David Berkowitz, the convicted serial killer known as "Son of Sam" who terrorised New York City in 1976 and 1977, has said he no longer trusts the media, 50 years after taunting police and the press with letters sent to a newspaper during his killing spree. The remarks resurface amid renewed public debate in New York over proposed legislation, including an "elder parole" bill, that could make ageing convicted killers such as Berkowitz eligible for release once they reach 55, prompting criticism from law enforcement and political commentators.

The article, framed around a Fox News segment, features former Department of Homeland Security deputy assistant secretary Jonathan Fahey criticising the proposed New York bills as a public safety risk, arguing they could pave the way for violent offenders, including serial killers, to be freed. Fahey also linked the debate to separate criticism of New York City Mayor Mamdani's handling of anti-ICE protests in Brooklyn that blocked hospital entrances. Berkowitz, now in his 70s, was convicted of killing six people and wounding several others across New York in the mid-1970s and remains incarcerated.