Having released documentaries on Ted Bundy, Richard Ramirez, and Henry Lee Lucas, Netflix will be delving back into the world of serial killers in their new feature, The Sons of Sam: A Descent Into Darkness.
The documentary explores the story of notorious serial killer David Berkowitz (aka 'Son of Sam') and one journalist's obsession with proving that he did not work alone.
As the plot synopsis states: "The Son of Sam case grew into a lifelong obsession for journalist Maury Terry, who became convinced that the murders were linked to a satanic cult. A closed case is only the beginning.
Having previously appeared in Mindhunter, the story of serial killer David Berkowitz may be known by some already.
The serial killer pleaded guilty to eight separate shooting attacks that began in New York City during the summer of 1976.
Having served in the United States Army before committing his crimes, Berkowitz used a .44 calibre Bulldog revolver and had killed six people and wounded seven others before July 1977.
The killing spree terrorised New Yorkers and gained worldwide notoriety.
As the number of victims increased, Berkowitz eluded the biggest police manhunt in the history of New York City while leaving letters that mocked the police and promised further crimes, which were highly publicized by the press.
On the night of August 10, 1977, he was taken into custody by New York City Police Department homicide detectives in front of his apartment building.
He was subsequently indicted for eight shooting incidents and confessed to all of them.
Initially, Berkowitz claimed to have been obeying the orders of a demon that manifested itself in the form of a dog belonging to his neighbour "Sam."
Despite his explanation, Berkowitz was found mentally competent to stand trial. He pled guilty to second-degree murder and was incarcerated in state prison. He subsequently admitted that the dog-and-devil story was a hoax.
The intense media coverage led to these murders being called 'The Son of Sam killings.
Berkowitz has since been incarcerated and is serving six consecutive life sentences.
During the mid-1990s, he amended his confession to claim that he had been a member of a violent Satanic cult that orchestrated the incidents as ritual murder. Various law enforcement authorities have said that his claims might be credible, but he remains the only person ever charged with the shootings.
The Sons of Sam is a four-part series that focuses on journalist and author Maury Terry’s own investigation into the killings. He believed that Berkowitz wasn’t the only shooter, and spent years attempting to prove his theories that there were more people behind the Son of Sam killings.
The show will be released on Wednesday, May 5.
