Rodney Alcala was born in San Antonio, Texas in 1943.
His father abandoned the family when he was young. At 17 Alcala enlisted in the Army. Allegations of sexual misconduct, a nervous breakdown and psychiatric evaluation… The military realized in 1963 that they had him that he was a sexual deviant. Today we use paraphilia instead of sexual deviancy. The Army discharged him.
In Los Angeles in 1968 eight-year-old Tali Shapiro was walking to school when a car pulled up alongside her. A Good Samaritan, a witness saw a little got in the car. Thought it was suspicious, followed him and made a 911 call. Police received a call that a beige color car, with no license plates, followed a little girl. Police officer knocked on the door. Rodney Alcala appeared at the door. He said he was in the shower and got to get dressed. Police officer told him he had 10 seconds. Finally, the officer kicked the door. There was a body on the floor in the kitchen. A lot of blood. She wasn’t breathing and police officer thought she was dead. He searched the house for her attacker. Moments later he saw the girl was alive and franticly tried to save her. She was rushed to the hospital.
Police found a lot of photograph equipment and many photographs of young girls. They found a lot of ID pictures, pictures of Rodney Alcala. 25-year-old Rodney Alcala was a student at UCLA. Back then police didn’t have the forensics police have today. They went and talked to his professor at UCLA. He said: “Rodney Alcala wouldn’t hurt anybody. He is a great guy.”
In 1969 the FBI put Rodney Alcala on its most wanted list.
Rodney Alcala after raping and almost killing Tali Shapiro, fled to New York. He made friends. He charmed people. He got into NYU Film School. None of his fellow students suspected that their popular classmate had a double life, which had the makings of a film itself. A horror film. Three years after his attack on Tali Shapiro, Alcala’s dark side once again emerged.
In June 1971, he murdered Cornelia Crilley, a 23-year-old flight attendant. Her door locked and no one answered phone. When her boyfriend was trying to reach her and was unable, the police came in the horrible scene. She had been stripped naked, strangled with a nylon stocking, and there was a bite mark on her breast. The cause of death was strangulation. She was bound and there was something stuffed in her mouth obviously keep it from screaming. They didn’t have leads and didn’t have the forensic tools. At the same time, so called Son of Sam terrorized the city and LE tried to catch him as well. The case went cold and had stayed cold for 40 years. Rodney Alcala wasn’t even a suspect.After the murder he changed his name to John Berger and moved to New Hampshire. He landed a job as a counselor at an arts and drama camp for girls. There he made a lasting impression on the campers.
Two girls went to their local post office and they looked and there was Rodney Alcala’s photo on the FBI 10 most wanted list. They reported it to the dean. He called the authorities. They arrested him took him into custody. Police in California were eager to charge him for Tali Shapiro’s brutal assault, but her family had left the country. With no main witness, prosecutors had no choice but to offer Alcala a deal – plead guilty to a lesser charge of child molestation and register as a sex offender. He took the deal but the judge’s sentence stunned those working the case. He received one year to life, and the parole board let him go after 34 months after what he did to Tali Shapiro.
Alcala had no trouble charming his way back into the swing of things. He was hired by the Los Angeles Times to work as a typesetter. He took photos at weddings and he was a registered sex offender during all of that. And nobody ever checked. Even worse, he was chosen to be a contestant on The Dating Game. Nobody knew that Rodney Alcala was already a serial killer. From all outward appearances Rodney Alcala was handsome, charming, smart young man that wouldn’t hurt a fly.
Thank you and welcome to The Dating game and we’ll get right on way. It’s time to meet our first three eligible Bachelors for game number one. And here they are… Good luck, gentlemen! Well let’s see Bachelor Number One is a successful photographer, who got his start when his father found him in the dark room at the age of 13 fully developed. Between takes, he might find him skydiving or motorcycling. Please, welcome Rodney Alcala! And, it’s time to meet our young lady for game number one and here she is… Here is a young lady with a wealth of experience. She once earned a living, massaging feet, but she quit when her boss suggested that she work her way up. Then she taught school in Phoenix, Arizona. Now she’s here to educate our three bachelors in the art of amore. Welcome, if you will, sensational Cheryl Bradshaw. Hello, Cheryl! Don’t sit down yet, just a minute… Want to make sure everything is straight. You relax, you feel okay? All right. You know there are three Bachelors over there. There’ll be one, two and three. Ask them anything you like to find out more about them, except their name, age, occupation or income. Okay? And we’re going to start by having them say hello to you, and see how they sound. Number one, would you say hello to Cheryl, please? Rodney Alcala: “We’re going to have a great time, Cheryl.” Okay, and here we go… Cheryl: “Bachelor Number One…” Rodney Alcala: “Yes?” Cheryl: “What’s your best time?” Rodney Alcala: “The best time is at night. Nighttime.” Cheryl: “Why do you say that?” Rodney Alcala: “Because that’s the only time there is.” Cheryl: “The only time? What’s wrong with morning, afternoon?” Rodney Alcala: “Well they’re okay, but night time is when it really gets good. Then you’re really ready.” Cheryl: “I’m a drama teacher and I’m going to audition each of you for my private class. Bachelor Number One, you’re a dirty old man. Take it.” Rodney Alcala: “Come on over here grrrr.” Cheryl: “Oh, honey, we had to go out and boogie… A bachelor number one, I am serving you for dinner.” Rodney Alcala: “Oh…” Cheryl: “What are you called and what do you look like.” Rodney Alcala: “I’m called the banana and I look really good.” Cheryl: “Uh, can you be a little more descriptive?” Rodney Alcala: “Peel me.” Cheryl: “Later, Bachelor One, later.” Welcome back to The Dating game. And Cheryl we have reached the moment of truth, as we call it. You’ve heard from the bachelors. You got some great dramatic presentations, some good answers. But now I’m going to ask you a question. Will that date be bachelor number one, bachelor number two or bachelor number three? Who gets the dates? Cheryl: “Well I like bananas, so I’ll take one.” Number one, Bachelor Number One. That’s your number one. Well there they go. However, you did leave one remaining and this is your date, and I want to tell you something about him, Cheryl. He’s a skydiver, so he’s got a lot of nerve. He’s into motorcycling. He’s also fine photographer. Say hello to Rodney Alcala. Rodney, come on and say hello. Congratulation, Rod, you did it with the one answer. Well, as far as I can see, Cheryl and Rodney, it looks like the two of you may be involved is some sort of racket. So, we’re going to have you take to the court. Oh, first you’ll receive tennis lessons from expert… and you’ll soon be acing everyone off the courts. And to make sure you both look as professional, as you’ll become, complete tennis outfits will be provided… It’ll really make you look like part of the racket set. Then, it’s off the Magic Mountain. One of America’s greatest and most complete amusement parks with plenty of excitement to challenge any daring dater like the revolution that’ll help you turn the town upside down. And of course the world’s greatest roller coaster…
The woman whowon a date with him ended up backing out, saying she found him creepy and probably saved her life. Others would not be so fortunate. We’ll never know howmany women are lucky, because every woman that crossed that guy’s path was a potential victim.
In 1977, lived New York. His next victim a 23-year-old musician and artist named Ellen Jane Hover. She came from a prominent Show Business family. Her family’s high profile made the story front page News, as the NYPD kept up the hunt for her. Detectives thought they were on to something when they found an important clue in her apartment. Ellen Jane Hover had marked on her calendar that she was going to see someone named John Berger on the date that she disappeared. Alcala had been using the name John Berger, but at the time the connection was never made. Her body wasn’t found until a year later, buried on the grounds in Westchester near, the Rockefeller Estate. Ellen’s body was so decomposed, police had to use dental records to identify her. Based on the autopsy, they declared it a homicide.
Alcala meanwhile had left New York andwas on his meandering road trip back to California.
He was constantly in predatory mode. That is behavior that involves hunting humanbeings and that’s part of a serial sexual killer. That is often as excitingas the actual homicide and sexual assault.
At the same time Rodney Alcala was on the road, a 29-year-old woman from Texas, Christine Ruth Thornton was traveling through the West with her boyfriend. She was pregnant. Christine Ruth Thornton disappeared.In 1979, Rodney Alcala had been in California for almost two years. 12-year-old Robin Samsoe was enjoying the Southern California beach life. On June 20, 1979, Robin was going to start her first day of work answering phones at the ballet studio in exchange, for lessons but first she planned to play on the beach for a few hours with her friend Bridget. Bridget saw a man with dark hair. He honed in on them like a shark in the water. He asked them to take pictures of them. A neighbor came and asked them whether everything was fine, so Alcala was gone. Robin’s ballet teacher called when she did not arrive for her lesson. Later that day her family immediately called 911. On July 2, 12 days after, detectives found the body of a child. It took them 3 days to identify her. There was no hair on her scalp. Bridget’s description resulted in this composite sketch which was released to the media all over Southern California.
His parole officer saw that and called the detectives. He lived with his mother in Monterey Park, a stone’s throw from the mountains where Robbins remains were located. They learned that he had no alibi, that he nobody could account for his whereabouts at the time. He was the perfect suspect.
Rodney Alcala was arrested on July 24, 1979, and charged with the kidnap and murder of Robin Samsoe.
Alcala’s sister came to visit her brother in jail. The conversation was being recorded. He mentioned him having a store locker in Seattle, Washington. Police found a receipt for the locker during a search of his home. Police found hundreds, if not thousands, of different images and there were dozens upon dozens of young women that in the pictures clearly were in positions of supreme vulnerability with Rodney Alcala. Police learned Alcala had rented the storage facility and moved his belongings there nine days after Robin Samsoe remains were discovered.
Buried under all the stuff was a tiny little silk bag filled with earrings. Alcala claimed those were his earrings, but when police showed the jewelry to Robin’s mother, she recognized Robin’s earrings.
In February 1980, Rodney Alcala went on trial. Over the course of two and a half monthsthere were almost 50 witnesses that testified. It was a very long, very difficult case. The jury convicted Alcalaand sentenced him to death. The California state Supreme Court ruled that Rodney Alcala did not receive a fair trial. The jury had been improperly told about Alcala’s prior sex crimes, including theattack on Tali Shapiro. Six years after the first verdict, Rodney Alcala was convicted asecond time and again the sentence was death.
Alcala was on San Quentin’s death row since 1980. Now with a secondconviction and a second death sentence, he was prepared to appeal all over again.
In 2001, 22 years after he killed Robin Samsoe, a Federal appeals court overturned Rodney Alcala’s sentence for a secondtime based on evidence he didn’t get to present. There would be a new trial forAlcala now in his 60s.
Cold Case detectives were finally able to identifyRodney Alcala as the killer of Cornelia Crilley and Ellen Jane Hover. The strongest link was thefingerprint. There was a letter that was lodged underneath Cornelia Crilley’s bodyand there was a fingerprint developed from the outside of that envelope, which was unmatched formany years and finally through the FBI’s database there was a match. It was a significant piece of evidence, but not enough standing alone. Equally incriminating was the evidence left on Cornelia Crilley’s body. There was bite mark evidence where he had bitten her breast. It was his dental impression. In Ellen Jane Hover’s case investigators knew John Berger was Rodney Alcala, and he had been seen near the RockefellerEstates where her body was found. He was carrying a camera bag.But the Manhattan prosecutors would have to wait for California’s third trial forRobin Samsoe’s murder in Orange County.
DNA linked Alcala to three Los Angeles murders Jill Barcomb, Georgia Wixted and Charlotte Lamb the killing of a fourth LA Woman Jill Parenteau was also tied to him.
Jill BarcombGeorgia Wixted Charlotte LambJill Parenteau
Right at that moment prosecution realized that Rodney Alcala was a serial killer that they always suspected him to be.
Prosecutors decided to try all five cases together. Rodney Alcala decided to act as his own attorney.Alcala even called Robin Samsoe’s mother to the stand.
The jury reached the verdict – guilty. In a separatepenalty phase the prosecution called to the stand Tali Shapiro.
Rodney Alcala addressing the same jury that convicted him of murder made an unusual plea for clemency. “Let me put the death penalty in perspective for you. If you desire to join in the killing of a human being, you and the families of the victims will have to wait at least 15 to 20 years while the case slowly churns through the Appellate process.” He played the song Alice’s Restaurant, Arlo Guthrie for the jury. The jury sentenced him to death.
In 2012, New Yorkprosecutors were ready, but Rodney Alcala pleaded guilty.Manhattan District Attorneyannounced Alcala’s sentence – twoconcurrent prison terms of 25 years to life.
Rodney Alcala was convicted of 7 murders.
Investigators tried to identify female body. The victim was pregnant. Wyoming State Crime Lab was able to have an artist come in and use this skull as a form of recreating what this victim looked like. Crime Lab saved skin tissue and bone fragments. They start processing it for any DNA, specifically mitochondrial DNA. That’s DNA from the mother’s side of the family. Siblings would be revealed as a match. After 39 Christine Ruth Thornton was found.
Rodney Alcala had her picture. He didn’t admit that he killed her, but he said: “She was alive when I left.” He wasn’t tried.
Alcala died of a heart attack at a hospital in Kings County on July 24, 2021 at age 77.He was dubbed Dating Game Killer.
The question left unanswered – How many are there?
These are women who were murdered and he had taken photos of them. Alcala had left New York and was on his road trip back to California. He was there. He had her picture. Her sister recognized her from his pics. DNA confirmed her identity. Detectives interviewed him in prison and wanted to charge him, because of what he said. Prosecutor didn’t need it. It is believed that he murdered more than 180 women. Many have never been found, although pictures suggest something sinister. I don’t know why they have never been found. He was, at least, a suspect in this specific case.
What is the probability that someone else killed this girl, and that she had been photographed by Alcala, who murdered the women he photographed? That was his MO. I do not exclude that possibility, nor the importance of the location.
I’m not sure what Area 52 has to do with any of this?
These are women who were murdered and he had taken photos of them. Alcala had left New York and was on his road trip back to California. He was there. He had her picture. Her sister recognized her from his pics. DNA confirmed her identity. Detectives interviewed him in prison and wanted to charge him, because of what he said. Prosecutor didn’t need it. It is believed that he murdered more than 180 women. Many have never been found, although pictures suggest something sinister. I don’t know why they have never been found. He was, at least, a suspect in this specific case.
What is the probability that someone else killed this girl, and that she had been photographed by Alcala, who murdered the women he photographed? That was his MO. I do not exclude that possibility, nor the importance of the location.