Berkowitz Is Described as “Quiet” and as a “Loner”

To his coworkers and most neighbors, David R. Berkowitz was a quiet, almost cherubic-looking individual who kept pretty much to himself, never went out with women and was hardly the type to attract attention, much less inspire fear and terror.

But inside his Yonkers studio apartment (rent $230.50), where he kept the windows covered by bedsheets, the killer scrawled lurid poetry and mystical statements on the walls including references to Sam and his dog. Around a hole in one wall, Mr. Berkowitz drew a circle and made an arrow pointing to the circle and wrote, in effect “This is where I live.”

A coworker at the post office recalled that on one recent occasion Mr. Berkowitz advised another coworker, Theresa Graziano, “Theresa, you should put your hair up in a bun because he’s going after girls with long hair.” But usually, if he were not working, he sat along and read books.

Mr. Berkowitz, it turned out, had been a New York City auxiliary police trainee before going into the military.

“He was always alone and never spoke to you more than to say hello. He enjoyed drinking beer. We used to joke about his waistline. He was always carrying six-packs.” (5’7’ or 5’8’)



Excerpt from Leonard Buder Aug 12, 1977 New York Times