New true crime series Conversations with a Killer: The Son of Sam Tapes has proven to be a huge hit with Netflix fans, climbing straight to the top of the streaming giant's most-watched list.

The series, released July 30, tells the harrowing story of serial killer David Berkowitz, who terrorised New York City in the 1970s during a killing spree which spanned 13 months.

The show features previously unreleased audio between Berkowitz and reporter Jack Jones, who spoke to him in 1980 after his arrest.

Using a 44-caliber revolver, he often targeted young women and couples while leaving cryptic letters behind at the scene of the crime to taunt the police and mailing handwritten notes to local reporters.

Berkowitz gave himself the nickname Son of Sam, which he signed his letters off with. He claimed his neighbour's dog inspired the name, having had a long-standing feud with the animal. He previously claimed demons had spoke to him through the dog.

In 1977, Berkowitz was eventually caught out. A parking ticket was left behind at the scene of his final murder, leading NYPD officers to eventually track him down at his apartment, having previously grown suspicious of him.

After his capture, he confessed to committing all of the Son of Sam murders and was then taken to King County Hospital's psychiatric ward, where he stayed until sentencing.

Berkowitz pled guilty to six counts of murder in 1978 and was sentenced to six terms of 25 years-to-life. He remains behind bars to this day.

Over the years, he has taken part in interviews and writen pieces on his website. Berkowitz continues to express remorse and has turned to religion while imprisoned. A fellow inmate gave him a bible, leading to him becoming a devoted born-again Christian.

“Everything seemed to hit me at once. The guilt from what I did... the disgust at what I had become... late that night in my cold cell, I got down on my knees and I began to cry out to Jesus Christ.

"I told Him that I was sick and tired of doing evil. I asked Jesus to forgive me for all my sins…When I got up, it felt as if a very heavy but invisible chain that had been around me for so many years was broken. A peace flooded over me," he wrote on his website, operated by other Christians.

The harrowing story of Berkowitz's killing spree has been made into books, TV series and films.

The nickname Son of Sam has been used in numerous songs too, with bands such as Chain Gang and Dead Boys having tracks named after the killer.

Conversations with a Killer: The Son of Sam Tapes can be streamed on Netflix