David Berkowitz says he doesn't trust media after 50 years
David Berkowitz, the convicted Son of Sam killer, says he does not trust the media 50 years after terrorizing New York with shootings and letters to newspapers. Through podcaster Keith Rovere, he declined a Fox News interview and claimed outlets twist his words about parole-law debates that he says did not involve him.
Key Takeaways
- David Berkowitz told podcaster Keith Rovere he does not trust the media and declined a Fox News interview request.
- His first victim, 18-year-old Donna Lauria, was killed in the Bronx on July 29, 1976.
- He taunted columnist Jimmy Breslin with letters signed "Son of Sam" before his August 1977 arrest.
- In May, he skipped a parole hearing and wrote that he was not seeking release from prison.
- A new podcast series is revisiting the 50-year anniversary of the New York killings.
What did David Berkowitz say about the media?
Berkowitz wrote to Rovere, host of the "Lighter Side of True Crime" podcast, that the media will "twist and distort whatever I say." He alleged recent coverage of New York bills on elder parole and abolishing life without parole wrongly linked him and "riled up a victim with a false information and a distortion."
He said anyone curious about his life can visit ariseandshine.org, which he described as holding extensive prison writings, videos, and interviews. Serving a life sentence, Berkowitz now claims to be a born-again Christian, calls himself the "Son of Hope," and signs letters as "Brother David." Rovere, a former prison pastor who has exchanged letters with him for years, said he believes Berkowitz has "completely changed his ways."
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Why does the 50-year anniversary matter now?
On July 29, 1976, Donna Lauria was shot and killed getting out of an Oldsmobile in the Bronx. Her friend, 19-year-old Jody Valenti, was wounded but survived and later described a white male attacker in his 30s with curly dark hair.
The .44-caliber killings terrified the city for about a year. Young couples avoided parked cars, and some young women cut or dyed their hair, believing the killer targeted long, dark locks. By the time Berkowitz was caught, the shootings had killed six people and injured seven.
In the lead-up to the anniversary, he sent a note to Jimmy Breslin asking what Breslin would have for July 29 and warning he was still "thirsty" for blood. Fox News reported that those letters cemented the "Son of Sam" name and showed the killer was tracking news coverage.
How was David Berkowitz caught, and what is happening now?
Though July 29 passed without a new victim, another shooting two days later proved decisive. Investigators found a parking summons issued nearby that led them to Berkowitz's Yonkers home. He was arrested on Aug. 10, 1977, as he sat in his car outside.
In May, Berkowitz skipped a parole hearing and wrote to the New York Post that he was not trying to get out, saying the only place he looked forward to going was "heaven to be with the Lord." Survivor Robert Violante, wounded when Stacy Moskowitz was killed on July 31, 1977, told the Post he doubted that outcome.
Separately, Caloroga Shark Media's Daily Crime and Justice podcast launched "Summer of Fear," revisiting the anniversary, New York's debt-era "Fear City" climate, newspaper competition for headlines, and the parking ticket that helped end the manhunt.