David Berkowitz, the Man Known as the "Son of Sam," Went From Being a Killer to a Christian

For all of us true crime buffs, there’s no killer quite as perplexing as David Berkowitz. In the 1970s, he called himself the “Son of Sam” in his infamous letters to the police after killing six New Yorkers and wounding seven more with his notorious .44 caliber revolver.

What first tipped New York police off to the possibility of a serial killer was Berkowitz's choice of guns. Back in the mid-1970s, only 28,000 people in the United States owned a .44 caliber revolver. It was a very powerful gun that could do a lot of damage. Sadly, that's exactly what Berkowitz did.

His reign of terror over New York City ended when he was caught on Aug. 10, 1977, but where is David Berkowitz now?

After Berkowitz was caught, it was quickly determined that he was mentally incompetent to stand trial. He pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and received six consecutive life sentences with a possibility of parole after 25 years. Berkowitz is serving his sentence at Shawangunk Correctional Facility in Wallkill, N.Y.

According to CBS News, Berkowitz was denied parole for the 12th time in May 2024. Officials did not provide a reason. By all accounts, Berkowitz is a changed man. Back in August 2017, Berkowitz spoke with CBS News exactly 40 years after he claimed his first victim. The interview took place in the prison chapel, which Berkowitz described as a place of refuge. It's behind bars that the "Son of Sam" became known as the "Son of Hope."

This might be a shock, but David Berkowitz, the “Son of Sam,” is now a devout Christian. On his official website, moderated by a church group since Berkowitz doesn’t have access to a computer in prison, he shared how he became an evangelical Christian.

Since finding religion, Berkowitz has asked his friends to call him the “Son of Hope” instead of the “Son of Sam,” to give hope to others who have “lost their way.” In a 1999 interview with Larry King, Berkowitz explained his day-to-day life:

"I work in the mental health unit. It's called intermediate care program. And I'm there as like a peer counselor for the men that have emotional problems. Every morning, Monday through Friday, I go over there to work with those guys. And that's really a challenge, and I enjoy doing that very much… I'm kind of like a combination chaplain, counselor, guidance counselor and just a friend to those guys."

Berkowitz now seems to be accepting and apologetic for his crimes. He’s written autobiographies and essays on faith, and while he’s unable to receive any profits from those works, he’s donated and encouraged donations to victims’ funds. 

Even though he’s now a model prisoner, he wrote in a letter to former New York Governor George Pataki, “In all honesty, I believe that I deserve to be in prison for the rest of my life. I have, with God's help, long ago come to terms with my situation, and I have accepted my punishment."