WHAT DOES A KILLER LOOK LIKE?

A killer could be anyone. Maybe even your neighbor. There's no set feature of someone's face that will tell you what that person is capable of doing. For example, here's a photograph of a young man who reeked havoc on New York in the '70s.  Now, I ask you, does he look dangerous? I think he looks like a cuddly teddy bear. But that's just the problem. The saying goes: Never judge a book by its cover", and the same goes for a killer. You can't possibly know what's on their minds.

This man is David Richard Berkowitz who was born Richard David Falco, June 1, 1953 and became known as the Son of Sam

 

Born Richard David Falco, he was adopted by Nathan and Pearl Berkowitz when he was only a few days old. According to some reports, David Berkowitz was an intelligent but troubled child growing up. He was close to his mother who died during his teenage years, and he was deeply affected by her death.

He joined the military and received an honorable discharge, returning to New York City, and eventually found a job at the US post office and lived in Yonkers. Neighbors and co-workers described him as a quiet loner, but they had no idea how lethal he was.

His violent crimes began in the early '70s. His first attempt at murder was using a knife, but knowing the woman survived, he moved and decided to learn how to use a gun instead, and purchased a .44 caliber pistol to continue his spree throughout Queens, Brooklyn, and the Bronx.

His victims? All were women with long, dark, wavy hair and he would search the streets for couples who sat in parked cars. What was so interesting about this case is I don't think there was ever a reason given as to why he chose only brunettes.

Now having a gun, his first shooting victim was in the Bronx. When two friends left a disco bar, he was waiting in the parking lot and ran toward them. The frightened driver gave him a piece of her mind. He didn't like being reprimanded so he crouched down, bracing his elbow on his knee and aimed killing her with one bullet. The other passenger was shot in her thigh, and a third bullet missed both women, after which, he turned and ran away. Both of these women survived and when they described the stance he took, the NYPD thought it might have been a policeman. The investigation proved nothing and they moved on.

More killings and the women of New York were in a state of panic afraid to leave their homes, but they found a way by bleaching their hair or wearing wigs to cover up their brunette locks.

Making his way around New York, to throw the police off, he killed at random. As often happens, the media made this guy a celebrity and he began to enjoy the notoriety. Reading negatives things about himself angered him and he fought back. Below is his first letter to the police that he left near the  victim.

 



 

More media coverage pursued and he didn't like the way he was being represented. (see below). It was the biggest thing to hit the city in a long while and the residents wanted answers.

 

Upset, he began to play a game with them. He loved this notoriety. It gave him a celebrity in his own right. Below is another letter. Source: Wickipedia

 

I am deeply hurt by your calling me a wemon hater. I am not. But I am a monster. I am the "Son of Sam." I am a little "brat". When father Sam gets drunk he gets mean. He beats his family. Sometimes he ties me up to the back of the house. Other times he locks me in the garage. Sam loves to drink blood. "Go out and kill" commands father Sam. Behind our house some rest. Mostly young — raped and slaughtered — their blood drained — just bones now. Papa Sam keeps me locked in the attic, too. I can't get out but I look out the attic window and watch the world go by. I feel like an outsider. I am on a different wave length then everybody else — programmed too kill. However, to stop me you must kill me. Attention all police: Shoot me first — shoot to kill or else. Keep out of my way or you will die! Papa Sam is old now. He needs some blood to preserve his youth. He has had too many heart attacks. Too many heart attacks. "Ugh, me hoot it hurts sonny boy." I miss my pretty princess most of all. She's resting in our ladies house but I'll see her soon. I am the "Monster" — "Beelzebub" — the "Chubby Behemouth." I love to hunt. Prowling the streets looking for fair game — tasty meat. The wemon of Queens are z prettyist of all. I must be the water they drink. I live for the hunt — my life. Blood for papa. Mr. Borrelli, sir, I dont want to kill anymore no sir, no more but I must, "honour thy father." I want to make love to the world. I love people. I don't belong on Earth. Return me to yahoos. To the people of Queens, I love you. And I wa want to wish all of you a happy Easter. May God bless you in this life and in the next and for now I say goodbye and goodnight. Police — Let me haunt you with these words; I'll be back! I'll be back! To be interrpreted as — bang, bang, bang, bank, bang — ugh!! Yours in murder Mr. Monster.

At the scene of one of his shootings, SOS got sloppy--he hadn't counted on anyone seeing him. Fortunately, the person who witnessed the shooting saw a man getting away in a car that had a parking ticket on it, and that was their break in the case. Only a handful of tickets had been given out that day, and one of them was for Berkowitz. The police arrested him on August 10, 1977. According to The New York Times, Berkowitz said, "Well, you've got me" when they took him into custody.

He was found mentally competent, and incarcerated in the state prison for murder. In the course of further police investigation, Berkowitz was also implicated in many unsolved arsons in the city.
In response, the New York State legislature enacted new legal statutes, known popularly as "Son of Sam laws", designed to keep criminals from profiting financially from the publicity surrounding their crimes.

Berkowitz has been imprisoned since his arrest and is serving six life sentences consecutively. In the mid-1990s, he amended his confession to claim that he had been a member of a violent Satanic Cult that orchestrated the incidents as ritual murder. Though he remains the only person ever charged with the shootings, some law enforcement authorities have questioned whether Berkowitz's claims are credible. A new investigation into the murders was launched in 1996, but was suspended indefinitely after inconclusive findings.

Today, Berkowitz wants the world to forgive him because he's found God. While saying you're sorry for evil deeds is a noble objective, I'm not sure I could ever forget or forgive the terror he caused in New York and the surrounding areas because I remember that smirk on his face when he was apprehended and I remember seeing the pleasure he got from his new celebrity status.

Right, David Berkowitz. I'll get right on that!