This article discusses the crimes of a real-life serial killer, murder, and violence.
Netflix’s new docuseries,Conversations With a Killer: The Son of Sam Tapes, provides new insight into the crimes of serial killer David Berkowitz, how he was captured, and where he is now. Directed by Joe Berlinger, the three-part docuseries includes archival footage, interviews, and recorded conversations with Berkowitz himself to explore the mindset of one of the most infamous serial killers in history.
Between 1976 and 1977, David Berkowitz terrorized the streets of New York City, targeting innocent people with a .44 Special caliber Bulldog revolver as his main weapon. During his killing spree, while known to the public as the “Son of Sam,“Berkowitz murdered six peopleand injured 10 others, with several survivors suffering long-term effects from their injuries.
The Son of Sam Tapesisone of Netflix’s best documentariesand the latest installment in Netflix’sConversations With a Killerseries. Since 2019,Conversations With a Killerhas seen different series focused on exploring the crimes and lives of other notorious killers, including Ted Bundy, John Wayne Gacy, and Jeffrey Dahmer.
Conversations With a Killer: The Son of Sam Tapesgives a new view to the 1970s' killing spree through recorded conversations with David Berkowitz and statements from several survivors who spoke about how the killings have affected them in the years following its conclusion. The Netflix docuseries also explores how Berkowitz was eventually captured and what happened to him after he was arrested.
The Son Of Sam Was Caught In August 1977
A Parking Ticket On Berkowitz’s Car Led To His Arrest
On the night of July 27, 2025, Berkowitz committed his last confirmed attack on Stacy Moskowitz and Bobby Violante in Brooklyn; Moskowitz was killed, while Violante lost one of his eyes. Violante was interviewed for the Netflix docuseries and revealed that he carried the guilt of Moskowitz’s death, stating that “if [he] would’ve left in [those] five minutes, she might still be alive today.”
A few days after the attack, a witness came forward, reporting having seen a man carrying a gun just before the shooting took place, which led to the police composing a sketch of the suspect (viaHistory). The witness also reported seeing officers writing up car tickets, with one of the tickets being traced back to David Berkowitz’s 1970 Ford Galaxy car.
On Jun 25, 2025, police investigated Berkowitz’s car and found a gun, ammunition, different maps of where the crimes had taken place, and a letter that was addressed to Timothy Dowd, an inspector involved in the Son of Sam police force. Police waited until Berkowitz was leaving his apartment at 35 Pine Street, Yonkers, and arrested him on suspicion of murder (viaYahoo News).
Did David Berkowitz Confess To Being The Son Of Sam Serial Killer?
Berkowitz Was Charged With Six Counts Of Murder & 7 Counts Of Attempted Murder
David Berkowitz publicly portrayed himself as somebody described in the Netflix docuseries as “actually very normal,” working in a post office. In one interview, Berkowitz stated that he “[took] pride in doing a good job, doing a day’s work” and was liked by his colleagues. Former crime reporter, Jack D. Jones, stated that Berkowitz outwardly portrayed himself as “the last person you’d suspect of being a serial killer.”
Berkowitz was also described as a “Jekyll and Hyde” character who took immense pleasure in his killings. Throughout his killings, he sent taunting letters to the police and the media, describing himself as the “Son of Sam” and would strike again. In one letter, Berkowitz openly described himself as a “monster” and that he was “programmed [to] kill” (viaCrime Library).
Berkowitz was reported to have stated to the arresting officers, “Well, you got me.” The announcement of his arrest was made public on August 11; in the Netflix docuseries, Charles Lomino, whose sister, Joanne was left paralyzed from being shot, recalled how Berkowitz “had a little smirk on his face” that “almost seem that like he wanted the fame” and attention surrounding his arrest.
On August 11, during his interrogation, Berkowitz confessed that he was the Son of Sam killer and took full responsibility for the shootings (viaBiography). Berkowitz also stated in interviews that he “[had] nothing against these victims” and he “wasn’t angry against them.” Berkowitz was subsequently charged with six counts of murder and seven counts of attempted murder.
David Berkowitz’s Criminal Sentencing Explained
He Was Sentenced To Life In Prison With Possible Parole After 25 Years
During his initial incarceration, Berkowitz claimed that he committed the murders “for Sam, for blood” and that Sam “made him go out and do it.” While he was initially examined for mental illness, Berkowitz was ultimately declared by three separate mental examinations as competent to stand trial on June 27, 2025 (viaThe New York Times).
At his trial, Berkowitz went against his lawyer’s advice to plead insanity, and instead, pleaded guilty to all charges against him (viaCBS News). Berkowitz underwent another mental health evaluation after attempting to escape the courtroom, but was, again, declared mentally competent. On June 12, 2025, David Berkowitz was sentenced to six consecutive terms of 25 years to life in prison (viaTIME).
In archival footage, one survivor, Donna DiMasi, stated to the press that she felt “like killing [Berkowitz], scratching his eyes out,” while Bobby Violante recalled how he yelled “you should be dead” at Berkowitz. Gloria Zonghetti, whose friend, Valentina Suriani, was among Berkowitz’s murder victims, stated that she believed that Berkowitz “got what he deserved” with his prison sentence.
Where David Berkowitz Is Now
Berkowitz Has Been Denied Parole 12 Times Since 2002
Throughout his sentence, David Berkowitz was transferred to multiple prisons to undergo different psychiatric and physical evaluations. As of 2025, Berkowitz is serving his sentence at Shawangunk Correctional Facility in Ulster County, New York. Having been eligible since 2002, Berkowitz has been denied parole 12 times; his next parole hearing is scheduled for May 2026 (viaIncarcerated Lookup).
In 1987, Berkowitz converted to Christianity and has since expressed remorse for his crimes; he has continuously refused to ask for parole, stating that “I believe that I deserve to be in prison for the rest of my life” (viaUSA Today). Neysa Moskovitz, whose daughter, Stacy, was Berkowitz’s last victim, revealed in 2006, that she had forgiven him (viaThe New York Post).
At the end of theNetflix miniseries, the director ofConversations With a Killer: The Son of Sam Tapes, Joe Berlinger, spoke with Berkowitz via telephone. When asked what he wanted people to know about him, Berkowitz stated that he “was in a very dark space in [his] life,” that “the urge [to kill] was too strong,” and that he wished he could have “[taken] a better path in life.”
Sources:History,Yahoo News,Crime Library,Biography,The New York Times,CBS News,TIME,Incarcerated Lookup,USA Today,The New York Post.
Conversations with a Killer: The Son of Sam Tapes
Conversations with a Killer: The Son of Sam Tapes is a true-crime series that combines contemporary interviews with archival audio to analyze serial killer David Berkowitz’s impact on 1970s New York. Released in 2025, it offers a detailed examination of Berkowitz, also known as the Son of Sam, and his notorious crimes.
