1st shooting victim of the ‘Son of Sam’ serial killer shares her story
NEW YORK (PIX11) — A cold case tied to a notorious serial killer has been solved nearly half a century later, with the NYPD identifying the son of Sam’s first-known shooting victim.
Wendy Savino, 87, survived and spoke out on TV for the first time to PIX11 News, crediting a stranger on social media with helping crack the case.
For nearly 50 years, Savino has been insisting, “I was shot by the Son of Sam,” but no one believed her until now.
“They say, ‘Oh sure, everyone was, I had coffee with him last week,'” she recalled.
Now, the Rockland County grandmother is the first known survivor of David Berkowitz, who terrorized women in the city in the 1970s.
It was April 9, 1976, on Boston Road in the Bronx; she’d just left dinner with her husband when she saw an unassuming man walking toward her car.
She vividly remembers that night. “The next thing, my chest exploded,” she recounted. “I said, ‘Oh my God, I’ve been shot!'”
Despite being shot five times, Savino had the will to survive to see her two young sons again.
Thanks to her initial detailed description, a composite sketch was uncovered decades later by a social media sleuth.
Now Savino finally has closure 48 years later, calling it “surreal.”
Manny Grossman’s YouTube channel, devoted to examining the Son of Sam cases, played a crucial role in bringing attention to Savino’s shooting.
Grossman implored the NYPD to take another look at her original composite sketch, and detectives did.
They met with Wendy and interviewed Berkowitz from prison last week.
In a statement to PIX11 News, the NYPD said detectives are dedicated to reviewing cases if unanswered questions or new evidence emerges.
While Berkowitz never confessed to shooting Mrs. Savino, detectives reportedly caught him in a lie.
The 70-year-old just lost his 12th bid for parole, and the statute of limitations on Savino’s shooting has long run out.
Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to PIX11.
