‘Son of Sam’ series to air on Investigation Discovery
Police escort handcuffed Son of Sam suspect David Berkowitz into headquarters in lower Manhattan on Aug. 10, 1977. At right is then-New York Police Department Det. Edward Zigo of Lynbrook. Credit: MCT, New York Daily News / Bill Turnbull
Investigation Discovery will re-examine one of the New York area’s most notorious cases with “Son of Sam: The Hunt for a Killer,” a new three-part documentary series to air this summer, the cable network announced Tuesday. The special will air on the 40th anniversary of the capture of postal worker David Berkowitz, the serial killer known as Son of Sam.
The program will follow the parallel stories of Berkowitz’s victims and the detectives who worked to capture him. Berkowitz killed six young people and wounded seven in a spree that lasted from July 1976 to July 1977. Berkowitz was captured on Aug. 10, 1977.
“Forty years have passed since 1977’s ‘Summer of Sam,’ and while New York has changed dramatically, the scars of that horrifying year are still felt profoundly by the people who lived through it,” Henry Schleiff, group president of Investigation Discovery, American Heroes Channel and Destination America, said in a statement. “In revisiting what happened during those chilling summer months, especially through the eyes of those who brought the Son of Sam to justice and those who fell victim to his murderous spree, ID brings the frightening experience of living in ’70s New York to its viewers, today.”
Berkowitz, who is still incarcerated, was denied parole for the 15th time in 2016. His next appearance before the board is scheduled for May 2018.
Andy Edelstein, Newsday's entertainment editor, supervises coverage of TV, celebrities, movies and pop music. He has written three books on popular culture, including "The Brady Bunch Book."
