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The Dating Game Killer – Rodney Alcala

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In 1978, Rodney Alcala appeared on the tv show, The Dating Game. The format has three men answering questions to convince a bachelorette to pick them for a date. Not only did Rodney go on the show, he “won”. However, Cheryl Bradshaw, who initially chose him did not go on the date, describing him as “creepy”. Good instincts as it turned out. Rodney was already in the middle of a killing spree, murdering at least 5 women between 1977 – 1979.

The Dating Game Killer – Rodney Alcala appearance

Early Beginnings

Alcala started committing his crimes from a relatively young age. At just 25 he had to flee Los Angeles. A concerned citizen had seen him lure an 8 year old girl into his apartment. When police arrived, they found the young girl had been beaten and raped, but thankfully still alive.

Alcala fled to New York state, took the alias John Berger and enrolled in film school. In 1971 he managed to land a counselling job at an arts camp for children. While there two children recognized him from an FBI poster. Alcala was arrested and extradited to California to stand trial.

Unfortunately, not before he had committed murder for the first time. In June 1971, a flight attendant by the name of Cornelia Crilley was found raped and strangled at her apartment in Manhattan. This murder would not be attributed to the Dating Game Killer until decades later.

At his trial back in California, it was revealed that his 8 year old victim and their family had moved to Mexico and refused to testify.

Not able to convict him of rape and attempted murder, Alcala was jailed for the crime of assault. By 1974, he was a free man. Within two months he had re-offended, assaulting a 13 year old girl. Back to prison he went.

Murder Spree

Alcala was released from prison in 1977. He wasted no time in returning straight to his old ways. Jill Barcomb, a runaway was found in a ravine in 1977. Not long after, Georgia Wixted was beaten to death in her Malibu apartment.

Showing no signs of slowing down, Alcala moved back to New York and murdered Jane Hover. Working as a “professional photographer” during this time, Alcala persuaded hundreds of men and woman to pose for him in sexually explicit poses. Some of the pictures are of teenage boys, others could be cold case victims. Most have never been identified.

Dating Game Rejection and Capture

He may have won the show and been picked, but the date never happened. As well as Cheryl finding him creepy, a fellow contestant also attested that he was a “very strange guy”.

In June 1978, he murdered Charlotte Lamb and followed that up by murdering Jill Parenteau in 1979. Not all of his victims died, 15 year old Monique Hoyt was knocked out and raped in 1979, but managed to escape.

On June the 20th, 1979, Robin Samsoe, a 12 year old girl went missing from Huntington Beach, California. Her body was found twelve days later. Friends told police that a man had approached them and asked to take their pictures.

Detectives had a sketch of the suspect drawn up. Pretty soon, Alcala’s parole officer saw the picture and recognized him. Police searched Alcala’s mothers house and found a receipt for a storage locker in Seattle. In the storage locker they found a pair of earrings belonging to Samsoe.

Rodney Alcala Mugshot 1979

It was enough to bring the whole house of cards tumbling down on Rodney. In 1980 he was found guilty of the murder of Robin Samsoe, this conviction was overturned in 1984, in 1986 he was re-convicted and sentenced to death (currently there is a moratorium on the death penalty in California).

Since then, he has been found guilt of killing Jill Parenteau, Charlotte Lamb, Georgia Wixted and Jill Barcomb, all due to advancements in DNA. He has also plead guilty to the murders of Jane Hover and Cornelia Crilley.

Other Possible Victims

Antoinette Wittaker, a 13 year old girl was murdered in 1977 and Joyce Gaunt, 17, in 1978. Both murders occurred in Seattle, where Alcala rented his storage locker.

San Francisco police announced they were confident that the Dating Game Killer was responsible for the 1977 murder of Pamela Jean Lambson. However, without any DNA or fingerprints to go on, no charges can be filed.

In 2010, Police released a batch of photographs taken by Alcala. In 2013, a relative of a murdered woman in Wyoming came forward to state they recognised her from one of the pictures. Christine Ruth Thornton had gone missing in 1977 and her body had not been found until 1982. Alcala admits he took the photo, but denies killing her.

Rodney Alcala Mugshot 1997

Alcala toyed with all of his victims. It seems evident that he enjoyed the power he held over them. In some cases he would strangle them until they lost consciousness, revive them and start all over again. Several times. Until he decided to kill them. Steve Hodel, a retired detective who investigated Alcala has described him as “a killing machine” and stated that be believes that Alcala is “good for a lot of crimes between anytime he was out of prison”.

Rodney Alcala is still alive. And thankfully, still imprisoned. The 77 year old currently resides on Death Row at California State Prison, Corcoran. His true victim count may never be known. Steve Mack, a retired homicide detective who worked on the case believes it could be as high as 50, adding that Alcala is “a sexually sadistic serial killer”.

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