 29, in the New York area of ​​Queens, in Flushing Meadow Park, Berkovits shot the 18-year-old Rosemary Quinn and her boyfriend, 20-year-old Carl Denaro. Of the five shots, only one reached the target, the bullet only hurt the young man. Rosemary was not hurt.

On November 27, a maniac attacked 16-year-old Donna Demazi and 18-year-old Joanna Lomino. Joanna got a bullet in the spine, Donna was shot in the neck. Both girls survived, but Joanna remained disabled.

On January 30, 1977, Berkowitz fired on 30-year-old John Deel and 26-year-old Kristin Freund, who were sitting in a car. John survived, Christina, wounded in the head, later died in the hospital.

The next victim was 19-year-old Virginia Voskerichyan. On the evening of March 8, she was shot in the head.

On April 16, in the Bronx, Berkowitz committed a double murder by shooting 18-year-old Valentina Suriani and 20-year-old Alexander Esau in a car. The girl died immediately, the young man died after 2 hours.

The next attack maniac committed 2 months later, on June 25 . 20-year-old Salvatore Lupo and 17-year-old Judy Placido were shot in the car, but, being slightly injured, managed to leave the car and hide. Both survived.

On July 31, in Brooklyn , 20-year-old Bobby Violante and Stacy Moskowitz were attacked by a maniac. Bobby bullets killed the optic and auditory nerves, and Stacy died two days later. These were the last victims of "Son of Sam."

July 31, 1977 he committed his last (sixth) murder. In addition, as a result of his actions, 7 people were seriously injured. On the same day he was arrested.

Berkovits admitted everything, but insisted that his murder was “ordered” by neighbor Sam Carr through telepathy.

He was sentenced to 365 years in prison by the court.

On July 10, 1979, in prison, a prisoner with a razor attacked Berkovitsa and injured him, the doctor put 56 stitches to the maniac. Berkowitz then said that in this way the worshipers are trying to silence him.

In 1987, Berkowitz became a newly converted Christian. According to his personal testimony, his return to faith occurred after reading Psalm 33: 7 from Gideon ’s Pocket Bible given to him by his cellmate ^[1] .

• Son Sam's Law

• Jenkins JP David Berkowitz // Britannica . Archived on November 4, 2015.

• Biography of David Berkowitz on Slaughter-House
• David Richard Berkowitz