Berkowitz killed six people and wounded seven in the Big Apple -- from July 1976 to July 1977 -- mostly using a .44 caliber Bulldog revolver.

Berkowitz left a note at a murder scene addressed to Detective Joe Borelli, head of the task force assigned to capturing him. Full letter is below (typos are from the original letter).

“I am deeply hurt by your calling me a weman-hater. I am not. But I am a monster. I am the ‘son of Sam’. I am a little brat. When father Sam gets drunk he gets mean. He beats our family. Sometimes he ties me up to the back of the house. Other times he locks me in the garage. Sam loves to drink blood. ‘Go out and kills’ commands father Sam. Behind our house some rest. Mostly young - raped and slaughtered - their blood drained - just bones now. Pap Sam keeps me locked in the attic too. I can't get out but I look out the attic window and watch the world go by. I feel like an outsider. I am on a different wavelength then everybody else - programmed to kill. However, to stop me you must kill me. Attention all police: shoot me first - shoot to kill or else keep out of my way or you will die. Papa Sam is old now. He needs some blood to preserve his youth. He has too many heart attacks. ‘Ugh, me hoot, it hurts, sonny boy.’ I miss my pretty princess most of all. She's resting in our ladies house. But i'll see her soon. I am the ‘monster’ – ‘Beelzebub’ - the chubby behemouth. I love to hunt. Prowling the streets looking for fair game - tasty meat. The wemon of Queens are prettiest of all. I must be the water they drink. I live for the hunt - my life. Blood for papa. Mr. Borelli, sir, I don't want to kill any more. No sur, no more but I must, ‘honour thy father’. I want to make love to the world. I love people. I don't belong on earth. Return me to yahoos. To the people of Queens, I love you. And i want to wish all of you a happy Easter. May God bless you in this life and in the next. And for now I say goodbye and goodnight. Police: Let me haunt you with these words: I'll be back. I'll be back. To be interpreted as - bang, bang, bang, bang - ugh. Yours in murder, Mr. Monster.”

Berkowitz was born in Brooklyn, with the birth name Richard David Falco. His biological mother gave him up for adoption within a few days of his birth. His adoptive parents took his middle name and reversed it with his first name, adding their surname, and raised him as their only child.

He killed his last victim in Brooklyn, which subsequently led to his arrest.. The murder that brought eye witnesses forward, leading to his arrest.

In the summer of 1977, the city of New York was on edge. With a serial killer on the loose, everyone was following the news and soon realized that many of the victims were women with dark brown hair. In response and in hopes to not become the next target, thousands of women cut their hair short and dyed it blond.

At 2 a.m. on July 31, Cecilia Davis was taking her dog for a walk in the Gravesend neighborhood of Brooklyn when she noticed a gold Ford Galaxy being ticketed for parking too close to a fire hydrant. After the police officers departed, Davis encountered a young man holding a dark object. He scrutinized her for a minute before continuing on his way.

Terrified, Davis hurried back to her home. She had barely entered her residence when gunshots erupted. Her fear was so overwhelming that she refrained from contacting the police for four days. When she finally did call, detectives questioned her about that night. She mentioned a vital detail: she had seen a cop tagging a cream-colored car parked illegally near a fire hydrant one block from the murder site, on Bay 17th Street. The police conducted a check on the ticketed vehicles.

It turned out that the Ford belonged to David Berkowitz, a 24-year-old Bronx postal worker residing at 35 Pine St. in Yonkers.

Berkowitz sent a letter to journalist Jimmy Breslin, who was employed at the New York Daily News during the time of the murders. In a controversial decision, Breslin chose to publish a portion of the letter in the newspaper, which began with the words "hello from the gutters of NYC." The letter contained a plea: "You must not forget Donna Lauria, and you cannot let the people forget her either. She was a very, very sweet girl, but Sam’s a thirsty lad, and he won't let me stop killing until he gets his fill of blood."

In the portion of the letter that didn't make it into the paper, it read: "Not knowing what the future holds, I shall say farewell, and I shall see you at the next job. Or, should I say you will see my handiwork at the next job? Remember Ms. Lauria. Thank you. In their blood and from the gutter, Sam's Creation .44." The killer had also earned the moniker "The .44 Caliber Killer" due to the firearm used in the attacks.

Furthermore, within this letter, the killer provided some names to "help you along." These included: The Duke of Death, The Wicked King Wicker, The Twenty Two Disciples of Hell, and John Wheaties. Part of these clues led journalist Maury Terry to entertain the theory that the letters might not all have been sent by David Berkowitz, but possibly by the Carr brothers as part of a cult.

Full letter:

"Hello from the gutters of N.Y.C. which are filled with dog manure, vomit, stale wine, urine and blood. Hello from the sewers of N.Y.C. which swallow up these delicacies when they are washed away by the sweeper trucks. Hello from the cracks in the sidewalks of N.Y.C. and from the ants that dwell in these cracks and feed in the dried blood of the dead that has settled into the cracks. J.B., I'm just dropping you a line to let you know that I appreciate your interest in those recent and horrendous .44 killings. I also want to tell you that I read your column daily and I find it quite informative. Tell me Jim, what will you have for July twenty-ninth? You can forget about me if you like because I don't care for publicity. However you must not forget Donna Lauria and you cannot let the people forget her either. She was a very, very sweet girl but Sam's a thirsty lad and he won't let me stop killing until he gets his fill of blood. Mr. Breslin, sir, don't think that because you haven't heard from me for a while that I went to sleep. No, rather, I am still here. Like a spirit roaming the night. Thirsty, hungry, seldom stopping to rest; anxious to please Sam. I love my work. Now, the void has been filled. Perhaps we shall meet face to face someday or perhaps I will be blown away by cops with smoking .38's. Whatever, if I shall be fortunate enough to meet you I will tell you all about Sam if you like and I will introduce you to him. His name is "Sam the terrible." Not knowing what the future holds I shall say farewell and I will see you at the next job. Or should I say you will see my handiwork at the next job? Remember Ms. Lauria. Thank you. In their blood and from the gutter "Sam's creation" .44 Here are some names to help you along. Forward them to the inspector for use by N.C.I.C: "The Duke of Death" "The Wicked King Wicker" "The Twenty Two Disciples of Hell" "John 'Wheaties' – Rapist and Suffocator of Young Girls. PS: Please inform all the detectives working the slaying to remain. P.S: JB, Please inform all the detectives working the case that I wish them the best of luck. "Keep 'em digging, drive on, think positive, get off your butts, knock on coffins, etc." Upon my capture I promise to buy all the guys working the case a new pair of shoes if I can get up the money. Son of Sam."

Under the 'Son of Sam' signature was a logo or sketch that combined several symbols: the male icon, the female icon; and a cirle encompassing the two which resembled known symbols of the occult.

On August 10, 1977, the police conducted a search of Berkowitz's car, discovering a rifle, a duffel bag stocked with ammunition, maps pinpointing the crime scenes, and an unsent Son of Sam letter. Law enforcement officers surrounded Berkowitz as he exited his apartment, clutching a .44 Bulldog concealed in a paper bag. Upon his arrest, Berkowitz reportedly remarked to the police, "Well, you got me. How come it took you such a long time?"

Before he began his killing spree, Berkowitz was an arsonist and set hundreds of fires in New York City, never getting arrested. When police searched Berkowitz’s apartment, they found Satanic graffiti drawn on the walls, and diaries detailing his alleged 1,400 arsons in the New York area.

Although he killed most of his victims by shooting them, Berkowitz's murderous spree began on December 24, 1975, when he attacked two women with a hunting knife.

Down the street from Berkowitz lived Sam Carr and his black lab Harvey - the dog that Berkowitz claimed was host to a 6,000 year old demon that spoke to him and compelled him to kill six people. Years later Berkowitz admitted he never truly believed that he’d been possessed by his neighbor’s dog

On May 9, 1978, the NY Daily News ran a front page headline that read "Son of Sam: 'I aimed to kill.'