Where is the Son of Sam killer now? Is David Berkowitz still alive?

11 May 2021, 14:56 | Updated: 11 May 2021, 22:44

Son of Sam, David Berkowitz is charged in court on 11 August 1977 — The Son of Sam killer, David Berkowitz was charged in court on 11 August 1977. Picture: Stan Wolfson/Newsday RM via Getty Images

By Jenny Mensah

As Netflix's The Sons of Sam trends, find out what happened to the notorious killer David Berkowitz and if he is still alive today.

The Sons of Sam: A Descent Into Darkness was released on Netflix this month and it's been trending ever since.

The documentary, which tells the story of the Son of Sam serial killer David Berkowitz and author Maury Terry, who was convinced that he didn't act alone, has renewed interest in the horrific murders which plagued New York City from 1967-77.

The Netflix show has brought to light many issues about the famous case, but where is the Son of Sam, killer now? Is he still alive and what else do we know about the key characters the new four-part docuseries sheds light on.

Find out the answer to this and much more.

Son Of Sam killer David Berkowitz was sentenced to 365 years. Picture: Hulton Archive/Getty Images

Is the Son of Sam killer still alive?

According to reports, David Berkowitz is now 67 years old and his housed in Shawangunk Correctional Facility in upstate New York.

He nearly lost his life behind bars when his throat was cut, the scars from which can be seen in his television interviews in the docuseries The Sons of Sam: A Descent Into Darkness.

In 1987 Berkowitz became a born again Christian and called himself the "Son of Hope". He wrote an apology and continues to express remorse for the shootings.

He has most recently

How was the Son of Sam killer caught?

David Berkowitz, the Son of Sam killer - who was originally known as the 44 caliber killer due to the type of revolver that was used in the murders - was caught due to a parking ticket in 1977.

This Minor Parking Violation Revealed the Son of Sam Killer

What is the Son of Sam law?

The Son of Sam law was designed to stop serial killers from financially profiting from their crimes, whether it be from the production of books, movies, magazine articles, or TV shows. At the time, Berkowitz confessed to all the murders

Who is Maury Terry?

Maury Terry was an author who was an in-house writer and editor at IBM. When the Son of Sam killer David Berkowitz was arrested, Terry believed that he didn't act alone. He began delving into the investigation and became so convinced by his findings that he wrote the book The Ultimate Evil: The Search for the Sons of Sam (1987) and The Ultimate Evil: An Investigation Into A Most Dangerous Satanic Cult (1988)

In the book, he highlighted the connections between David Berkowitz and John and Michael Carr. He also provided evidence that the Son of Sam killings may have come about as a result of a satanic network, which even had connections to Charles Manson and The Children.

Maury Terry was able to sit down and interview Berkowitz, but he was never fully believed and the New York City police largely rejected his claims.

He became so consumed with the case, it led him to an early grave with smoking and drinking. However, he left his entire archive of files and evidence on the Son of Sam case to filmmaker Josh Zeman.