Comparing the Zodiac case to the 'Son of Sam' Case

[morf13]

Comparing the Zodiac case to the 'Son of Sam' Case.

In another thread, we got a bit off topic and started discussing Son of Sam. I think that comparing SOS case against Zodiac is worth doing, because there are quite a bit of similarities. Best of all, the SOS(David Berkowitz)was caught. Had he slipped thru the cracks, that case may rival the Z case in American crime history.

I am sure just about everybody here is familiar with the NY Son Of Sam case,but essentially Berkowitz, would stalk out parked couples on lover's lanes and attack them by shooting them. He killed or wounded several people. He then took it a step further by taunting the police & newspapers with a series of letters.

Many may not even know this, but he also stabbed People like Zodiac.



Berkowitz was, what many people think Z was, a loner, under achiever, loser, with no success with Women. Profilers felt he had a hatred for Women. He was determined to be schizophrenic. He will be in prison for the rest of his life. Psychologists observed that many serial killers draw additional gratification from manipulating their pursuers and observers. The feeling of control over the media, law enforcement, and even entire populations provides a source of social power for them.[38] After consulting with several psychiatrists, police released a psychological profile of their suspect on May 26, 1977. He was described as neurotic and probably suffering from paranoid schizophrenia

A lot of this is very similar to Zodiac, and I think it's worth exploring the SOS case for comparisons to Z. I will post the SOS letters here too,I look forward to discussion.
Here's a helpful link-
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Berkowitz

[morf13]

By the way, there was previously a thread here about SOS- viewtopic.php?f=99&t=719

[PinkPhantom]

I think they are very similar, but I also believe that the Zodiac was a psychopath and was in more control of his own actions than Berkowitz who was schizo and taking orders from a black dog. Berkowitz seemed Act Focused where as Zodiac was more process focused. I'm not saying that I think Zodiac didn't have some sort of schizotypal thing going on, but if he did it was nothing as severe as Berkowitz.

The Zodiac was organized, process focused, power driven and a hedonist.. I almost see him as bipolar with incidences of schizotypal thoughts/behavior not as severe as a full blown schizophrenic like Berkowitz.

Berkowitz? An Act Focused "visionary" And a "missionary" bc he was instructed by a hallucination to kill a specific group/type of people. Organized for someone with such severe mental illness which is why I think he creeped people out so much.

[Soze]

I don't believe the Zodiac was schizophrenic, however, I won't deny the possibility but only because I have known a schizophrenic person and know how high functioning and intelligent they can be. The Zodiac, in my opinion, had an inferiority complex from childhood that led to the superiority complex he displayed In his writings. People with the two complexes can have schizophrenia but they can also have a mood or personality disorder. I don't believe the Zodiacs writings display schizophrenia and lean more towards a personality disorder.

Soze

[PinkPhantom]

I agree with much of what you said Soze. Like you said in many extreme cases schizotypal disorders and mood disorders go hand in hand. Many with mood disorders experience schizotypal symptoms when, let's say in bipolar case, the individual is at the height of mania or the lowest of their depressive cycle. In a sense they are only exhibiting the schizotypal symptoms when their mood disorder is causing extreme distress and disturbances in cognitive functioning.

Which makes me agree that yes Zodiac likely had a mood disorder... But I believe that at certain times was so severe it took on schizotypal symptoms. The "collecting slaves for the afterlife" and some other fantastical thinking examples make me lean toward him maybe being a bit schizo at times.

And yes many schizophrenics are very intelligent. It's actually tragic just how many have much promise intellectually, but can't be as productive as they wish bc of their mental illness.

[morf13]

I don't know if SOS really believed a dog was talking to him, just like I don't really believe Z thought he would have slaves in the afterlife

[Soze]

The "collecting slaves for the afterlife" and some other fantastical thinking examples make me lean toward him maybe being a bit schizo at times.

To you both, do you not think it possible that the Zodiac was just, a creative writer?

Soze

[PinkPhantom]

Sure that's also possible. Can't discount it. I suppose a visionary could also come across as a creative writer and visa versa. I think it's up to speculation which he is according to opinion. I don't know enough about SOS to be sure if his supposed schizophrenia was legitimate or not. I suppose he was deemed mentally competent now reading back so he must have been a psychopath with some intense mood disorder like Z or something. Or maybe they were just psychopaths period now that we are discussing and I'm thinking about it more.

Definitely interesting that SOS was involved in arson and Zodiac also mentioned by fire - yes indeedy.

[PinkPhantom]

I always found the MacDonald triad, even if it's BS, interesting when looking into similar past behavior/symptoms of sociopathic serial offenders. Did Berkowitz wet his bed or torture/kill animals too?

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Macdonald_triad

[morf13]

SOS letters