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The Son of Sam: A Timeline of the Killings that Terrorized New York City

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The Son of Sam: A Timeline of the Killings that Terrorized New York City

Throughout 13 months of 1976 and 1977, worry over the Son of Sam murders perpetrated by then-unknown serial killer David Berkowitz gripped the residents of New York Metropolis. Six men and women had been shot and killed in three of town’s boroughs in additional than a dozen seemingly random assaults. The crimes spawned one of many largest manhunts of town’s historical past.

Tabloid newspapers battled for the newest info as day by day gross sales soared. “It had completely the whole lot going for it as a tabloid excellent storm,” Sam Roberts, the Every day Information metropolis editor in 1977 informed the New York Occasions of the media frenzy. “It was an ongoing, unfolding crime story that New Yorkers had been genuinely terrified about.”

Here is a timeline of some of the notorious killing sprees in trendy historical past:

July 29, 1976: The killer assaults his first victims 

The shootings first attributed to the killer who would turn out to be referred to as the Son of Sam occurred within the Pelham Bay space of the Bronx. Two ladies, Jody Valenti and Donna Lauria, 18, had been sitting in Valenti’s double-parked Oldsmobile when a person approached the automobile and fired three bullets. Lauria was killed immediately and Valenti was shot within the thigh earlier than the person walked shortly away. Valenti described her attacker as a white male in his thirties, roughly 5-foot-8 and about 200 kilos, with brief, darkish, curly hair.

October 23, 1976: Two extra persons are shot however survive 

Carl Denaro, 20, and Rosemary Keenan, 18, had been shot at whereas sitting in a parked automobile in a residential space of Flushing, Queens. Each survived, however Denaro was struck within the head by one of many bullets. Police would later speculate Denaro could have been mistaken for a lady as a result of his shoulder-length hair.

November 27, 1976: A pair is attacked by a person in navy fatigues 

Following a late film, Donna DeMasi, 16, and Joanne Lomino, 18, had been headed to Lomino’s house in Floral Park, Queens once they had been approached on the road by a person wearing navy fatigues who produced a revolver and shot every girl as soon as. Their attacker fired a number of extra instances earlier than working away. Although shot within the neck, DeMasi survived with out everlasting harm. Lomino was shot within the again and was paralyzed.

January 30, 1977: One other assault with seemingly no motive

Christine Freund, 26, and her fiancé, John Diel, 30, had been shot as they sat in Diel’s automobile in Flushing, Queens. Panicked, Diel sped away. He suffered minor accidents however Freund was shot twice and later died in hospital. Just like the earlier assaults there seemed to be no motive, however following this homicide the police made the primary public acknowledgment that the assault bore similarities to earlier incidents – all victims had been struck with .44 caliber bullets and the assailant seemed to be attacking younger ladies with lengthy, darkish hair. On the time, police stated they had been in search of a number of suspects.

March 8, 1977: A university pupil is attacked in a the identical space 

Returning house within the night after faculty courses, Virginia Voskerichian, 19 — who lived in the identical neighborhood the place Freund had been attacked — was shot within the head and died immediately. With native newspapers the Every day Information and New York Publish now reporting on the shootings every day, it was revealed at a press convention two days after Voskerichian’s homicide that police strongly suspected the identical .44 Bulldog revolver had been used within the assaults.

April 17, 1977: The killer pronounces his id for the primary time 

Within the early hours of the morning, Valentina Suriani, 18, and her boyfriend, Alexander Esau, 20, had been sitting in Suriani’s automobile close to her house within the Bronx once they had been every shot twice. Esau died on the scene and Suriani later in hospital. For the primary time, the killer introduced his id through a handwritten observe left for police on the crime scene by which he referred to himself as “Son of Sam” and promised the killings would proceed.

Might 30, 1977: A columnist receives a handwritten letter from somebody claiming to be the killer

Every day Information columnist Jimmy Breslin obtained a handwritten letter from somebody claiming to be the shooter. Inside, the author namechecks one of many first victims, Lauria, warning Breslin to “not overlook [her] and you can’t let the individuals overlook her both. She was a really, very candy woman however Sam’s a thirsty lad and he received’t let me cease killing till he will get his fill of blood.” The letter was signed “Son of Sam.” The Every day Information introduced the missive to police and 10 days later printed a redacted model in what would turn out to be one of many paper’s largest promoting points ever with a couple of million copies bought.

With stories now circulating that the victims all had lengthy, darkish hair, ladies in New York started slicing their hair brief or using shiny dyes to change their look.

June 26, 1977: A pair is attacked exterior a membership 

After leaving a disco in Bayside, Queens, Judy Placido, 17, and Sal Lupo, 20, had been shot whereas sitting in Lupo’s parked automobile. Each survived their accidents with Lupo reportedly telling the police he and Placido had been discussing the Son of Sam killer solely minutes earlier than the assault.

July 31, 1977: The primary assault involving a sufferer with blonde hair 

Robert Violante, 20, and Stacy Moskowitz, 19, had been shot in Violante’s automobile whereas on their first date. Volante would lose his left eye, Moskowitz would die 18 hours after the assault which was the primary to happen within the borough of Brooklyn and the primary involving a sufferer, Moskowitz, with blonde hair.

Days later an eyewitness would come ahead claiming to have seen a person with what appeared like a gun minutes earlier than the Brooklyn shootings, and that different cops had been writing parking tickets in the identical space that night time. A search revealed one of many ticketed vehicles that night time belonged to Berkowitz, who was already being investigated over complaints of harassment to a neighbor.

August 10, 1977: Berkowitz is arrested and confessed the subsequent day

Berkowitz, 24, of Yonkers, N.Y. was arrested in entrance of his house constructing. Police had investigated Berkowitz’s automobile and found a rifle within the again seat, maps of the crime scenes and ammunition. Ready till Berkowitz left the house constructing, police arrested him as he sat behind the wheel of his automobile. A bag containing the .44 caliber revolver was recovered subsequent to him, and a smiling Berkowitz reportedly stated to the arresting officer, “Nicely, you bought me.”

The next day Berkowitz would confess to the shootings, claiming that Sam was a demonic spirit who spoke to him through his former neighbor’s black Labrador. Berkowitz additionally informed police he was answerable for 1,500 fires set across the metropolis. He was 23 on the time of the primary homicide.

Might 8, 1978: Berkowitz pleads responsible to the murders 

Berkowitz withdraws an madness protection and pleads responsible to the six murders, being given six 25-years-to-life sentences for the crimes, and for which he could be denied parole ever since. Following his arrest, Berkowitz made statements that he had been a part of a violent cult that aided him in finishing up the assaults and murders.

Although no laborious proof was uncovered to help the declare, many nonetheless marvel if Berkowitz was appearing alone. In response to Jim Rothstein, a retired New York Police Division detective who was engaged on the vice squad throughout the Son of Sam killings and investigated suspicions a satanic cult was behind a lot of the violent legal exercise throughout the Seventies, Berkowitz “didn’t do all of the killings.”

“As soon as they locked up Berkowitz and blamed him for the whole lot, they stated it was accomplished,” Rothstein informed A&E Actual Crime. “However Berkowitz was simply the man who took the rap. It was a a lot greater factor.”

“I see that folks won’t ever perceive the place I come from, regardless of how a lot I attempt to clarify it,” Berkowitz informed CBS Information in a uncommon 2017 tv interview. “They would not perceive what it was wish to stroll in darkness.”