David Berkowitz (“Son of Sam”)

For a few years in the mid 70s, New York City residents were terrified by stories about an unknown serial killer, commonly referred to as Son of Sam, who would taunt the police by leaving behind notes at his crime scenes.

By the time he was finally apprehended, he had murdered 6 people and injured 7 others. He was identified as David Berkowitz, a man who confessed to all the crimes but claimed he had been commended to commit the murders by a demon known as Harvey that possessed his neighbor’s dog. In the mid-90s, he expanded upon his earlier confession, claiming that he had been a member of a Satanic cult and had been lead to commit the murders as part of a ritual ceremony.