Lullacide

In the summer of 1976, New York City was hot, broke, and scared. Someone was shooting young couples in parked cars with a .44 caliber revolver. The newspapers called him the .44 Caliber Killer, which was accurate but not very catchy. He would fix that later.

Berkowitz began his attacks in July 1976, targeting young couples in cars across New York City's boroughs.

The shooter sent a letter to a newspaper columnist named Jimmy Breslin. 'I am the Son of Sam,' he wrote. 'Sam is my neighbor's dog. The dog tells me to do things.' This was not a good excuse. But it was a memorable one. The whole city panicked. Brunettes dyed their hair blonde. Couples stayed home. The dog said nothing.

Berkowitz wrote letters claiming his neighbor Sam Carr's dog was a demon commanding him to kill. The media frenzy was unprecedented.

David was a pudgy, lonely postal worker who lived in a messy apartment in Yonkers. He did not look like a monster. He looked like the guy who delivers your mail and breathes a little too loudly. Six people died and seven were wounded before anyone thought to check the pudgy mailman.

Berkowitz killed six people and wounded seven others during his thirteen-month spree.

A parking ticket caught the Son of Sam. A lady in Brooklyn saw a man get a ticket near the scene of the last shooting. She told the police. They looked up the ticket. It belonged to David Berkowitz of Yonkers. When the police arrived, David was sitting in his car with a gun. 'Well, you got me,' he said. Just like that.

A parking ticket issued near the final crime scene led police to Berkowitz. Witness Cacilia Davis provided the crucial tip.

David later admitted the dog story was made up. There was no demonic Labrador. He was just angry and lonely and wanted the world to pay attention. Mission accomplished, David. Six people and an innocent dog's reputation later, the whole world was paying attention. Happy now?

Berkowitz later recanted the demon dog claims, admitting he acted alone. He received six consecutive life sentences.