Son of Sam on Netflix: Where is killer David Berkowitz now and what is his life like?

Right now, the twisted story of David Berkowitz is back in the public sphere, following the release of Conversations with a Killer: The Son of Sam Tapes on Netflix. It’s been over 40 years since the serial killer, the self-proclaimed “Son of Sam”, terrorised New York City in a 13-month killing spree.

David Richard Berkowitz is one of the most notorious serial killers in American history and the hunt for him captivated the world in the late 1970s. He became known as the Son of Sam through letters he had left at crime scenes, and police and the media also called him the .44 Caliber Killer – because of the gun he used.

He murdered six people and wounded seven others before he was identified and captured. On August 10th 1977, 24-year-old postal worker David Berkowitz was arrested as being the “Son of Sam” serial killer. According to reports at the time, Berkowitz said with a smile on his face: “Well, you got me”.

via Netflix

So, where is David Berkowitz now?

In 1978, David Berkowitz plead guilty to his crimes. He was sentenced to a minimum term of 25 years, and maximum of life. At the time of sentencing, a state Supreme Court justice in the case said he would have sent Berkowitz to the electric chair if it had been an option.

Today, David Berkowitz lives at the Shawangunk Correctional Facility, a maximum-security prison in Wallkill, New York. Berkowitz is eligible for a parole meeting every two years, but has never been granted release, nor requested it.

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Instead, he’s said he “doesn’t deserve it”. He is also known to have skipped out on parole hearings all together and in one letter to a Governor said: “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.”

via CBS News/YouTube

During his sentence, Berkowitz has said he worked in the mental health unit of his prison as a peer councillor for fellow inmates. “I enjoy doing that very much,” he said in an interview.

As well as this, the killer has started practicing the Christian faith, and works as a clerk at his prison chaplain, which includes having to file paperwork and clean. In 2006 Berkowitz wrote a book, called Son of Hope: The Prison Journals of David Berkowitz, which follows his introduction to Christianity in prison.

In 2017, David Berkowitz offered his “condolences” to the family of Jimmy Breslin – a journalist he taunted with creepy letters during his killing spree. Writing to Rochester Democrat and Chronicle columnist David Andreatta, Berkowitz said he “can’t remember” why he chose to write the letters in the first place and added: “I wish to extend my condolences to his family at their loss.” Breslin died in March 2017.

David Berkowitz will now next be up for parole in 2026.

Conversations with a Killer: The Son of Sam Tapes is available on Netflix now. For all the latest Netflix news and drops, like The Holy Church of Netflix on Facebook.