Unsolved Mystery of The Son of Sam

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Real Names: David Berkowitz, others unknown
Case: Serial Killings
Location: New York
Date: 1976-1977
Details: At 1:10am on July 29, 1976, two young women were shot in an area of the Bronx known as Pelham Bay by an assailant using .44 caliber bullets. One of them, Donna Lauria, was killed instantly. A composite of the gunman was created based on eyewitness accounts. On October 23, 1976, another shooting occurred in Queens; both victims survived and were shot by .44 caliber bullets. On November 27, 1976, two young women were also shot in Queens; both survived, but one would become paralyzed for life. Eyewitnesses helped to create another composite of the gunman. On January 30, 1977, Christine Freund and her fiancee were shot in their car; she was killed. On March 8, 1977, Columbia University student Virginia Voskerichian was shot and killed while walking home from school at around 7:30pm. Eyewitnesses created two more composites of the killer; these seemed different from the earlier ones.
On April 17, 1977, Alexander Esau and Valentina Suriani were shot and killed in their car in Pelham Bay. This time, a handwritten letter was left at the scene; the killer identified himself as the "Son of Sam". On Memorial Day 1977, the killer sent another letter to newspaper columnist Jimmy Breslin. It contained taunts and references to satanism. It also mentioned the "Twenty Two Disciples of Hell", "Wicked King Wicker", and "John Wheaties - the Rapist and Suffocater of Young Girls". It was also signed the "Son of Sam" and had a satanic symbol at the bottom. Finally, on July 31, 1977, the assailant struck for the last time, killing a young woman named Stacy Moskowitz; her boyfriend, Robert Violante, was injured. Nineteen-year-old mechanic Tommy Zaino was a witness to the shooting. Tommy gave a description of the shooter, which was much different than the other composite drawings.
This case first aired on the November 2, 1988 episode and Part 2 first aired a week later on the November 9, 1988 episode. It was also mentioned in connecting to the research of Carolyn Reynolds.
It was also briefly mentioned in the Stockton Arsonist segment.
The case was documented on Very Scary People.

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