David Berkowitz
Real Names: David Berkowitz, others unknown
Case: Serial Killings
Location: New York
Date: 1976-1977
Case
Details: At 1:10 am on July 29, 1976, two young women were shot in an area of the Bronx known as Pelham Bay by an assailant using .44 caliber bullets. One of the women, Donna Lauria, was killed instantly. A composite of the shooter was created based on eyewitness accounts. On October 23, 1976, another shooting occurred in Queens; both victims survived and were shot by .44 caliber bullets. On November 27, 1976, two young women were also shot in Queens; both survived, but one would become paralyzed for life. Eyewitnesses helped to create another composite of the gunman. On January 30, 1977, Christine Freund and her fiancee were shot in their car; Christine was killed. On March 8, 1977, Columbia University student Virginia Voskerichian was shot and killed while walking home from school at around 7:30 pm. Eyewitnesses created two more composites of the killer; these sketches seemed different from the earlier drawings.
Composites of "Sons of Sam"
On April 17, 1977, Alexander Esau and Valentina Suriani were shot and killed in their car in Pelham Bay. This time, a handwritten letter was left at the scene; the killer identified himself as the "Son of Sam". On Memorial Day 1977, the killer sent another letter to newspaper columnist Jimmy Breslin. The letter contained taunts and references to satanism. It also mentioned the "Twenty Two Disciples of Hell", "Wicked King Wicker", and "John Wheaties - the Rapist and Suffocater of Young Girls". This letter was also signed the "Son of Sam" and had a satanic symbol at the bottom of it. Finally, on July 31, 1977, the assailant struck for the last time, killing a young woman named Stacy Moskowitz; her boyfriend, Robert Violante, was injured. Nineteen-year-old mechanic Tommy Zaino was a witness to the shooting. Tommy gave a description of the shooter, which was much different than the other composite drawings.
Authorities learned that a parking ticket had been issued near the scene; it was issued to a Ford Galaxy belonging to postal employee David Berkowitz. When authorities went to his residence, they noticed his car parked out front. Inside, the saw a duffel bag with a rifle in it. They searched the car and found another letter written by the "Son of Sam" which threatened more attacks. At 10 pm, Berkowitz returned to his car, carrying a .44 caliber revolver in a paper bag. He was arrested and confessed to all of the shootings. He told police that he had received his orders to kill from the barking dog of a neighbor, Sam Carr. Berkowitz pleaded guilty to all of the murders and was sentenced to twenty-five years to life in prison.
Author Maury Terry, however, felt that there was more to the story; he believed that Berkowitz did not act alone. He believes that Berkowitz was part of a gang of killings. Maury first became suspicious when he read the reports about the last shooting on July 31, 1977. Maury talked to eyewitness Tommy Zaino; Tommy said that he had seen a slim man with medium length hair shoot Stacy and Robert. When Tommy saw Berkowitz a few days later, he was certain that he had seen a different man at the scene. Tommy believed this because Berkowitz was much stockier than the shooter that he had seen.
Map of the area where the Moskowitz shooting occurred
Maury also learned about a yellow Volkswagen which was parked in front of a park next to where Stacy and Robert were shot. The vehicle was left there at around 1 am on the night of the shooting; three men emerged from the vehicle. Thirty minutes later, Tommy noticed the vehicle pass by him twice. At 2:05 am, a policeman issued the parking ticket to Berkowitz's car. At the same time, a neighborhood resident named Cecilia Davis was dropped off by a friend next to Berkowitz's car. Cecilia and her friend were blocking the street, so Berkowitz began honking at them as he tried to drive down the street. Cecilia got out of her friend's car and got a good look at Berkowitz. She saw Berkowitz driving away from the area, following the police car. Fifteen minutes later, Stacy and Robert went on a walk around the park. They noticed a man standing next to the park restroom, which was two blocks from Cecilia's apartment. At 2:33 am, Cecilia returned to her apartment after walking her dog. She once again saw Berkowitz as he walked right past her on the sidewalk. Just one minute later, Cecilia entered her apartment and heard the shooting. It seems unlikely that Berkowitz would be able to walk two blocks to the scene of the shooting in less than a minute; it would normally take someone two minutes to briskly walk that distance.
Just fifteen seconds after the shooting, witnesses saw a man wearing a cheap wig run away from the scene of the shooting, get into a yellow Volkswagen, and drive away. Maury Terry believes that there were at least three people involved in the shooting, including Berkowitz. He believes that they are part of an organized conspiracy that was responsible for all of the "Son of Sam" shootings. Maury believes that although Berkowitz was involved in several shootings, he also became the "fall guy" in the case.
It's alleged that the cult was active and recruiting new members as late as ten years after his arrest. Maury believes that this cult sent the letter to Jimmy Breslin. In the letter a "King Wicker" is mentioned; interestingly, Berkowitz lived in an apartment next to Wicker Street. A man named John Carr lived close to Berkowitz; Maury learned that his nickname was "John Wheaties" which was also mentioned in the Breslin letter. John Carr happened to be the son of Sam Carr; Sam's dog is the one that Berkowitz claimed had told him to commit the killings. Maury believe that John resembles two of the composites of the killer. Maury tracked John Carr to Minot Air Force Base in North Dakota. Maury learned that while John worked in North Dakota, he frequently traveled to New York around the time of the murders. Authorities confirmed that John was a close friend and confidant of Berkowitz.
Composites of Son of Sam (above) and John Carr (below)
On February 17, 1978, six months after Berkowitz's arrest, John Carr was found dead in his girlfriend's apartment in Minot, North Dakota. It was believed, at first, that John had sat at the edge of his bed and shot himself with a gun that was found next to him; his girlfriend believed this. The next day, however, she changed her story and said that she believed that he had been murdered. She said that he was wanted for the Son of Sam murders in New York and that he was afraid for his life. One of the North Dakota investigators is convinced that John Carr was murdered; however, the death was remains a mystery.
Maury believes that John Carr had satanic cult ties to both New York and North Dakota. The cult allegedly practiced in blood drinking, urine drinking, and even animal sacrifices. Their choice of animal was allegedly the German Shepherd. Maury discovered that the satanic symbol at the end of the Breslin letter was also found in John Carr's phone book.
Phil Falcon was an acquaintance of John's in Minot. He told Maury that he had accidentally walked in on John and another man during a satanic ritual. They were apparently sacrificing an animal in the middle of Phil's own house. Phil told Maury that John belonged to a violent satanic cult. Prison sources who knew Berkowitz claimed that he had been introduced to this cult by John's brother Michael in 1975. They allegedly attended a "floating covenant" party wherein he became involved in the cult. At 4 am, on October 4, 1979, Michael Carr was killed after he crashed into a light post on New York's West Side highway. He died just eighteen months after his brother.
Michael Carr
Conclusive proof that Berkowitz knew both of the Carr brothers came during one of his depositions. On October 25, 1978, he said that he did know John Carr. In 1983, during another deposition, Berkowitz confirmed that the brothers were involved in a satanic cult, and that they were murdered to ensure their silence. Maury believes that the brothers' deaths were engineered by the "Twenty-two Disciples of Hell". He also believes that the group held their rituals in Untermyer Park, located just one mile from Berkowitz's apartment. On August 11, 1977, the day after Berkowitz's arrest, two young boys led police to a shallow grave where the bodies of three German Shepherds were found. Two of them had been strangled with chains, and another was shot in the head. At least ten other dogs were later found dead in the park.
Authorities also received information that groups of people in black robes with hoods were chanting and carrying on rituals in the rear of Untermyer Park. More remains of dogs were found in that area; it was believed that these dogs were sacrificed in a ritual. Maury received a call from a teenager in Yonkers who claimed that he had seen a satanic cult meeting in Untermyer Park. The teenager took Maury to the park and showed him where the cult was apparently meeting; satanic graffiti was found. He also showed Maury the remains of several dogs. Finally, he took Maury along the aqua duct where a satanic altar was set up.
Cult activity has continued around Untermyer Park since the Son of Sam killings. While Unsolved Mysteries was filming the story, two residents came forward to say that they had witnessed a satanic cult meeting in the park in 1987. The two witnesses stated that they had gone outside after seeing car headlights and went to an area near the aqua duct in the park. They saw at least fifteen people standing in the area, chanting and holding candles. Out of fear, the two witnesses fled the area.
Authorities continue to investigate the Son of Sam case and do not consider it closed. They would like to question any individuals that match the composite sketches in the case. They would also like to locate the yellow 1971 Volkswagon seen near the scene of the last shooting. The license plate ends with the letters "GUR".
Extra Notes: This case appeared on the November 2, 1988 episode with Part 2 aired a week later on November 9, 1988. It was also mentioned in connecting to the research of Carolyn Reynolds. Berkowitz was also briefly mentioned in the Stockton Arsonist segment.
Results: Unresolved. Sadly, Maury Terry has since passed away. Authorities still consider the case open but inactive; David Berkowitz has refused to speak about the cult or anyone else who may have been involved in the case. He has been eligible for parole several times since 2002; however, each time he has been denied.
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