Son of Sam
Lawrence Klausner
A book-length account for readers who want more detail.
1976–1977 · New York
David Berkowitz
Multiple & serial murders
Photo credit
Mount Vernon Argus press photographer, 1977 / Wikimedia Commons · Public domain (U.S.). Cropped/resized.Photographs are cropped to fit. Photo dates and original images are available through the source credits.
David Berkowitz killed six people and wounded others in shootings that frightened New York in 1976 and 1977. Letters using the name Son of Sam intensified the coverage. He pleaded guilty after his arrest; later media theories about accomplices go beyond those convictions.
EXPLORE THE CASE
The Story
When1976–1977
WhereNew York
In this collection35 resources
Start here.
Choose a book, screen story or audio episode from this case’s collection.
The Sons of Sam: A Descent into Darkness
Netflix
Explore this screen title and its source details before choosing a service.
Heroes Behind Headlines — Getting to Know the Son of Sam
Apple Podcasts
An audio option for exploring this case while listening.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Amazon buttons marked “paid link” may earn us a commission. Affiliate disclosure
Where are they now?
No reviewed items have been added to this section yet.
Nicknames & media names
1 itemsApple Podcasts
Son of Sam
A name used in the linked media coverage. Media labels do not resolve disputed allegations or identify an unknown offender.
ReferenceAccess Varies · Check Source
Link Check PendingReport a Link (Email)
EXPLORE THE CASE
Blogs & Essays
Read our articles here and explore outside perspectives, credited to their writers and publications. See this case in the Journal →
From the journal
No reviewed items have been added to this section yet.
Blogs & essays
1 itemsAbout these sources
Outside essays and reading guides reflect their authors’ perspectives. Compare claims with reported and primary sources.
Brian Tallerico · RogerEbert.com
The Sons of Sam: A Descent into Darkness movie review
A review evaluates The Sons of Sam and its treatment of Maury Terry’s theories. The documentary’s theories are not established findings.
Outside CommentaryAccess Varies · Check Source
Link Check PendingReport a Link (Email)
EXPLORE THE CASE
Books
CONTINUE YOUR READING
Search this case on Amazon · paid linkSearch results may include unrelated titles. Check the author, edition, and case connection before purchasing.
Explore Reading & Streaming Options · Our case guides are free.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Amazon buttons marked “paid link” may earn us a commission. Affiliate disclosure
Books
1 itemsLawrence Klausner
Son of Sam
Book-length account or personal perspective. This link provides bibliographic details; compare the author’s account with reporting and records.
BookAccess Varies · Check Source
Link Check PendingReport a Link (Email)
View on Amazon · paid linkExplore this book
Kindle Ebook · Check current price and availability on Amazon.
EXPLORE THE CASE
Movies & TV
TV & documentaries
3 itemsAbout these sources
Episodes, documentaries and title listings. Season and episode numbers follow the linked catalog and can differ by service. Air dates are separate from crime dates. Playback availability varies by service and region.
Netflix
The Sons of Sam: A Descent into Darkness
Nonfiction screen coverage of this case. The linked page identifies the program or episode; playback, subscriptions, and regional availability vary.
Screen TitleAccess Varies · Check Source
Link Check PendingReport a Link (Email)
Search Amazon · paid linkView on Netflix
Title search; Amazon availability is not confirmed. Check the edition, format, and viewing region.
IMDb · Screen title
Conversations with a Killer: The Son of Sam Tapes (2025)
IMDb title reference connected to the David Berkowitz case. Listed release: 2025. Cast, credits, and title information; viewing availability is separate.
Screen TitleTitle Details · Not Playback
Link Check PendingReport a Link (Email)
Search Amazon · paid linkCredits & title details on IMDb
Title search; Amazon availability is not confirmed. Check the edition, format, and viewing region.
Netflix · Scripted Series · Related Portrayal
MINDHUNTER (2017–2019)
The series includes an acted portrayal of David Berkowitz within a larger story about FBI profiling. It is not a dedicated biography; interviews and conversations are dramatized.
Fiction / DramatizationOfficial Series Information · Check Viewing Availability
Last Checked: · Access may changeReport a Link (Email)
EXPLORE THE CASE
Audiobooks
An audiobook edition has not been confirmed for this case yet. You can check the audiobook catalog or explore the case’s podcasts.
Check Audio Formats For This Book
These books are in this case’s collection. An audiobook version has not been verified for the listings below.
Son of Sam
Search Audiobook Editions · paid linkLawrence Klausner
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Amazon buttons marked “paid link” may earn us a commission. Affiliate disclosure
EXPLORE THE CASE
Fiction Work
Fiction Work
Browse all →Scripted stories and fictional inspirations. Scenes, characters, and dialogue can differ from the record.
Netflix · Scripted Series · Related Portrayal
MINDHUNTER (2017–2019)
The series includes an acted portrayal of David Berkowitz within a larger story about FBI profiling. It is not a dedicated biography; interviews and conversations are dramatized.
Fiction / DramatizationOfficial Series Information · Check Viewing Availability
Last Checked: · Access may changeReport a Link (Email)
EXPLORE THE CASE
Podcasts
Podcasts
15 itemsAbout these sources
Audio episodes and oral histories. Personal recollections are attributed perspectives; some services require sign-in.
Apple Podcasts
Heroes Behind Headlines — Getting to Know the Son of Sam
Direct episode page for this case or its screen adaptation. Open it for listening options and the publisher’s episode notes.
PodcastAccess Varies · Check Source
Link Check PendingReport a Link (Email)
Killer Psyche
David Berkowitz: The Son of Sam
Podcast coverage of the David Berkowitz case. Released July 22, 2025. About 48 minutes.
PodcastAccess Varies · Check Source
Link Check PendingReport a Link (Email)
Lights Out
Son Of Sam Part I: David Berkowitz The .44 Caliber Killer
Podcast coverage of the David Berkowitz case. Released May 28, 2021. About 57 minutes.
PodcastAccess Varies · Check Source
Link Check PendingReport a Link (Email)
48 Hours
"Son of Sam" Serial Killer Speaks
Podcast coverage of the David Berkowitz case. Released August 5, 2025. About 42 minutes.
PodcastAccess Varies · Check Source
Link Check PendingReport a Link (Email)
Last Podcast On The Left
Episode 193: Son of Sam Part I - Kill For My Master
Podcast coverage of the David Berkowitz case. Released September 23, 2015. About 67 minutes.
PodcastAccess Varies · Check Source
Link Check PendingReport a Link (Email)
Crime House 24/7
True Crime This Week: Media Murders
Podcast coverage of the David Berkowitz case. Released September 14, 2025. About 50 minutes.
PodcastAccess Varies · Check Source
Link Check PendingReport a Link (Email)
Show 9 more podcasts
Criminology
Son of Sam Part1
Podcast coverage of the David Berkowitz case. Released August 10, 2019. About 65 minutes.
PodcastAccess Varies · Check Source
Link Check PendingReport a Link (Email)
Criminology
Son of Sam Part3
Podcast coverage of the David Berkowitz case. Released August 24, 2019. About 70 minutes.
PodcastAccess Varies · Check Source
Link Check PendingReport a Link (Email)
UNMARKED: A True Crime Podcast
Son of Sam: Did David Berkowitz Act Alone?
Podcast coverage of the David Berkowitz case. Released June 24, 2026. About 51 minutes.
PodcastAccess Varies · Check Source
Link Check PendingReport a Link (Email)
Cult Liter with Spencer Henry
David Berkowitz
Podcast coverage of the David Berkowitz case. Released May 30, 2019. About 25 minutes.
PodcastAccess Varies · Check Source
Link Check PendingReport a Link (Email)
What Makes a Killer
S5 Ep1: David Berkowitz, the Son of Sam
Podcast coverage of the David Berkowitz case. Released August 3, 2023. About 45 minutes.
PodcastAccess Varies · Check Source
Link Check PendingReport a Link (Email)
True Crimecast
Son of Sam - David Berkowitz
Podcast coverage of the David Berkowitz case. Released February 23, 2021. About 44 minutes.
PodcastAccess Varies · Check Source
Link Check PendingReport a Link (Email)
FOX Nation Investigates Podcast
David Berkowitz: Son of Sam
Podcast coverage of the David Berkowitz case. Released April 7, 2026. About 32 minutes.
PodcastAccess Varies · Check Source
Link Check PendingReport a Link (Email)
Where The Bodies Are Buried
David Berkowitz - "The Son Of Sam" or "The Son Of Hope"
Podcast coverage of the David Berkowitz case. Released March 22, 2023. About 42 minutes.
PodcastAccess Varies · Check Source
Link Check PendingReport a Link (Email)
The First Degree
Episode 403: Sons Of Sam, Part 1
Podcast coverage of the David Berkowitz case. Released May 20, 2026. About 35 minutes.
PodcastAccess Varies · Check Source
Link Check PendingReport a Link (Email)
EXPLORE THE CASE
Social Media
BRING YOUR PERSPECTIVE
Where would you start?
Choose your reading route, then share a question with your community.
Your choice stays on this page. No vote is submitted or counted.
Talk about sources and storytelling with care for the people affected. A documentary, a book and a court record serve different purposes.
EXPLORE THE CASE
News & Reading
More Reading & Audio
5 sourcesExplore book records, previews, library audiobooks and selected documents. Access labels distinguish free material from library loans and paid subscriptions.
Library of Congress · Free Article
Hearings Outside the Courtroom | Assassination and Murder Trials | Explore | Drawing Justice: The Art of Courtroom Illustration | Exhibitions at the Library of Congress
Publicly accessible source material and historical context related to this story.
Read Article ↗Last Checked: · Access may changeReport a Link (Email)
Library of Congress · Free Article
Son of Sam Breaks Down in Courtroom | Assassination and Murder Trials | Explore | Drawing Justice: The Art of Courtroom Illustration | Exhibitions at the Library of Congress
Publicly accessible source material and historical context related to this story.
Read Article ↗Last Checked: · Access may changeReport a Link (Email)
OverDrive · Library Access
Son of Sam — Ebook
Lawrence Klausner. Related reading for David Berkowitz. Check participating libraries for this edition. Borrowing requires an eligible library card; availability and waits vary.
Check Library Access ↗Last Checked: · Access may changeReport a Link (Email)
Google Books · Catalog / Availability
Son of Sam
Lawrence Klausner. Related reading for David Berkowitz. Book information and any pages made available by Google Books; this is not a promise of full-text access.
View Catalog & Access Options ↗Last Checked: · Access may changeReport a Link (Email)
Everand · Subscription Access
Son of Sam — Ebook
Lawrence Klausner. Related reading for David Berkowitz. Check the current subscription terms and available sample; trial offers are not permanent free access.
View Subscription Options ↗Last Checked: · Access may changeReport a Link (Email)
Reading Access Notes
Search reviewed 2026-09-16. Sources searched: Google Books, Internet Archive, Open Library, Library of Congress, Smithsonian Magazine, The Atavist Magazine, Google Books (case/title search), Scribd, Everand, OverDrive and hoopla (combined title search). Search indexing is incomplete; this is not an exhaustive list of the web. Access can change by edition, country and library membership. Library loans may require sign-in or a wait. Everand titles may need a paid subscription; a trial is not permanent free access. Scribd documents are third-party uploads, with uploader details noted where checked. We link to source pages and write our own descriptions rather than reproducing copyrighted books.
A separate Texas Monthly search was blocked by the publisher’s automated-access rules and could not be verified.
News & reporting
1 itemsTIME
Reporting on David Berkowitz
Linked reporting or commentary. Read the source date for its historical context; access may require a subscription.
JournalismAccess Varies · Check Source
Link Check PendingReport a Link (Email)
Newspaper clippings
2 itemsFeatured newspaper clipping
Read our original summary below. The archive link opens the newspaper’s own clipping viewer.
The Journal News · 1977-08-12 · Page 1
Berkowitz arrest prompts a front-page profile
The newspaper reports the developing investigation and interviews about Berkowitz’s background.
Early coverage before his guilty pleas; includes other front-page material.
Newspaper ReportingAccess Varies · Check Source
Link Check PendingReport a Link (Email)
Read the original at Newspapers.com. Access and subscription requirements are set by the archive.
Open full clipping at Newspapers.comMore from the newspaper archive
Continue with these dated reports on Newspapers.com.
Daily News · 1978-05-09 · Page 242
Berkowitz competency hearing examined
Reporting and hearing excerpts discuss Berkowitz’s competency and decision to plead guilty.
Statements about beliefs and mental state are attributed hearing accounts.
Read this article on Newspapers.comKeep following the newspaper trail.
Search original reporting, follow the trial, and compare how newspapers covered the case over time.
Explore more on Newspapers.comNewspapers.com controls access to its archive. A subscription may be required; existing subscribers can sign in.
Internet Archive
3 itemsAbout these sources
Library records and preserved media. A catalog listing does not guarantee full reading or playback.
Internet Archive · TV News Archive
Tonight From Washington : CSPAN : November 2, 2009 8:00pm-11:00pm EST
The archive indexes this broadcast under David Berkowitz. It may contain several stories; use any available captions or previews to locate the relevant segment. Full playback may be restricted.
Archive ResourceAccess Varies · Check Source
Link Check PendingReport a Link (Email)
Internet Archive · TV News Archive
American Morning : CNN : April 15, 2011 6:00am-9:00am EDT
The archive indexes this broadcast under David Berkowitz. It may contain several stories; use any available captions or previews to locate the relevant segment. Full playback may be restricted.
Archive ResourceAccess Varies · Check Source
Link Check PendingReport a Link (Email)
Internet Archive · TV News Archive
NBC Nightly News : WRC : July 30, 2011 6:30pm-7:00pm EDT
The archive indexes this broadcast under David Berkowitz. It may contain several stories; use any available captions or previews to locate the relevant segment. Full playback may be restricted.
Archive ResourceAccess Varies · Check Source
Link Check PendingReport a Link (Email)
EXPLORE THE CASE
Court & Files
Court records & documents
1 itemsAbout these sources
Documents are labeled by type and scope. Allegations in filings are not findings of guilt. This collection is not the complete case file.
Pretrial access rulingArchive copy
People v. Berkowitz — access to the competency hearing
Ruling on whether David Berkowitz’s competency hearing should be open to the press and public. It describes the competing fair-trial and access arguments.
- Court / agency
- New York Supreme Court, Criminal Term, Kings County
- Document date
- 1978
- Case / citation
- 93 Misc. 2d 873
- Hosted by
- OpenJurist
Link Check PendingReport a Link (Email)
EXPLORE THE CASE
Roads Traveled
Roads Traveled
Open case map →New York. The map provides regional context; individually verified historical places are listed below.
Where this story happened
New York
Highlighted states show regional context, not exact addresses. Ontario and regions outside the contiguous U.S. are listed by name.
Explore the interactive case atlas →Boundaries: Natural Earth · public domain
Location research & source notes
Map sources checked September 14, 2026. 8 individual Odd Stops location pages matched this case.
See this case’s source review
- Odd Stops
- Location pages found · 8 location pages. Read the location summaries in our place guides; photographs appear where reuse rights are verified.
- MurderData
- No verified match found.
- ArcGIS essay
- Not included in this essay.
- Reddit map
- Reviewed as a general resource. Its coordinates and victim counts were not adopted as case evidence.
“No verified match” describes the accessible material found in this review, not proof that a source has never covered the case. MAP’s anonymous records were not individually matched to people.
See the full case checklist →Berkowitz's former Pine Street building
Private propertyHistorical 35 Pine Street, Yonkers, New York; later numbered 42
Berkowitz lived in this apartment building before his 1977 arrest. It remains a residential historical reference, not a public attraction.
Historical reference only. No tour or public entry has been verified; respect residents and do not contact occupants.
Explore This Place →Berkowitz's childhood home
Private property1105 Stratford Avenue, Bronx, New York
This building is connected with Berkowitz's childhood. A childhood address does not establish a crime scene.
Historical reference only. No tour or public entry has been verified; respect residents and do not contact occupants.
Explore This Place →Berkowitz's former Co-op City home
Private property170 Dreiser Loop, Bronx, New York
Berkowitz lived in this apartment complex from 1968 to 1971. The connection is biographical.
Historical reference only. No tour or public entry has been verified; respect residents and do not contact occupants.
Explore This Place →Carl Denaro shooting area
Roadside historical reference159th Street near 33rd Avenue, Queens, New York
Denaro survived a shooting in October 1976. Odd Stops discusses conflicting street names in historical reporting and places the attack on 159th Street.
No visitor facilities, legal stopping place, or access beyond public roads have been verified. Respect traffic rules and surrounding property.
Explore This Place →Moskowitz–Violante shooting area
Roadside historical referenceShore Parkway near Bath Beach Park, Brooklyn, New York
Stacy Moskowitz and Robert Violante were shot here in 1977. Moskowitz died; Violante survived with lasting injuries.
No visitor facilities, legal stopping place, or access beyond public roads have been verified. Respect traffic rules and surrounding property.
Explore This Place →Lomino–DeMasi shooting location
Private property83-31 262nd Street, Queens, New York
Joanne Lomino and Donna DeMasi survived a shooting outside this home in November 1976. Odd Stops notes conflicting street names in older reports.
Historical reference only. No tour or public entry has been verified; respect residents and do not contact occupants.
Explore This Place →Esau–Suriani shooting area
Roadside historical referenceHutchinson River Parkway service road, Bronx, New York
Alexander Esau and Valentina Suriani were shot while sitting in a parked car in April 1977. The historical scene was the roadway, not a nearby residence.
No visitor facilities, legal stopping place, or access beyond public roads have been verified. Respect traffic rules and surrounding property.
Explore This Place →Christine Freund shooting area
Roadside historical referenceStation Square, Queens, New York
Freund was fatally shot in a parked car at Station Square in January 1977. The page distinguishes this location from nearby Continental Avenue.
No visitor facilities, legal stopping place, or access beyond public roads have been verified. Respect traffic rules and surrounding property.
Explore This Place →EXPLORE THE CASE
Positive Outcome
Positive Outcome
0 itemsAbout these sources
Documented laws, advocacy and reforms. Listing a change does not claim it is effective or universally supported.
No case-specific reform has been verified for this collection yet.
Social Media
6 itemsAbout these sources
Case-specific posts, videos and communities. Community opinions are separate from verified reporting. Platforms may require sign-in.
Absolute Crime
The Son Of Sam Killer's Descent Into Darkness | David Berkowitz: Born To Kill? | Absolute Crime
Video from Absolute Crime covering the David Berkowitz case. Length: 44:52.
Link Check PendingReport a Link (Email)
FilmRise True Crime
World's Most Evil Killers - Season 4, Episode 4 - Son of Sam (David Berkowitz) - Full Episode
Full episode or film as labeled by the publisher from FilmRise True Crime covering the David Berkowitz case. Length: 44:04.
Link Check PendingReport a Link (Email)
Absolute Crime
How David Berkowitz Triggered New York's Largest Manhunt Ever | Most Evil Killers | Absolute Crime
Video from Absolute Crime covering the David Berkowitz case. Length: 44:20.
Link Check PendingReport a Link (Email)
A&E
Infamous Killers: David Berkowitz, the Son of Sam | A&E
Video from A&E covering the David Berkowitz case. Length: 5:37.
Link Check PendingReport a Link (Email)
Real Crime
Terror In NY: The Son Of Sam Killings | World’s Most Evil Killers | Real Crime
Video from Real Crime covering the David Berkowitz case. Length: 43:34.
Link Check PendingReport a Link (Email)
True Crime News
Were there multiple shooters in ‘Son of Sam’ serial spree?
Video from True Crime News covering the David Berkowitz case. Length: 7:17.
Link Check PendingReport a Link (Email)