With Anna Kendrick’s movie, Woman of the Hour, rising to the spotlight, so is the story of Rodney Alcala, the Dating Game Killer. It is a universal fact that when a story is turned into a movie, there are elements of dramatization that can tweak the facts of the story a bit. Here, though, is a place for the facts surrounding the Dating Game Killer, ranging from who he is to the undistorted facts surrounding his crimes.
About Rodney Alcala
Rodney Alcala was born in San Antonio, Texas on August 23, 1943. He grew to be a professional photographer and, unfortunately, a “killing machine.” He became a notorious serial killer, having been convicted of killing seven women in the 1970s but also suspected of having around 130 victims. His MO was simple, he took advantage of his job as he lured victims by offering to take their pictures. He would strangle his victims and take pictures of them or their earrings as “trophies.”
His Crime Spree
Rodney Alcala’s spree began in 1968 when he beat and raped Tali Shapiro, an eight-year-old girl for which he served 34 months in prison. By the time he made it on The Dating Game, a Blind Date-style TV show, he had already murdered at least five women and was charged with the attempted murder of a little girl. Back in the day, the technology to conduct background checks didn’t exist and there wasn’t a national database then, thus, nobody was aware of his crimes.
His name was tied to at least 7 murders of women and girls, with the youngest of them being only 12 years old, between 1971 and 1979. Alcala was then convicted of murdering Robin Samsoe in 1980 and was sentenced to death. Investigators later found tons of evidence in a Seattle storage locker belonging to Alcala. The evidence included “trophies” such as countless photographs of unidentified victims, some of whom were fully naked or in compromising positions. In addition, there was jewelry, including a pair of gold ball earrings that were worn by Samsoe on the day she disappeared, according to a description given to the police.
Rodney Alcala and The Dating Game
Rodney Alcala made an appearance on the show in a 1978 episode. The show introduced him to viewers as “Bachelor No. 1,” whose hobbies included skydiving and motorbiking. The show’s bachelorette was Cheryl Bradshaw, and she ended up choosing Alcala as her date, totally oblivious to his dark past. However, she pulled out of the date when she met him one-on-one because she felt that “he was acting really creepy,” and that feeling ended up saving her from many potential dangers.
His Fights With the Law
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Credit: © CLIFFORD OTO/THE STOCKTON RECORD / USA TODAY NETWORK
Rodney Alcala appealed his case four years after he was convicted and won a new trial. The new trial resulted in the same murder convictions and a death sentence. In 2001, he appealed his case again and won another new trial. In 2003, prosecutor Matt Murphy had the jewelry found in the storage room re-examined for DNA. Turns out that some of the DNA matched that of four other women who’d been either found dead or disappeared in the late 1970s.
Alcala was convicted for these women’s murders at age 66 and was sentenced to death after a 2010 trial in which he represented himself. He was later convicted of killing two other women and charged with the murder of another but with the last one being in Wyoming, authorities did not extradite him due to his failing health. Alcala died in Corcoran State Prison aged 77 in 2021 due to natural causes.
Final Thoughts
Rodney Alcala is an egocentric ruthless murderer. He targeted children, had the audacity to go on a show despite his murders, and was caught a bit too late. Yes, he was convicted of several murders but there could be many more that were committed by him but still not tied to his name. Whether he is worthy of making a movie about is debatable but one thing’s for sure is that the world is a better place without him.
