Parole Date Denied for ‘Son of Sam’

ALBANY, N.Y. — David Berkowitz, the “Son of Sam” killer who terrorized New York City in the summer of 1977, was denied parole for a second time, officials said Friday.

Berkowitz is serving six consecutive 25-years-to-life sentences. Though he did not request parole, the issue is automatically considered every two years under state law.

“You caused irreparable harm to many victims and society was gripped in fear because of your acts,” stated a summary of the Parole Board hearing released Friday. The board noted that Berkowitz had a good record in prison programs but said the brutality of his acts required him to stay behind bars.

Berkowitz, a former postal worker, killed six people and wounded seven others beginning in 1976. It wasn’t until the fourth attack in January 1977 that police noticed a pattern. Authorities said he targeted teen girls with long, dark hair and young couples.

His nickname came from a note he left at one crime scene that read: “I am a monster. I am the Son of Sam.”

After his 1977 arrest, Berkowitz told police he was following the demonic orders of his neighbor’s dog.

Berkowitz, 51, has since said that he had become a Christian. In a 2002 letter to Gov. George E. Pataki, Berkowitz stated he had no interest in parole, saying, “I can give you no good reason why I should even be considered.”