"The Son Of Sam"
This is only relevant to the Case of David Berkowitz as he sent the entire city of New York into a higher state of panick for a lengthier amount of time, collecting more victims along the way.
On July 29th 1976 5 gunshots were aimed through a cars windscreen in the bronx, inside 18 year old Donna Lauria was already dead, her friend Jody Valenti was wounded in the thigh and was screaming and leaning on the horn for help, by the time help arrived the shooter was gone.
Over the next few months a disturbing pattern would emerge in which four more victims would die in the same way. Although the victims were'nt killed in the exact same way the same type of bullet was used by the gunman a .44 caliber. The other trait being that the victims were taken by total surprise.
The shooter now had a name amongst the streets of New York: "The .44 Calibur Killer." All the crimes occurred after dark the killer seemed to have a preference for young people in parked cars, where in other cases the victims were just in the wrong place at the wrong time, one lady attempted to protect herself by holding her book infront of her face, which the bullet pierced through and immediately killed her.
The city was in an uproar lynching mobs were causing riots and hauling threats, it is rumoured that the mafia made attempts to apprehend the killer due to their investments in the New York night life. In April the police still baffled and the City still in panick, the killer struck again, another young couple this time leaving a message:
I am the "Son of Sam." I am a little "Brat"...
POLICE - let me haunt you with these words
I'll be back!
I'll be back!
I'll be back!
To be Interpreted as - Bang, bang, bang, bang, bang, - Ugh!!
There would be no forensic assistance on this disturbing letter the police again were stumped, more victims were claimed until a witness noticed a man driving away from the scene of the crime, took down the plates and notified the police.
The police traced the plates back to David Berkowitz, they quickly arrested him and on his posession found the .44 calibur Bulldog revolver and a semiautomatic rifle, also they found a note stating the Son of Sam's plans to shoot up a disco in the Hamptons.
David Berkowitz, a postal worker, a pudgy man, courteous, dependable, once in custody he eventually told the police that he didn't want to hurt the women, but his neighbours dog told him to do it.
However Berkowitz was held competent to stand trial, after pleading guilty he was sentenced to life. In 1979 Berkowitz held a press conference admitting that the dog story was a lie, and psychiatrists confirmed that he was not insane.
