The potential ‘Son of Sam’ killings that still haunt the NYPD

On Halloween 1981, Ronald Sisman, a photographer, and his girlfriend Elizabeth Platzman were found shot execution-style in their Manhattan apartment. The apartment showed signs of being ransacked, IDs were stolen, and a .25-caliber handgun belonging to Sisman was missing. There was no forced entry, suggesting the perpetrator knew the victims or had easy access. Detectives initially suspected a drug-related robbery after finding a small amount of cocaine in the apartment, and Sisman had recently applied for gun permits due to concerns about a prior burglary. However, no arrests were made, and theories expanded due to Sisman's prior tabloid appearances related to an alleged drug overdose incident involving actress Melonie Haller, who later accused a film producer, Roy Radin, of sexual assault. Radin himself was murdered two years later, also shot in the back of the head, a case that involved a Hollywood producer convicted of murder. Further speculation arose from journalist Maury Terry's book, which linked the Sisman-Platzman murders to a drug-trafficking ring and a cult, and suggested a connection to the infamous "Son of Sam" serial killings. A prison informant claimed David Berkowitz, the "Son of Sam" killer, had predicted the double murder, allegedly because Sisman possessed footage of one of Berkow... download the app to read more