The Sons of Sam: 4 Pieces of Evidence Netflix's Doc Reveals About the Cult Theory

In some instances, eyewitnesses at the Son of Sam shootings noted that the shooter was tall and blonde. David Berkowitz was evidently not tall and blond, but detectives dismissed their eyewitnesses as being unreliable. Still, it seemed odd that there would be such a wide margin of error among several people. Witness Tommy Zaino even went on the record to say he didn't believe that Berkowitz was the triggerman during the Stacy Moskowitz shooting.

And speaking of the Stacy Moskowitz shooting, we see in episode two how the timeline was also notably off in the case. Retrieving a parking ticket, Berkowitz had been spotted five blocks away from the crime scene just two minutes before the shooting unfolded. It just didn't seem feasible to Terry or eyewitnesses that he would be able to get there in two minutes.

A man who did match the tall and blonde description was John Carr. Carr was literally the son of Sam Carr, Berkowitz's neighbor whose demonic dog apparently told him to murder his victims. Within his community, Sam actually had a reputation for being abusive to his sons John and Michael. In the Son of Sam letters sent to the police and the media, the writer notably addressed such abuse. But this wasn't where the John Carr connection ended.

When John went to Minot, ND after Berkowitz's arrest, he confessed to a mental health counselor about practicing witchcraft and being involved with Berkowitz, notably worried about getting in trouble in New York. In 1978, he died from a gunshot wound — police initially believed that his death was a suicide, but they now believe it was probably a homicide.

But who could be behind John's death? The evidence suggests that a cult member or cult members may have been responsible. From Terry's research, it appears as though John was part of a cult and was perhaps even a leader. When Terry looked at the path behind the Berkowitz and Carr residences, he discovered dead animals in addition to a blood-covered, ramshackle building locally known as the "Devil's Cave" — it was very feasible to suggest that this was a meeting place for Berkowitz and others.

In episode four of the docuseries, we see how retired detective Kevin Murphy looked into Berkowitz's associates at Untermeyer Park. Partaking in drug trading and sexual activities, Berkowitz's former associates called themselves the Children. It was difficult for Murphy to find people willing to talk to him since no one wanted to be implicated. He did, however, come across a man named John Paul, who was a high school freshman when John Carr approached him. According to Paul, the Children's activities were not initially serious, but he recalled a turning point where a ritual became much darker with dog killings.

A prisoner named Jesse Turner also divulged information about the murder of Ronald Sisman, who Terry believed was likely killed over a cult snuff film. Turner belonged to the Process Church cult and claimed that Sisman and a student named Elizabeth Platzman were killed by the cult, which had ties to the Children.

While these two confessions don't directly prove that Berkowitz had accomplices (in fact, detectives seemed pretty skeptical of them), they do show that Berkowitz was likely part of a more extensive cult network.

Then, of course, we have Terry's interviews with Berkowitz in 1993 and 1997. Berkowitz more or less admitted to being engaged with the occult. But even more notably, he said that he didn't pull the trigger at all of the shootings, sometimes only acting as the lookout. He confirmed that John and Michael Carr, who both died under suspicious circumstances, were both involved and pulled the trigger at some point. Berkowitz did not confirm anyone else's involvement, however.