David Richard Berkowitz (born Richard David Falco, June 1, 1953), also self-proclaimed with the name Son of Sam and christened by the media as .44 Caliber Killer due to the weapon he used, is an American serial killer who pled guilty to eight separate shooting attacks that began in New York City during the summer of 1976.

Berkowitz grew up in New York City and served in the U.S. Army before committing his crimes. Using a .44 caliber Bulldog revolver, he killed six people and wounded seven others by July 1977. The killing spree terrorized New Yorkers and gained worldwide notoriety. As the number of victims increased, Berkowitz eluded the biggest police manhunt in the history of New York City while leaving letters that mocked the police and promised further crimes, which were highly publicized by the press.