David Richard Berkowitz (born June 1, 1953), also known as the .44 Caliber Killer and the Son of Sam, is an American serial killer and arsonist.
Shortly after his arrest in August, 1977, Berkowitz confessed to killing six people and wounding seven others in the course of eight shootings in New York City between 1976 and 1977. He has been imprisoned for the crimes since 1977. The crimes had terrorized New York for a year. Berkowitz subsequently claimed that a neighbor's dog was possessed by a demon that commanded Berkowitz to kill.
