John Jay College Remembers “Son of Sam”
New York, NY —
30 years ago, the city was gripped by fear of the "Son of Sam" serial killer who taunted the police and media, while terrorizing couples in parked cars. For a year, the killer - David Berkowitz - repeatedly struck, killing six and wounding several others.
REPORTER: 300 police officers worked on the case, but it was a parking ticket that helped bring Berkowitz to justice. Today, during a conference at John Jay College, several panels will look back at the events of 1977 and how the city and Police Department have changed since then.
Gene O'Donnell is a professor at John Jay.
O'DONNELL: In so many, ways the police world has changed. It's hard to believe that anybody who lived through 1977 as I did, that we would be at a point in the city's history where a serial killer, sad to say, kind of pales in comparison I guess to the events of 9/11.
REPORTER: Panelists will include Police Commissioner Ray Kelly, former Mayor Ed Koch and columnist Jimmy Breslin - who Berkowitz corresponded with before his apprehension by police.
