Nearly four decades later, we rounded up some less familiar details about the case:
The news media called the gunman the .44-caliber killer — for his weapon of choice — until he left a note at the site of one of the murders calling himself the Son of Sam. Mr. Berkowitz has said in interviews that Sam was a demonic spirit, inspired by his neighbor Sam Carr, who spoke to him through Sam’s black Labrador, Harvey.
With a fear of more killings, New Yorkers changed their behavior: Mr. Berkowitz’s victims were often women with long, dark hair and couples, so women began cutting their hair short while lovers’ lanes sat vacant.
In addition to the shootings, Mr. Berkowitz said he had set nearly 1,500 fires in and around New York City.
A parking ticket led to his arrest. A woman who was approached by a man holding an object on the night of the final murder told the police that parking tickets were being issued near the scene. The police eventually traced Mr. Berkowitz’s car to his apartment.
After a decade in prison, Mr. Berkowitz became an Evangelical Christian and rechristened himself the Son of Hope. He has written about his experience on his website and wrote a book, “Son of Hope: The Prison Journals of David Berkowitz.”
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/07/28/nyregion/new-york-today-son-of-sam-40-years-later.html