Teshin Warframe Steel Path,
Top Selling T Shirts On Teespring,
Jewel Osco Links And Resources,
Is Carnival Valor Sailing Now?,
Best And Worst Places To Live In Vancouver,
Articles D
Corrections? 6 days ago. In the summer of 1977, David Berkowitz, infamously known as the Son of Sam, was terrorizing New York City, randomly shooting victims at night with a .44 caliber revolver. He said: The media take a part in this, too, especially with serial crimes. The parking ticket that led to the Son of Sams capture. Berkowitz's final hit happened in the early hours of July 31, 1977, in Brooklyn. Andrea Peyser. His targets were young, attractive women in their 20s, often with long, brown hair. Somehow I misplaced your letter and came across it again. During the summer of 1977 was the height of . Ezek utn volt egy fut kapcsolata Joseph Kleinmann-nal, aki teherbe ejtette. Berkowitz also told me that the news media are complicit in fueling the publics interest in the dark side of the human condition. David Berkowitz, as seen in 'The Sons of Sam: A Descent Into Darkness' (Netflix) After being sentenced, Berkowitz claimed that he joined a "satanic cult" in 1975. In a missive from 1977, obtained exclusively by Westchester Magazine, the management company for 35 Pine Street, Pine Hill Associates, notified residents of an immediate address change: Due to the unfavorable publicity which the building has received in the recent past, we have decided to change the street number of the building to 42 Pine Street. Patricia Berkowitz passed away 2023-1-13 in Conneaut, OH. The post office is aware of the change and will deliver all mail with the above street number to this building. The letter went on to state: We regret the inconvenience that this unfortunate incident has caused you and we hope that everyone realizes that incidents of this nature are a million-to-one shot and should not be considered as a reflection on the building. The name of the building itself, which had been Pine Hill Towers, was changed to Horizon Hill. (Jan Somma-Hammel/Staten Island Advance). His biological mother was a Jewish waitress by the name of Elizabeth "Betty" Broder. CBS News interviewed David Berkowitz, 64, on the 40th anniversary of his arrest. That led police to Berkowitz less than two weeks later. David Berkowitz, byname Son of Sam, original name David Falco, (born June 1, 1953, Brooklyn, New York, U.S.), American serial killer who murdered six people in New York City in 1976-77. 3 weeks ago. Approaching Christine Freund and her fianc, Berkowitz shot twice, striking Freund's head, which later proved to be fatal. The reports claim that he left a note near the bodies of Alexander Esau and Valentina Suriani, which was addressed to Joseph Borrelli, Captain of the New York Police Department. Something dark within her was attracted to him. He also made statements that he had been part of a violent cult that helped him carry out the murders and that fellow members John and Michael Carr (Sam Carr's sons) assisted him. In the interview with the late FOX 5 NY reporter Gabe Pressman, she's called on lawmakers to. Almost overnight, the Jewish boy from the Bronx converted to a devout Baptist. The discovery that he had a half sister his mother had kept only made his abandonment more painful. When he was in his teenage years, he finally learned the truth - his birth mother hadn't died, and was still alive and well in New York City. ", Four decades after the "Son of Sam" serial killer was arrested, David Berkowitz in his first major TV interview in a decade -- is speaking out. David Berkowitz, "Son of Sam" victim Stacy Moskowitz was attacked while sitting in a parked car at Gravesend Bay in Brooklyn, she died thirty-eight hour later Credit: Getty 19 His biological mother was a Jewish waitress by the name of Elizabeth "Betty" Broder. Following his capture, the working-class Yonkers community where Berkowitz had resided did its best to wash away the painful and lasting memories of a serial killer. His parents were unwed and after separating shortly after his birth, they put him up for adoption. David Berkowitz had an unusual early life, by any standards. Berkowitz was found to be mentally competent to go to trial, and later changed his story about the dog. Craig Glassman holds up letters he says were written by David Berkowitz, his upstairs neighbor. He also believes that the news media deliberately misrepresented the Son of Sam story at the time of his crimes; particularly regarding his alleged Satanic cult affiliation and obedience to Harvey, a demonic dog, that supposedly ordered him to kill. Distinguished Professor of History, Baylor University. (AP Photo/Henry Griffin) / CBS News. Id have most likely taken my own life by now. He also had limited social supports; the revelations about his adoption had shattered his relationship with his remaining parents, and the alarming personality changes he'd undergone while serving in Korea had driven away most of his friends. The once-conservative Berkowitz began to send half-coherent letters proclaiming his newfound support for pacifism and the Black Panther party; he even signed one memorable letter by crossing out his own name and replacing it with "master of reality". Days later, NYPD detectives appeared at 35 Pine Street and asked a shocked Glassman if he was David Berkowitz. Broder later had an affair with a married real estate agent, Joseph Kleinman. Apple Computer incorporated, Star Wars captivated the imaginations of moviegoers, and Reggie Jacksonhitting three home runs in a single gameled the Yankees to a thrilling World Series victory against the rival Dodgers. Gilroy said Berkowitz was cagey during interviews and avoided answering direct questions. Notice of the change of address from Pine Hill Towers, where Berkowitz was living when he was caught. Serial killers are very rare. CBS News correspondent Maurice DuBois and David Berkowitz in the library of the Shawangunk Correctional Facility in Wallkill, N.Y., where the convicted serial killer works as a clerk. While Berkowitz was originally . Norfolk Southern train derails in Springfield, Ohio, At least 12 dead after winter storm slams South, Midwest, Trump speaks at CPAC after winning straw poll, Memphis Grizzlies star Ja Morant to "take some time away" from the team after allegedly brandishing a gun in a club, Man charged for alleged involvement in 2 transformer explosions, Promising drug could provide alternative to statins, new study finds, 3 children killed, 2 others wounded at Texas home, Nikki Haley slams potential GOP contenders, and Trump and George W. Bush, NTSB to investigate in-flight turbulence that left 1 passenger dead, A selfie of Shayna Glassman outside at Shawangunk Correctional Facility in Wallkill, N.Y., where convicted serial killer David Berkowitz is now being held, "Son of Sam": A serial killer's reign of terror. Still, none of that stops Shayna from writing and visiting Berkowitz, now 64 years old, and an inmate at a maximum security prison in upstate New York. Berkowitz claimed that John Carr and Carrs brother, Michael, had introduced him to the world of devil worship. (Advance file photo). A Satanic cult house on Van Duzer Street? Staten Island attorney Felix Gilroy, seen here in 2009, interviewed and later corresponded with convicted Son of Sam killer David Berkowitz. David Berkowitz, also known as the Son of Sam. Is there any way to find out? Eventually, he got disgusted. Detective Falotico died in 2006 at age 81. As the murders persisted, an increased sense of panic spread throughout the region. A frfi felajnlotta, hogy vetessk el a gyereket, de a n nem akarta, s a gyereket Tony Falco . While I did not understand everything that was going on spiritually, I do recall feeling a lot of peace around her., The letter, dated July 1, 2009, was signed, Sincerely in Christ, David Berkowitz., He was a Christian and I wanted to know how he affected her life, Amis told Advance writer Jeff Harrell then. She had married Tony Falco, and had a daughter, Roslyn. The key evidence that led cops to Berkowitz was a parking ticket written to his cream-colored Ford Galaxie at Bay 17th Street on July 31, 1977, the night of Son of Sams final shooting. Berkowitz, who underwent a religious conversion in prison, exchanged letters with Stapleton resident Patricia Amis in 2009. He shot 15 people,. The building is well known among Yonkers residents as the former home of the Son of Sam, and regularly attracts throngs of camera crews on major anniversaries and whenever Berkowitz is featured in the news. Berkowitz was arrested on August 10, 1977, 11 days after his last murder. He rode with them in car with Berkowitz and he said, 'You're Craig Glassman.'". ASSOCIATED PRESS. In response to a request for an interview, Berkowitzwho uses an old Swintec typewriter to communicate with the outside worldmailed this letter: Dear Nathan, I hope this letter reaches you well and finds you doing well. Berkowitz was never able to confront his birth father - by the time he located Betty Broder, his biological father was already dead, along with any hope of getting closure. All of the letters were taken by New York City Police after Berkowitz was arrested. Berkowitz was born Richard David Falco in Brooklyn, New York. Cataneo said that he and his partner had rousted a couple of teenagers from a park on their beat shortly before the shooting. The daughter of the man who was terrorized by the sicko Son of Sam killer David Berkowitz is now amazingly his prison pen pal and regular visitor! "My family told me, 'Shayna -- don't pursue this,'" she says. David Berkowitz Had A Penchant For Violence From A Young Age Richard David Falco was born in Brooklyn, New York in 1953. "He was sitting with them waiting for Berkowitz to come out and when he did, my father pulled his gun out and said, 'Freeze -- put your hands up.' Designed, printed & shipped from California. From a young age, his life was marked by abandonment, trauma, and a lie about his birth parents that would shatter his entire identity at a critical time in his life. In 1978 Berkowitz pled guilty to the six killings, as well as nearly 1,500 fires he had set in and around New York City. Enrolled in P.S. "Well," he reportedly said when the cops found him. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. All comments are moderated before being published. The arresting officer, Detective John Falotico of the NYPD, and the entire law enforcement community were desperate to capture Berkowitz. Inside Edition 11.5M subscribers Subscribe 5.3K 382K views 5 years ago #InsideEdition David Berkowitz spoke to Inside Edition in 1999 and described his conversion to Christianity and that he. David Berkowitz age is 67 years as of in 2021 and his birthplace is Brooklyn, New York, United States. Make sure to check out our limited edition serial killer hoodies and shirts for horror lovers. The furor surrounding the case was depicted in the film Summer of Sam (1999). CBS News. He offered these powerful insights: In general, people are drawn to the darker side of life. On December 12, 2017, prison officials revealed that Berkowitz had been transferred from Shawangunk Correctional Facility to a nearby hospital. 282", "Berkowitz Is Described as 'Quiet' and as a 'Loner', "Bronx Woman Is Shot To Death As Shooting Outbreak Spreads", "Ten Years Later: Son of Sam Victims Still Haunted", "One Of Two Girls Shot Is In Serious Condition", "Son of Sam fires into a car, killing a woman sitting next to her boyfriend", "Columbia Coed, 19, Is Slain on Street in Forest Hills", "Son of Sam, David Berkowitz, famous serial killer", "Comic Book Legends Revealed #400 (Part 1)", "Son of Sam wounds couple near Queens discotheque", ".44-Caliber Killer Wounds Two In Car Parked on Queens Street", "2 Witnesses Describe Man Fleeing Scene of Shooting As Police Press Efforts to Find the '.44Caliber Killer', ".44 Killer Wounds 12th and l3th Victims; He Strikes in Brooklyn for the First Time", ".44 Killer Wounds 12th and 13th Victims", "John Falotico, Detective Who Arrested Berkowitz, Dies at 82", "Daughter of man terrorized by "Son of "Sam" now visits him in prison", "Suspect in 'Son of Sam' Murders Arrested in Yonkers; Police Say .44 Caliber Weapon Is Recovered", "NYPD commander who took 'Son of Sam' confession dies at 99", "Berkowitz Given 25 Years to Life in Each of 6 'Son of Sam' Slayings", "Forgiven for life: Official Home Page of David Berkowitz", "Son of Sam: I've found my life's calling", "Convicted serial killer 'Son of Sam' David Berkowitz denied parole for fifth time", "Is The Son Of Sam Still In Jail In 2019? Today, Berkowitz, 58, sits in cell D-North #148 at the Sullivan Correctional facility in Fallsburg, New York, a small town about 100 miles north of New York City. It was during his time in Kentucky that David Berkowitz got his first real taste of evangelical Christianity. She is 82 years old as of 2022. We strive for accuracy and fairness.If you see something that doesn't look right,contact us! "'So sorry to hear about your dad. Having been close to his mother, he had a very difficult time as a teenager coping with her death. Ultimately, Berkowitz was identified as the most likely suspect, a theory that was confirmed when his car was found to have received a parking ticket near the scene of one of the shootings. David Berkowitz, also known as the Son of Sam. TV stations would call and he would give them interviews. I am so very thankful for what Jesus Christ did for me. Terry discovered a different woman on Van Duzer who had received a letter with information about Berkowitz and the cult similar to what Dunleavy had been told. She even bought a manual typewriter to write letters to him "because I wanted to get into his mind. Berkowitz is now 67 years old and is serving his time in Shawangunk Correctional Facility in Wallkill, New York. The Berkowitz family renamed their adopted son, changing his name from "Richard David Falco" to "David Richard Berkowitz". I do remember her talking with me and reading the Bible to me. He told me that it has to do with a morbid attraction to the dark or pathological side of the human condition and the fact that everyone, in his opinion, has the potential to do terrible things under the right circumstances. A Brooklyn Supreme Court jury later acquitted Mitteager. . The Berkowitzes were a childless middle-aged couple when they adopted David. Lee and I kibitzed for a while and I think he has a realistic sense of what happened that summer, Pelliccio told the Advance. We joked around that night that it was probably going to be some uniformed cop on the beat who ran into him, Cataneo said of the huge police manhunt for Son of Sam. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. His birth mother was Betty Broder who grew up in Brooklyn as a poor, single, Jewish mother trying to cope with raising a daughter. Berkowitz had a somewhat troubling childhood. . Astrological Sign: Gemini, Article Title: David Berkowitz Biography, Author: Biography.com Editors, Website Name: The Biography.com website, Url: https://www.biography.com/crime-figure/david-berkowitz, Publisher: A&E Television Networks, Last Updated: May 26, 2021, Original Published Date: April 2, 2014. 1. Before he was Son of Sam, infamous American serial killer, David Berkowitz was a troubled child with complicated origins. He was reportedly a smart child but was troubled in his own way. By middle school, David Berkowitz had progressed to committing petty larceny and setting fires throughout New York City. Over a period of two years, I corresponded and visited with the notorious "Son of Sam" serial killer in prison while conducting research for my book Why We Love Serial Killers: The Curious Appeal of the World's Most Savage Murderers. According to property records, the small studio apartment is currently owned by real estate agent Louis Pena. David Berkowitz is now behind bars at the Shawangunk Correctional Facility. Berkowitz reportedly had an intense but complicated relationship with his adoptive mother, one that only grew more complicated after she died. According to one regular New York club fan, It became a fear that if you were coming out of a club you were going to get shot. The murders and the palpable anxiety were making headlines around the world. Her exact reasons aren't known, though some writers have speculated that Joseph Klineman likely wanted nothing to do with the child, and may have threatened to cut contact with Betty if she didn't give him up. Even as an adult, David could not escape comments about his weight and appearance. Berkowitz initially admitted to police that he was the killer, but later said that there were also other shooters. ET. Broder herself was married to one Anthony . Berkowitz' tidiga frklaring till de mord han begick var att grannens hund skulle varit besatt av . Victims of the "Son of Sam": In their own words, WATCH: CBS News special: "Son of Sam | The Killer Speaks". In his book and on the site, he provides an apology to his victims and their families. His daughter, today a New Jersey resident, reports that Faloticowhose picture had been featured on the front page of nearly every major newspapereventually grew tired of the long interviews that netted only seconds of airtime. Last week, my daughter temporarily lost the use of one of her arms, and Twitter found many of its advertisers . Detective Falotico, for example, didnt enjoy his celebrity. During our prison visit together in 2013, he provided me with important new insights into his motives for killing as well as his own thoughts on why the public is fascinated with serial killers. (Tom Wrobleski/Staten Island Advance). Oddly enough, Berkowitz, who was sentenced to 365 years in prison, is eligible for parole this month. Advertisement Berkowitz on his way to Brooklyn Criminal Court in 1977. He is well liked among prison staff and, somewhat ironically, is allowed to counsel inmates suffering from mental illness. Since his self-proclaimed spiritual rebirth, he has worked with fellow inmates who are physically and mentally challenged as a peer mentor, spiritual advisor, and friend. How come it took you such a long time? Berkowitz received six consecutive life sentences for his crimes. Although most children who kill insects don't grow up to become serial killers, in David's case, the cruelty of his methods may have been an early warning sign of what he would become. In 1977, Shayna's father, Craig Glassman, lived in apartment 6E at 35 Pine Street in Yonkers. At 18, he joined the Army. I hope you will find it to be both encouraging and inspirational. A Celebration of Life Gathering will be held Sunday February 12, 2023 from 1:00PM-3:00PM at the Ashtabula American Legion Post 103, 1890 W 19th St. Ashtabula, Ohio 44004. Not surprisingly, the public seemed to have an insatiable appetite for information about Berkowitzs life and for the gruesome details of the heinous crimes he had committed. David Berkowitz, fdd som Richard David Falco den 1 juni 1953 i Brooklyn i New York, r en amerikansk dmd seriemrdare mer knd under vedernamnet Son of Sam, som erknt att han under 1970-talet ddat sex personer och skadat minst ytterligare sju i attacker med en revolver av kaliber .44. And Craig matches the description of one of the shooters described by witnesses and . Childhood & Early Life. Adopted by Nathan and Pearl Berkowitz. eldest son David Berkowitz, daughter-in-law Barbara Berkowitz, and grandson Garrett Greene. I apologize for not getting back to you sooner. David Berkowitz was born Richard David Falco on June 1, 1953, in Brooklyn, New York. But all that changed in January 1977 when Berkowitz attacked another couple in a parked car. At the scene of the Moskowitz-Violante shootings, a witness saw a man getting away in a car that had a parking ticket on it. Richard David Falco, also known as David Berkowitz, was born in Brooklyn, New York on 1 June 1953 (Sanders, 2002). But it was Berkowitz who had the city of New York held to ransom, its people living under a blanket of fear following a spate of shootings between July 1976 and July 1977 that left six people. A witness remembered a cream-colored car leaving the scene, a ticket on the windshield. David Berkowitz is the name of a serial killer who was born Richard David Falco on June 1, 1953. Their relationship was said to be much more intense than a typical relationship between mother and son. (One copy is priced at $750 because it is inscribed by Glassman.). This is the full obituary story where you can express condolences and share memories. 'Falco' was the name of her ex-husband, Tony Falco, who had left her for another woman more than a decade earlier. Cataneo and Logan were the first cops on the scene. During his time in the military, he was noted to be an excellent marksman. A selfie of Shayna Glassman outside at Shawangunk Correctional Facility in Wallkill, N.Y., where convicted serial killer David Berkowitz is now being held Shayna Glassman Still, none of that. His capture was the result of careful police work, which involved sorting through a confusing maze of reports of suspicious persons. Born on June 1, 1953, in Brooklyn, to Elizabeth "Betty" Broder and Joseph Klineman, David Berkowitz was named Richard David Falco. He murdered six people and wounded seven others with a .44 Bulldog revolver during his reign of terror. His erratic behaviour, which began after the death of his adoptive mother in 1967, intensified when his adoptive father remarried in 1971 and moved to Florida without him. (Police would later learn that the killer had been referring to his neighbor, Sam Carr, who he believed was commanding him to kill through his dogs barking. However, as Joseph was married to someone else, Betty gave their son for adoption within a few days. (Advance file photo), Cataneo recalled the deadly night during an interview with Advance writer Maureen Seaberg in 1999, on the eve of the release of the Spike Lee film Summer of Sam.. The new Netflix series Sons of Sam: Descent Into Darkness examines whether there was more than one shooter. By. It is clear to me that Berkowitz relished his evil celebrity status and that he enjoyed terrorizing the city of New York throughout his murderous rampage. Moskowitz would later die and Violante would be blinded in the attack. News coverage of his crimes often referred to him as "pudgy" or "paunchy". 'Falco' was the name of her ex-husband, Tony Falco, who had left her for another woman more than a decade earlier. I was notified by Officer Thomas Chamberlain, a uniformed officer of the City of Yonkers Police Department, that David Berkowitz was also a suspect in the Son of Sam case. She had married Tony Falco, and had a daughter, Roslyn. Publicity photos from 1999 Spike Lee film "Summer of Sam" about the Son of Sam killing spree. All the while, New Yorkers lived in fear of being his next victim. She conceived David with her new partner, Joseph Klineman, but chose to give him the surname Falco for reasons best known to her. In August 1977, a woman named Cacilia Davis saw a car being ticketed by a cop in her neighborhood; moments later, a suspicious-looking man with some kind of. His targets were young, attractive women in their 20s, often with long, brown hair. It was in Korea that Berkowitz began to experiment with psychedelic drugs, notably LSD. Linked In Twitter Facebook E-mail. After all, many of the young women who were murdered in the Son of Sam killing spree were white women with long, dark, wavy hair - just like Pearl Berkowitz. In his book, Terry tells of how the late New York Post columnist Steve Dunleavy received phone calls from a mystery lady who claimed that Berkowitz belonged to a Satanic cult operating on Staten Island and in Queens. When he was only a few days old, Betty Broder gave her infant son up for adoption. "He said 'Shayna so good to see you,'" she says. Most children would struggle after losing a parent, but the death of Pearl Berkowitz nearly destroyed David. Because Berkowitz used the same .44 caliber gun in all of his shootings, the police were on his trail, initially referring to him as the .44-caliber killer, which later evolved to the Son of Sam moniker. All three played prominent roles in the capture of David Berkowitz, convicted of being the ".44 Caliber Killer." A White Plains bartender whod gone to Wagner College claimed to have rented a room in the home and led Terry there. "Dad heard the flames and thought the building was on fire," Shayna said. Roslyn is the daughter of her parents Tony Falco and Betty Falco. Berkowitz is now 67 years old and is serving his time in Shawangunk Correctional Facility in Wallkill, New York. Police had gotten Berkowitz' name and address from a parking ticket at the scene of the last shooting, but had no idea what he looked like. Upon his return, Berkowitz moved to Westchester, first to New Rochelle (he lived at 174 Coligni Avenue), and found work as a part-time mail sorter at a US Postal Service hub in the Bronx. David Berkowitz wasn't the only bully at his school. Friends noticed changes in his personality. His parents arranged for him to see a therapist, but surprisingly, he never received any serious diagnosis or legal consequences for his early crimes. Since his incarceration, Berkowitz has developed a slavish devotion to religion (known in prison-speak as jailhouse religion) and hesitates to discuss the details of his life in Westchester and the crimes that garnered him such infamy. Known as Son of Sam, Berkowitz was arrested on August 10, 1977, 11 days after his last murder, and was sentenced to six consecutive 25-years-to-life terms. The next month Berkowitz claimed another couple, Valentina Suriani and Alexander Esau, in their car, but this time, he left a letter nearby addressed to NYPD Captain Joseph Borrelli, calling himself Son of Sam for the first time. He nearly lost his life behind bars when his throat was cut,. David Berkowitz's emotional and behavioral problems began long before he began to target young women on the streets of New York City as Son of Sam. Broder later had relations with Joseph Kleinman and became pregnant by him . David Berkowitz (szletsi neve: Richard David Falco) anyja, Betty Falco, akinek frje Tony Falco volt. As part of my research for a new book, I asked Berkowitz why the public seems to be so fascinated with serial killers. His direct upstairs neighbor was Berkowitz, then a young postal worker. Cover of Maury Terry book "The Ultimate Evil," which examines possible links between Son of Sam murders, the Manson Family and Satanic cults. Linked In Twitter Facebook E-mail. In her later years, Neysa Moskowitz forgave Berkowitz for killing her daughter. Berkowitzs letter to Nathan Laliberte, the writer of this article. He was doing a publicity tour from the day the capture happened. "It's my way of being with my father. Claiming he was driven by demons, Berkowitz attempted to murder a woman in December 1975, but she survived several stab wounds. Some believed that the adult David Berkowitz harbored great anger toward his adoptive mother, bot for abandoning him and for hiding the truth about his adoption. His schlubby exterior, the narrative went, belied a sick and deranged mind. By 1975, David Berkowitz's life was beginning to fall apart. )Ed. According to Shayna Craig, Detective Zigoeven decades laterrefused to acknowledge the role Glassman had played in the Berkowitz arrest. Thirty-five years later, Horizon Hill, which sits on a picturesque hilltop overlooking the Hudson River and features striking views of New York City, looks very much like it did on the day of the arrest. David Berkowitz, byname Son of Sam, original name David Falco, (born June 1, 1953, Brooklyn, New York, U.S.), American serial killer who murdered six people in New York City in 197677. Do you believe that it is possible for someone like the former Son of Sam to be spiritually transformed, reformed, and born again? By the time of his arrest in 1977, he had killed six women and injured seven other people with a Charter Arms .44 Caliber handgun. She put this man on the pedestal., Berkowitz remembered Smith as the only friend he had at the time and had helped make me feel like a human being., Patricia Amis of Stapleton holds an envelope she received with a reply from convicted Son of Sam murderer David Berowitz after she wrote to him asking about her step-grandmother's interaction with him as a prison minister. Berkowitz became a born-again Christian in 1987, calling himself the "Son of Hope" and working with disabled inmates in prison as a spiritual advisor and friend.