The Serial Killer Who Claimed to Be Obeying the Orders of a Dog
David Berkowitz’s crime spree lasted just 1 year between 1976–1977 and resulted in 16 victims.
David Berkowitz was born in 1953 in Brooklyn, New York. His mother was Elizabeth “Betty” Broder — a waitress — and his father was named Joseph Klineman. Klineman was married to another woman while seeing Broder and so when she became pregnant by him 3 years into their relationship, he threatened to leave her if she did not put their child up for adoption, which she did.
As such, a few days after his birth, baby David was taken in by Pearl and Nathan Berkowitz who also gave him their last name. They were a Jewish middle-aged couple who could not have children of their own. David grew up in the Bronx with loving and doting parents. However, despite this, he displayed serious criminal tendencies from an early age.
Young Berkowitz was a bully in school and loved setting things on fire. Due to his proclivities for violence and several arson attempts, he had to change schools twice. His parents also consulted multiple psychotherapists in relation to this until his mother…
