ALBANY, N.Y. — “Son of Sam” killer David Berkowitz, who set New York City on edge with late-night shootings in the 1970s, was denied parole after his twelfth board appearance.
Berkowitz, 70, was rejected after a Board of Parole prison interview on May 14, according to information listed on a state Department of Corrections and Community Supervision web site. Officials with the corrections agency would not provide additional information on Tuesday.
Berkowitz terrorized the city with a series of shootings that killed six people and wounded seven beginning in July 1976. The shooter targeted young women and couples sitting in cars. The papers called him the ”.44 Caliber Killer.” In taunting notes to police and a journalist, he called himself “Son of Sam” and said he received demonic messages to kill.
Berkowitz was arrested Aug. 10, 1977, a little more than a year after the first victim, Donna Lauria, was shot and killed in the Bronx.
The New York Police Department formed a 200-person task force to find the killer. The case was finally cracked after a witness reported a strange man on the street near the final shooting. Police checked traffic tickets that had been issued in the area and traced them to Berkowitz’s car and home in nearby Yonkers.
Berkowitz was sentenced in 1978 to the maximum prison term of 25 years to life for each of the six slayings. He first became eligible for parole in 2002.
Berkowitz has since expressed remorse and said he is a born-again Christian. He is being held at Shawangunk Correctional Facility, a maximum-security prison about 60 miles (97 kilometers) north of New York City.
David Berkowitz, also known as the ‘Son of Sam’ killer, has been denied parole for the 12th time. Berkowitz, who terrorized New York City in the summer of 1977 with a series of shootings that left six people dead and seven others injured, has been serving a life sentence at the Shawangunk Correctional Facility in upstate New York since his arrest in August 1977.
Berkowitz, now 68 years old, has been eligible for parole since 2002, but each time he has come up for parole, he has been denied. The latest denial came after a hearing in which Berkowitz expressed remorse for his crimes but was ultimately deemed not suitable for release.
During his reign of terror in the summer of 1977, Berkowitz targeted young couples parked in cars, shooting them with a .44 caliber revolver. He taunted the police and the media with cryptic letters signed “Son of Sam,” claiming that he was driven to kill by a demon that possessed him. Berkowitz was eventually caught after a massive manhunt and confessed to the shootings.
Since his incarceration, Berkowitz has become a born-again Christian and has expressed remorse for his crimes. He has also been involved in prison ministry and has worked to help other inmates find redemption.
Despite his efforts at rehabilitation, the parole board has consistently cited the heinous nature of his crimes and the impact they had on the victims and their families as reasons for denying his release. The board has also expressed concern about Berkowitz’s potential for reoffending if released back into society.
While some may argue that Berkowitz has served enough time and should be given a second chance, others believe that he should never be released due to the severity of his crimes. The debate over whether or not Berkowitz should be granted parole will likely continue as he remains behind bars.
For now, David Berkowitz will continue to serve out his life sentence at Shawangunk Correctional Facility, where he will remain until his next parole hearing in two years.
