David Berkowitz, infamous as the “Son of Sam,” has recently claimed he will go to heaven, resulting in outrage from those affected by his past crimes, who insist he deserves to face his own judgment.
“I don’t belong in the Bronx; my home is in heaven,” Berkowitz, now 72, stated in an email sent from the Shawangunk Correctional Facility over the weekend.
Having spent the last 48 years in prison, Berkowitz professes to have found faith in Jesus following his violent spree that resulted in the deaths of six people in New York City during the late 1970s.
This revelation comes just as he was supposed to appear for another parole hearing—a situation that seems less pressing for him these days, as he expressed in an earlier correspondence that he feels “free” and desires only to be with the Lord.
His comments have enraged Robert Violante, who is now 68 and survived a bullet to the head, while his girlfriend, Stacey Moskowitz, was tragically killed in the attack.
While Berkowitz has tried for parole numerous times since 2002, he opted to skip his latest hearing, declaring he had other significant matters to attend to.
He views his incarceration as a calling, where he now leads a prison congregation and shares his religious beliefs with fellow inmates.
“In this environment, God has locked up his people; they need help and support,” he explained. “This is my mission as an elder.”
Reflecting on the past, it’s hard to connect the man of faith with the killer responsible for terrorizing the city in 1976 and 1977. Berkowitz had previously claimed a demonic influence inspired his actions.
The violent outburst began on July 29, 1976, when he targeted Jodi Valenti and Donna Lauria, two young women sitting in a car, resulting in Lauria’s death.
During that year, Berkowitz was responsible for a number of shootings across Brooklyn, the Bronx, and Queens, earning him the nickname “.44 Caliber Killer.”
After the deaths of young couples like Alexander Esau and Valentina Suriana, he left taunting notes, declaring himself a monster.
The general public was left in a state of panic, especially women, who took drastic measures like altering their hairstyles to avoid becoming targets.
Ultimately, a seemingly careless moment would lead to his capture. Berkowitz received a parking ticket near one of the crime scenes, which helped detectives trace him to his home in Yonkers.
When apprehended, he introduced himself as both Sam and David Berkowitz.
As a former postal worker in the Bronx, he received a sentence of 547 years and later converted to evangelical Christianity.
During a recent parole board meeting, he expressed regret about his past, stating he felt he had made a “deal with the devil” at the time.
“Looking back, it seems foolish, but I was engulfed in that mindset and intent,” he confessed.
When the Post asked about his aspirations should he ever be released, Berkowitz simply replied, “I am already free in Christ.”
To that sentiment, Violante remains unyielding: “He’s bound for hell—that’s just the truth.”
