Son of Sam-David Berkowitz

Son of Sam-David Berkowitz

In this Bloodlines and Betrayal episode, hosts David Schuman and Steve Cully dive into the terrifying summer of 1976, when David Berkowitz, the self-proclaimed “Son of Sam,” turned New York City into a city of fear. For over a year, Berkowitz prowled the streets at night, murdering young couples and taunting police with cryptic letters that made him one of America’s most infamous serial killers.

Schuman and Cully retrace Berkowitz’s path from troubled postal worker to cold-blooded predator, exposing how isolation, obsession, and delusion combined to create a killer who believed he was commanded by a demon through a neighbor’s dog. They explore the psychological unraveling behind his crimes — and the media frenzy that turned his letters into headlines and his name into legend.

The hosts break down the investigation that finally led to Berkowitz’s capture in August 1977, revealing how meticulous detective work and public panic collided in one of the largest manhunts in NYPD history.

Ultimately, Bloodlines and Betrayal examines how the Son of Sam case became more than a murder spree — it was a mirror of America’s paranoia, loneliness, and fascination with evil. In the end, Schuman and Cully ask: Was Berkowitz born a monster, or did a broken world help make him one?