David Berkowitz “Son of Sam” Signed Letter

This original multi-page correspondence from David Berkowitz, infamously known as the “Son of Sam,” offers a compelling and historically significant example of his early prison era communications.

This typed letter is two pages long, typed, and hand signed “Dave Berkowitz” at the end of page two. The letter has some very interesting content as he speaks about how he once worshipped the devil and how he has turned to god and religion.

Accompanying the letter is the original mailing envelope, postmarked from Attica, New York, where Berkowitz was incarcerated at the time. The envelope bears institutional markings, a 15¢ stamp, and prison routing information, further reinforcing its authenticity and historical context. The handwritten return address identifies Berkowitz by name and inmate number, a detail that anchors the piece firmly within its period of incarceration.

COA included

David Berkowitz, infamously known as the “Son of Sam,” is an American serial killer who terrorized New York City during the mid-1970s. Between 1976 and 1977, Berkowitz carried out a series of seemingly random shootings that left six people dead and seven others wounded, spreading widespread fear across the city.

He taunted law enforcement and the media with cryptic letters, adopting the “Son of Sam” persona and claiming demonic influences drove his actions. His crimes sparked one of the largest manhunts in New York history before he was ultimately arrested in August 1977.

Berkowitz later pleaded guilty to his crimes and was sentenced to multiple consecutive life terms in prison. His case remains one of the most notorious in American criminal history, symbolizing a period of intense public panic and media frenzy.