Son of Sam Locations
Take your own self-guided tour of New York's most infamous Son of Sam locations.
This is a list of locations relating to the Son of Sam, David Berkowitz—a serial killer who terrorized New York City between 1976 and 1977.
Berkowitz targeted young couples with a .44 caliber Bulldog revolver. Although most of his shootings took place in the Bronx and Queens, he carried out his final murder in Brooklyn.
In the space of one year, the postal worker killed six victims and wounded eleven others in eight separate attacks.
Below, you will find the locations of his apartments and crime scenes. Each entry contains addresses, images, GPS coordinates, and vital background information about his crimes.
You can also use our map feature to get a better visual understanding of the case.
Berkowitz's childhood home
The Bronx, New York
Berkowitz grew up in this apartment building on Stratford Avenue in the Bronx.
He was raised in this neighborhood by his adoptive parents, Pearl and Nathan Berkowitz.
His apartment in Co-Op City
The Bronx, New York
He lived in this apartment building in Co-Op City between 1967 and 1971.
Notably, this address is roughly half a mile away from where he attempted to kill his first victim.
The bridge where he stabbed his first victim
The Bronx, New York
He stabbed his first known victim, Michelle Forman, on this pedestrian footbridge in Co-op City on Christmas Eve in 1975.
Fortunately, Forman survived the attack and was discharged from the hospital one week later.
Berkowitz was so shocked by how difficult it was to kill someone with a knife that he quickly decided to switch to using a revolver.
The street where Berkowitz shot Donna Lauria
The Bronx, New York
In the early hours of July 29th, 1976, Berkowitz shot Donna Lauria and Jody Valenti while they were sitting in a car outside of this apartment building in the Bronx.
Lauria was killed after one of the bullets struck her in the head.
She was Berkowitz's first murder victim.
The location where he shot Carl Denaro
Queens, New York
On October 22nd, 1976, he opened fire on Carl Denaro and Rosemary Keenan while they were parked on 159th Street in Queens.
Although they both survived the shooting, Denaro suffered a serious skull injury that required a metal plate.
Joanne Lomino's house
Queens, New York
Roughly one month after the Denaro shooting, Berkowitz shot Donna DeMasi and Joanne Lomino while they were standing outside of this house in Queens.
The two teenagers survived the attack. However, Lomino was left paralyzed.
The square where Christine Freund was murdered
Queens, New York
At around 11.30 p.m. on January 30th, 1977, Berkowitz opened fire on Christine Freund and John Diel while they were sitting in a parked car in Station Square in Queens.
Diel was lucky to survive with only superficial injuries. Sadly, Freund was hit twice and died four hours later.
Following the shooting, both the police and the media started to notice that a disturbing pattern was emerging.
The street where he killed Virginia Voskerichian
Queens, New York
A few weeks after Freund's murder, Berkowitz decided to return to the exact same location.
On this occasion, he shot and killed 20-year-old Virginia Voskerichian while she was walking along Dartmouth Street.
The street where Alexander Esau and Valentina Suriani were murdered
The Bronx, New York
In the early hours of April 16th, 1977, he shot and killed Alexander Esau and Valentina Suriani while they were parked on the Hutchinson River Parkway service road in the Bronx.
Following the murder, he left a letter at the crime scene in which he identified himself as "the Son of Sam".
The double homicide and the threatening letter sent shock waves through New York, as it was now clear that an unidentified gunman was purposely targeting innocent couples.
The location where Berkowitz shot Judy Placido and Sal Lupo
Queens, New York
On June 26th, 1977, Berkowitz shot Judy Placido and Sal Lupo while they were sitting in a car on this residential street in the Bayside area of Queens.
Fortunately, they both survived the attack.
The street where he shot Stacy Moskowitz and Robert Violante
Brooklyn, New York
On July 31st, 1977, he shot Stacy Moskowitz and Robert Violante while they were parked beside Bath Beach Park in Brooklyn.
Moskowitz was fatally wounded, and Violante's eyes were completely shattered.
In this case, he had attempted to switch things up and confuse the authorities by hunting much further afield. However, his plan backfired after his vehicle received a parking ticket on Bay 17th Street.
It was this ticket that eventually led the police directly to his doorstep.
Berkowitz's apartment
Yonkers, New York
Ten days later, the police arrested Berkowitz at this apartment building in Yonkers.
The following year, he pleaded guilty to all of the murders and received six consecutive 25-year-to-life sentences.
He remains in prison to this day.