David Richard Berkowitz was born in Brooklyn in 1953 as Richard David Falco. His father left for another woman and his mother had an affair with a married man who threatened to leave her if she kept the baby so she put him up for adoption with her husband’s last name. The family that adopted him switched his first and middle names and gave him their last name.
He had above-average intelligence but lost interest in school and became obsessed with shoplifting and setting fires. His neighbors said he was difficult, spoiled, and bullying. His parents took him to a psychiatrist once but no legal action was brought against him and there was no serious mention of his behavior in school records. His mother died of breast cancer when he was 15 and his home life became strained, especially because he disliked his step-mother.
When he was 18 he joined the army and worked in the US and Korea. He was honorably discharged and located his birth mother, who told him of his illegitimate birth. It especially disturbed him because his birth father was deceased. He lost his identity in this crisis.
He had above-average intelligence but lost interest in school and became obsessed with shoplifting and setting fires. His neighbors said he was difficult, spoiled, and bullying. His parents took him to a psychiatrist once but no legal action was brought against him and there was no serious mention of his behavior in school records. His mother died of breast cancer when he was 15 and his home life became strained, especially because he disliked his step-mother.
When he was 18 he joined the army and worked in the US and Korea. He was honorably discharged and located his birth mother, who told him of his illegitimate birth. It especially disturbed him because his birth father was deceased. He lost his identity in this crisis.