'Son of Sam' serial killer calls Anne Frank's diary inspirational, claims he's 'father figure' for inmates

SHAWANGUNK, NEW YORK: David Berkowitz, the serial killer known as Son of Sam, has compared his prison years to Anne Frank's 'inspirational' writings, comparing them to his self-described "father figure" status just days before he is due to appear before the parole board.

“My favorite book is the Holy Bible. But the most inspirational book for me throughout my years of incarceration is ‘Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl,’” Berkowitz told New York Post this week.

David Berkowitz believes Anne Frank's writings could change lives

The 70-year-old wrote from the maximum-security Shawangunk Correctional Facility in Wallkill, “Young Anne wrote her diary while in captivity. She shared her heart within its pages.”

“Little did she know the influence her life and her writings would have in the future,” referring to the diaries that chronicled her experiences in hiding from the Nazis, which were published worldwide following her death in the Holocaust.

“She impacted the lives of millions,” Berkowitz said. “Little Anne changed the world with a pen. So I ask myself, what can I do with my trusty typewriter? Maybe I can change lives, too, with my message of hope in God?”

The infamous serial killer, responsible for a spree that resulted in six fatalities, seven injuries, and widespread urban terror, has spoken to the New York Post ahead of his 12th parole board appearance this week for homicides committed in Brooklyn, Queens, and the Bronx.

David Berkowitz repeatedly killed young women with long, dark hair

On July 29, 1976, the 23-year-old Berkowitz, with curly hair, stepped out from the shadows armed with a 44-caliber Bulldog revolver. On a tranquil Bronx street, he approached a car where Jody Valenti, 19, and her friend Donna Lauria, 18, were seated.

He fired shots, resulting in the death of Lauria and the injury of Valenti.

Berkowitz shot Carl Denaro, 20, less than three months later while he was in Flushing, New York, with a date in his Volkswagen Beetle. The gunman apparently thought the victim was a woman because of her long hair.

Over a period of nine months, the unhinged murderer struck repeatedly, dubbed as “The 44-Caliber Killer” from the media. On April 17, 1977, after the murder of the young couple Alexander Esau, 20, and Valentina Suriani, 18, he left a note at the scene.

“I am a monster. I am the Son of Sam,” bragged Berkowitz. 

"I love to hunt. Prowling the streets looking for fair game tasty meat," he described his targets, who were young women with long, dark hair and couples in parked cars. Fear gripped the Big Apple; women shortened their hair and donned wigs, discos emptied, and residents tensely awaited the madman's next move.

The perpetrator mocked the authorities through tabloid publications while the NYPD initiated an extensive manhunt.

“Hello from the gutters of NYC, which are filled with dog manure, vomit, stale wine, urine and blood … Sam’s a thirsty lad and he won’t let me stop killing until he gets his fill of blood,” he wrote, according to New York Post.

David Berkowitz was sentenced to 547 years in prison in 1978

Berkowitz's car was ticketed for parking close to a fire hydrant the night of his last murder, which led authorities to his Yonkers residence and ultimately led to the case's breakthrough. Police stormed in when Berkowitz came out of his building on August 10, 1977.

“I am Sam. David Berkowitz,” he told police. “What took you so long?" he questioned.

Subsequently, Berkowitz informed psychiatrists that the neighbor Sam Carr's black Labrador retriever had ordered the carnage. He received a 547-year prison sentence in June 1978. Berkowitz found God while incarcerated.

“Jesus has allowed me to survive and thrive,” he said.

For many years, he has served as a chaplain's clerk, preaching "forgiveness, redemption, and hope," and has been a "father figure" to errant inmates. “Yes, I have a life sentence to do, but I choose to do it well. I always try to help and encourage the younger guys,” he said.

He added, “Over the years I’ve become something of a father figure or an older brother to the younger men.” Since 2002, Berkowitz has been eligible for parole, with his case being reviewed by a board biennially.

He has missed several appointments and is aware that his chances of release are slim, yet he intends to confront the board this time. “To not attend a hearing can be viewed as being defiant towards authority, and that’s not me,” Berkowitz said.

“Most of all, I attend in order to openly apologize for my past crimes and to express my remorse,” he added.

He went on to say, “And I also attend so that I may share my faith in God, and how He can forgive, heal and restore even the ‘worst’ of offenders.”