Netflix’s ‘Conversations with a Killer’: The Son of Sam Tapes Reopens a Chapter of Fear in New York City

Netflix is once again pulling back the curtain on a chilling figure from true crime history. The Son of Sam Tapes, the latest installment in the Conversations with a Killer docuseries, premieres July 30 and centers on David Berkowitz, the man who terrorized New York City during a brutal spree in the mid-1970s.

The series pivots on a set of never-before-heard audio interviews recorded with Berkowitz in 1980 by journalist Jack Jones inside Attica Correctional Facility. These recordings, buried for decades, offer a direct line into the mind of a convicted murderer whose crimes left a scar on the city’s psyche. The three-part documentary also includes new conversations with survivors, law enforcement officials, and reporters who covered the case.

Directed by Joe Berlinger, whose resume includes Cold Case: JonBenet Ramsey and Crime Scene: The Texas Killing Fields, the series tracks how a string of shootings spiraled into one of the most publicized manhunts in American history. On July 29, 1976, Donna Lauria was killed and Jody Valenti injured in a seemingly random shooting. It would be the first of several attacks attributed to the man first dubbed the “.44 Caliber Killer.”

Eventually, Berkowitz gave himself a name: “Son of Sam,” signing letters left at crime scenes and mailed to newspapers. Captured in August 1977, he confessed to killing six people and wounding seven more, claiming he was acting under orders from a demonic dog. In 1978, he was sentenced to six consecutive life terms, which he continues to serve.

“At the heart of Conversations with a Killer lies a commitment to unraveling the complex minds of notorious criminals while providing a space for those closest to the crimes to find closure,” Joe Berlinger told Netflix. “With The Son of Sam Tapes, we delve into the world of David Berkowitz and his chilling influence on 1970s New York City.”

Berlinger added in an interview with Tudum, “[Berkowitz] was a master manipulator of the media… he is emblematic of isolation, loneliness, feeling unimportant, and gaining importance through getting attention.”

Conversations with a Killer: The Son of Sam Tapes will arrive on Netflix July 30, you can watch the trailer below.

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