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A repository of morbid curiosities:
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Graveyards of Chicago:
The People, History, Art, and Lore of Cook County Cemeteries
By Matt Hucke And Ursula Bielski. Discover a Chicago That Exists Just Beneath the Surface - About Six Feet Under! Take a tour of Chicago's permanent residents! Please visit the Lake Claremont Press website to purchase your copy of Graveyards of Chicago today!
Green-Wood Cemetery Arcadia Publishing announces the release of Alexandra Mosca's historic account of one of New York's most famous cemeteries. Aracdia Publishing's Images of America series has an extensive catalog of many cemetery publications! Please visit Arcadia Publishing to purchase your copy of Green-Wood Cemetery and to browse other available titles!
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Guardians of the Soul: Angels and Innocents, Mourners and Saints, Indiana's remarkable cemetery sculpture
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West Springfield Massachusetts: Stories Carved in Stone by Rusty Clark features information on early New England gravestone carvers with more than two hundred photos and illustrations. Please visit the Dog Pond Press website.
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'Son Of Sam' Serial Killer Finds Salvation |
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Written by DeadGirl
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Wednesday, 16 May 2007 |
Thirty years ago Son of Sam terrorized a city. Now one of the world's most shocking serial killers is preaching the word of god, and finding forgiveness from a surprising source. Summer of '77. New York City gripped in fear of "The 44-caliber killer". Six murders. Seven people injured.
For more than a year, the killer randomly took aim.. Shooting at young women and couples parked in cars. In rambling, disturbed letters to police and newspapers, he calls himself "Mr. Monster... The Son of Sam".
"I dedicated myself to satan and became a soldier and had the Satanic bible and went thru the stupid rituals," said David Berkowitz, the "Son of Sam" serial killer.
It was the end of that hot summer of '77 that police nabbed the Son of Sam.
"David Berkowitz was charged in court with 6 Son of Sam murders"
David Berkowitz quickly confessed to the murders, claiming his neighbor Sam Carr had a dog possessed by a demon, and the dog told him to kill.
"Saying behold I am the lord god of all flesh."
These days it's not Satan on his mind. Berkowitz is spending the rest of his life behind bars. And in an exclusive interview he tells us he's found god.
"I'm a man that doesn't even deserve to be alive, but it's god who delights to show mercy, he's the one who i believe has chosen me for this time we're living in to let people know that he does forgive sin."
Forgiveness is also coming from a very unexpected person, Neysa Moskowitz, the mother of Son of Sam's last victim, Stacey. She spoke to Berkowitz on the phone.
"I apologized to her profusely. She said I was forgiven and she wanted to get to know me. "
For years Berkowitz and the grief stricken mother communicated with each other.
"Her letters to me were very precious," Berkowitz said.
For the first time publicly her words revealed, "Hello David, I hope this finds you feeling good. I truly don't hate you, i promise that. And as I told you before, i don't hate anymore. All it got me was sickness."
"That was very beautiful, it is beautiful to be forgiven or know that someone is not holding that grudge and anger against you."
Not everyone is buying Berkowitz's transformation.
"It's a total con job. I've never seen one of these people who were sincere in what they did," said retired NYPD detective Lt. Joe Coffey.
Thirty years ago, Lt. Joe Coffey interrogated the Son of Sam and he remembers a disturbed man who he says enjoyed every minute of his detailed confession.
"He went through killings like you and i were talking about going out for a cocktail, or going shopping. He never voiced any remorse whatsoever."
While he reflects on letters from his victim's mother, It's a letter Berkowitz claims he received a few weeks ago that may spark new debate, whether Son of Sam acted alone.
"Recently after 30 years i received an letter from a person i remember from the past."
Berkowitz tells us the letter is from a person who practiced satanic rituals with him during the time Son of Sam turned his demonic beliefs into murder.
"He just asked how i was doing it was very peculiar letter from the sayings on it… troublesome. I read between the lines."
Berkowitz says he and only he pulled the trigger on his victims. But did the person he claims wrote the letter know who Son of Sam was while people were being murdered?
"Well they probably knew something. I sent that out immediately to investigators," said Coffey.
So 30 years after the Son of Sam murders, what does Berkowitz have to say for himself?
"That i deeply regret with all my heart the pain and suffering I've brought through my criminal actions. I'd do anything if I could go back in time and change that."
As for that letter from the mystery person that Berkowitz claims he gave police, NYPD investigators say he has yet to forward it to them.
Berkowitz is serving six life sentences for the Son of Sam murders.
http://cbs2.com/topstories/local_story_134234937.html
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