Sons of Sam: What Happened To The David Berkowitz Case (All Updates)

The Sons of Sam Netflix doc covers the David Berkowitz case through 2015, but what happened after the show? Here are all the updates to the case.

You Are Reading :Sons of Sam What Happened To The David Berkowitz Case (All Updates)

The Sons of Sam: A Descent Into Darkness takes a look at journalist Maury Terry’s tireless investigations into the David Berkowitz case – but what happened to the case after Terry’s death in 2015? Filmmaker Joshua Zeman (Murder Mountain) examines David Berkowitz’s involvement in the shootings that terrorized New York in the late ‘70s, specifically focusing on Terry’s theory that the “Son of Sam” serial killer didn’t act alone.

For over a year, New Yorkers lived in fear of the Son of Sam, a serial killer who murdered six people and injured seven others in random shootings. David Berkowitz pleaded guilty and was convicted of the crimes in 1978. But Berkowitz later claimed to be part of a group of Satanists who were also involved in the shootings, naming brothers John and Michael Carr as two co-conspirators. Netflix’s latest true-crime documentary explores how police detectives and the media ultimately shaped public opinion around the case, resulting in the lone gunman theory and raising legitimate questions about how the case was handled and who else may have been involved in the killing spree. Here’s an update on the Son of Sam case, and what happened to Berkowitz after the years outlined in the Netflix documentary.

The big question that remains after the series is whether or not the Carr brothers were involved in the shootings. The documentary’s coverage of the untimely deaths of John and Michael Carr, both under suspicious circumstances, makes a strong case that they could have been involved. And Terry wasn’t the only one to suspect the Carr brothers. A 2019 documentary, The Lost Tapes: Son of Sam explored the possibility of the Carr brothers as suspects. According to A&E Real Crime, the documentary examined the case’s inconsistencies in the eyewitness accounts that led Terry and others to believe Berkowitz’s claims. Netflix’s true-crime documentary is a reminder that Terry’s work remains unfinished today. In 1996 the case was originally reopened, largely due to Terry’s reporting efforts. While it was eventually suspended due to lack of evidence, the Son of Sam case technically remains open to this day.

The Berkowitz case also resulted in the creation of the Son of Sam law, which prohibits criminals from profiting off of the publicity of their crimes. As depicted in the Netflix documentary, The New York State Legislator passed the law after The New York Post ran a cover story including a photo of Berkowitz sleeping in jail. Similar laws have since been enacted in 41 states, and the Son of Sam law has had a lasting impact. All high-profile criminal cases now include a “Son of Sam clause” in plea bargains, which states that any profits made from publicity involving the defendant belong to the U.S. Treasury.

As portrayed in The Sons of Sam: A Descent Into Darkness, Berkowitz plead guilty to eight shootings despite his attorney’s advice to enter a plea of not guilty by reason of insanity. He is currently serving out six consecutive sentences of 25 years to life in prison where, according to a 2016 interview with The New York Post, Berkowitz claims to have become a born-again Christian who mentors fellow inmates. “I have a heart for helping and reaching out to inmates, offenders, who have psychiatric problems, who have a lot of depression, and things like that … so, I feel that’s my calling in life,” Berkowitz said. In 2017, prison officials at Shawangunk Correctional Facility reported that Berkowitz had been taken from the prison to a nearby hospital where he underwent treatment for a heart attack. After serving his first 25-year sentence, Berkowitz became eligible for parole in 2002. His last hearing was scheduled for May of 2020, which has been delayed until further notice due to the Coronavirus pandemic.

Link Source : https://screenrant.com/sons-sam-david-berkowitz-updates-case-after/