Posted in: Netflix, TV | Tagged: david berkowitz, docuseries, Joe Berlinger, son of sam

The Son of Sam Tapes: Netflix, Berlinger Revisit NYC Summer of Terror

Netflix's Conversations with a Killer series returns with The Son of Sam Tapes, revisiting the infamous 1970s NYC serial killer case.

In the summer of 1976, New York City descended into a state of fear as an unknown assailant began a series of seemingly random attacks. The terror started on July 29, 1976, when 18-year-old Donna Lauria was shot and killed in the Bronx as she sat in a parked car with her friend, Jody Valenti, who was wounded but survived.  That incident was just the beginning of the case of David Berkowitz, the serial killer who became infamously known across the country as the Son of Sam. Veteran documentary filmmaker Joe Berlinger (Cold Case: Jon Benet Ramsey, Crime Scene: The Texas Killing Fields) is set to revisit the case that plunged New York City into darkness in the 1970s with the fourth chapter in his acclaimed true-crime docuseries, Conversations with a Killer: The Son of Sam Tapes. Premiering on Netflix on July 30, the three-part documentary is built around newly unearthed and previously unheard prison audio interviews with Berkowitz, offering horrifying new insights into his psyche and new details on the massive manhunt that brought him to justice.

Berkowitz infamously identified himself as the "Son of Sam," in bizarre letters he left at crime scenes and mailed to the media.  The name was a reference to a figure the letters said commanded him to kill.  In 1978, Berkowitz pleaded guilty to six murders and received six consecutive life sentences, which he is still serving today. The upcoming docuseries promises to offer a renewed look into the mind of the notorious killer. At the heart of the series are the newly unearthed audio recordings of Berkowitz, captured during extensive interviews with journalist Maury Terry at Attica Correctional Facility in Wyoming County, New York, in the late 1980s and early 1990s.

For the first time, the public will hear Berkowitz reflect on his crimes in his own words, decades after his capture. Blending this archival audio with new, present-day interviews with the NYPD detectives who worked the case, the journalists who covered the saga, and survivors of his attacks, the series aims to paint a complete picture of not just the killer, but the pervasive fear that took hold of the city and became palpable even beyond NYC.

About this new chapter of Conversations with a Killer, Joe Berlinger says, "At the heart of 'Conversations with a Killer' lies a commitment to unraveling the complex minds of notorious criminals while providing a space for those closest to the crimes to find closure. With 'The Son of Sam Tapes,' we delve into the world of David Berkowitz and his chilling influence on 1970s New York City. These rare tapes reveal unnerving insights into his psyche, shedding light on the intricate details of the case and the pervasive fear that gripped the city. Through these tapes, we hope to not only revisit history, but to bring clarity and depth to a narrative that has long intrigued and unsettled the public."

The Son of Sam Tapes is the fourth installment in Berlinger's popular Netflix docuseries Conversations with a Killer. The franchise began with 2019's Conversations with a Killer: The Ted Bundy Tapes, which became a streaming success. It was followed by two more chapters in 2022, focusing on John Wayne Gacy and Jeffrey Dahmer, respectively. Each installment uses rare audio from the killers to provide a unique and haunting firsthand perspective on their crimes. With Berkowitz now getting examined via this same documentary lens, viewers can expect another unsettling look into the mind of a murderer and the climate of fear he created.

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