Crimes Committed
The Son of Sam was a strange killer who seemed to pick his victims on a whim. Below are the 6 deceased and 7 survivors of David Berkowitz.
DONNA LAURIASitting in parked car with Jody Valenti when man (now known to be Berkowitz) fired at car. Lauria died instantly.
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CHRISTINE FREUNDSitting in parked car in Flushing (borough in Queens) with John Diel. Man approached and opened fire, killing Freund.
ALEXANDER ESAUKilled in the Bronx along with Valentina Suriani. Son of Sam letter was found at the crime scene.
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VIRGINIA VOSKERICHIANWalking back from a class she attended at Barnard College when she was shot in the face. Voskerichian died instantly.
STACY MOSKOWITZFatally shot in the head while sitting in parked car on a first date with Robert Violante.
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VALENTINA SURIANIKilled in the Bronx along with Alexander Esau. The first Son of Sam letter was found at the crime scene.
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SURVIVIORS
JODY VALENTISitting in parked car when Berkowitz approached and fired five shots. Valenti was struck in the thigh, but lived.
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CARL DENAROBerkowitz mistook Denaro, who had shoulder length hair, for a woman and fired five times into his red Volkswagen. Denaro was shot in the back of the skull, but survived the attack.
JOANNE LOMIROSitting on porch with DeMasi when a man seeking directions pulled out a gun mid-sentence and began firing at the girls. Lomino's spine was shattered and she spent the rest of her life in a wheelchair.
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ROSEMARY KEENANSitting in car with Denaro when Berkowitz approached. Keenan was not harmed because Berkowitz had assumed Denaro was the woman in the car.
JOHN DIELDiel had been sitting in his car with girlfriend, Freund, when the windows were shattered. Diel was unharmed, but saw that Freund was slumped forward with a bullet wound to her head.
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DONNA DEMASIDeMasi and Lomino were sitting on Lomino's porch when a man approached asking for directions. He stopped mid-sentence and began firing at the girls. DeMasi was shot through the base of the neck and survived.
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ROBERT "BOBBY" VIOLANTE
Violante and his girlfriend, Moskowitz, had decided to stroll through the park before getting back into their car a few minutes later. Violante and Moskowitz had been talking when three shots suddenly shattered the car windows. Violante's eardrums were busted instantly and he was left permanently blind. Moskowitz died later at the hospital.
WHEN & WHERE CRIMES OCCURRED:
The Son of Sam shootings occurred in the late seventies. Berkowitz's first crime occurred on December 24th, 1975 and the last attack was July 31st, 1977. These seemingly random shootings terrified New York until the killer was eventually brought to justice by NYPD officials. Berkowitz's primary target areas were the Bronx, Queens, and a borough of Queens known as Flushing.
WHY BERKOWITZ COMMITTED THESE CRIMES:
The people of New York were never given a solid explanation as to why Berkowitz went on his killing spree. They did, however, receive strange letters that the Son of Sam himself wrote. In one of these letter, he explains how his father is the main cause of his distress and that he needs blood to remain young (Berkowitz).