'Son of Sam' Serial Killer Needs Heart Surgery

He prefers the name "Son of Hope" these days, but the serial killer known as "Son of Sam" has been hospitalized for a heart ailment, reports the New York Post. New York state prison officials didn't provide details on the problem, but they said 64-year-old David Berkowitz had been transferred to a hospital outside the Shawagunk Correctional Facility in Wallkill. The Albany Times-Union reports that Berkowitz, who terrorized New York City with a killing spree 40 years ago, was awaiting emergency heart surgery at Albany Medical Center.

Berkowitz killed six people and wounded seven others from 1976 until his capture the following year. He typically shot young women sitting in cars with a .44-caliber revolver, per the AP. Berkowitz has become an evangelical Christian in prison and now says he is "very sorry" for the shootings. At the time, he claimed to be possessed by a demonic dog that belonged to his neighbor, Sam Carr. (That's where he drew his infamous name from.) Berkowitz is next eligible for parole in May. (More Son of Sam stories.)