A new limited series from Caloroga Shark Media’s Daily Crime and Justice podcast is examining the events surrounding the Son of Sam serial killings, fifty years after they began.
The series, Daily Crime and Justice: Summer of Fear, explores the context of New York City in the months before David Berkowitz’s first attack.
At the time, the city was $14 billion in debt, had laid off 5,000 police officers, and the police union was warning tourists with the message: “Welcome to Fear City.”
Host Garret Fisher investigates the actions of Berkowitz and the city’s response over the following year.
The podcast covers incidents such as the shooting of 18-year-old Donna Lauria and 19-year-old Jody Valenti in the South Bronx, which marked the start of Berkowitz’s crimes in July 1976.
Garret also looks at the impact on New Yorkers, including a moment in Forest Hills when a 19-year-old tried to protect herself from a gunman with her schoolbooks.
The series discusses how newspapers competed for headlines and how a $25 parking summons eventually led to Berkowitz’s arrest.
