Re: Murdered by the Son of Sam - April 16, 1977

[rreschran]

This topic is something that's waaaay out of the norm and something I stumbled-on during research for a Wall of the Fallen project. For all these years, I never knew that one of six victims, murdered by Son of Sam, David Berkowitz, April 16, 1977, was a twenty-year-old tow truck driver trainee, in Bronx, New York. I was shocked. Alexander Esau (20) and girlfriend, Valentina Suriani (18) had gone to the movies. Around 3 AM, both were sitting in Suriani's car in a Bronx neighbor close to Suriani's house, and, not far the same are where Berkowitz had already shot and killed Donna Lauria a year earlier.

 

Berkowitz fired through the car's window where shots struck Suriani killing her instantly. Berkowitz fired two additional shots into Alexander Esau's head where Esau died at an area hospital hours later. Berkowitz was utimately captured and was sentenced to over 300-years in prison. I watched with great interest Berkowitz being interviewed where he blamed the murders on the Devil and that he had, "A break in reality."  

 

And, in that, because Alexander Esau wasn't involved with towing work at the time of his tragic death, he doesn't qualify for the Wall of the Fallen, yet his loss has claimed a place in my heart. Bye the way ... Berkowitz only has 258-years left to serve.        R