Son of Sam’s first victim reveals how she survived serial killer – only to be dismissed for years by authorities

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A woman has finally had her case linked to the Son of Sam serial killer case that caused terror in New York City decades ago, 47 years after she survived her horrific encounter with the serial murderer.

Wendy Savino, 87, recalled the moment that David Berkowitz, dubbed the “Son of Sam” killer, walked up to her car in a Bronx parking lot on an April night in 1976, grinning as he stepped closer before he shot at her.

A Bronx homicide detective has reportedly finally validated Savino’s claim after a report was filed that linked her terrifying experience to Berkowitz, The New York Post reported, citing police sources.

“I’m so happy that he’s going to be named as my assailant,” Savino told the outlet. “For so many years, if somebody asked me what happened to me, and I would say, ‘I was shot by Son of Sam’, and it was, ‘Oh right, sure you were.’ So, I am very happy that I am going to be listed as one of his survivors.”

Berkowitz committed a killing spree around Brooklyn, Queens and the Bronx, starting on July 29, 1976, when the then-23-year-old postal employee shot Donna Lauria, 18, and wounded Jody Valenti, 19.

In the months following, he left five others dead and six more wounded. His main choice of victims appeared to be young women with long, dark hair, as well as couples sitting in cars.

Savino has recently shared her story with the YouTube channel The Grossman Files and in a New York Post exclusive where she recounted how the killer started to laugh as he shot her five times. She survived but lost the use of one of her eyes.

She said she felt as if her chest had “exploded” and said, “Oh my God. I’ve been shot.’”

As she put up her arm to shield herself, a second bullet went through her arm and reverberated off the dashboard into her eye. A third bullet went into her shoulder and through her windpipe, then a final two hit her in the back, the outlet reported.

However, it was not until the person behind The Grossman Files channel, Manny Grossman, started digging into the Son of Sam case, that Savino’s experience would be confirmed to be linked to the serial killer.

Grossman told The New York Post that he had requested all of the NYPD’s files on the Son of Sam investigation and found the initial incident report about Savino’s shooting.

The content creator then alerted the NYPD and contacted a Bronx homicide detective to suggest a possible link to Berkowitz.

“He gets back to me, and I tell him the story very briefly and within 15 minutes, he answers me back, taking it extremely seriously and asking me all sorts of questions, and he picked up the case immediately,” Grossman said.

Meeting with detectives on May 20, Grossman reportedly showed the authorities his evidence, which included the composite sketch that Savino initially worked with police on to capture her suspect’s likeness, as well as similarities to other Son of Sam cases, like women being parked in their cars being targeted in random shootings.

He also told the detectives that the shooting happened less than a mile from where Berkowitz once lived, and that he also moved out one day before the shooting occurred, with his former landlord telling detectives that he was behaving irrationally in the days before.

Authorities went to speak with Savino at her home and also reportedly went to ask 70-year-old Berkowitz himself about the shooting that occurred almost half a century ago.

Berkowitz allegedly denied his involvement in Savino’s case, but authorities believe there is enough probable cause to link him, according to The New York Post’s sources.

However, the serial killer cannot be charged with attempted murder as the outlet says the statute of limitations has expired.

“NYPD Detectives are dedicated to investigating cases thoroughly and diligently. Detectives will continually review a case if there are unanswered questions or if new evidence emerges,” the department said in a statement to the outlet.

After Savino was discharged from hospital, her husband sent her to stay with family in England.

“From the day I was shot, I had the sketches the NYPD made for me, and I carried that around in my handbag every day,” she told the outlet. “I did not know his name, but I certainly knew what he looked like. I said, ‘This is the man that shot me.’ And, of course, once he was arrested, I knew my sketch was David Berkowitz.”

In the aftermath of her horrific ordeal, she said that she was “absolutely terrified.”

“I wouldn’t answer the phone. I wouldn’t answer the front door. When I went shopping, if I got afraid, I’d leave my shopping basket in the parking lot after paying for it,” she explained.

After a period of time, she said that a local inspector visited her carrying photos from the NYPD.

“He laid the photos out on my table and #7 was David Berkowitz. ‘That’s the man that shot me’,” she said.

While a link was not established for decades, Savino said she was thankful that the NYPD could now reportedly confirm what she believed for years.

Berkowitz remains in prison, where he has converted to evangelical Christianity. His next parole hearing will be in 2026.