Rodney James Alcala Rapist and serial killer Date of Birth: 23.08.1943 Country: USA

1. Biography of Rodney Alcala
2. Early Life
3. Criminal Activities
4. The Dating Game Appearance
5. Convictions and Death Sentence

Biography of Rodney Alcala

Rodney Alcala, also known as the Dating Game Killer, was a convicted serial killer and rapist. He was sentenced to death by the state of California on March 31, 2010, for the rape and murder of five women between 1977 and 1979. Alcala later confessed to additional rapes and murders.

Early Life

Rodney Alcala was born in San Antonio, Texas. After his father left the family, Alcala and his mother and sisters moved to a suburb of Los Angeles, where he spent his childhood. In 1960, he decided to pursue a military career and served in the United States Army for four years. However, in 1964, Alcala was discharged on medical grounds due to a diagnosed antisocial behavior and personality disorder.

Criminal Activities

After leaving the army, Alcala attended the University of California, Los Angeles, where he studied fine arts. In 1968, he was witnessed luring an eight-year-old girl into his Hollywood apartment and was subsequently reported to the police. Although the girl, Tali Shapiro, was found beaten but alive in his apartment, Alcala managed to flee before he could be arrested. He changed his name to John Berger and attended New York University, where he studied film under Roman Polanski.

In 1971, Alcala was recognized by two individuals who saw an FBI wanted poster with his picture. He had been working at a New Hampshire arts camp under the name John Berger. He was arrested and extradited back to California, but the main witness, Tali Shapiro, had moved to Mexico, making it difficult to prosecute him for her assault. Instead, Alcala pleaded guilty to lesser charges and was released on parole after 34 months.

In 1978, Alcala was arrested again, this time for possession of marijuana. By this point, he had convinced many young women that he was a professional fashion photographer and asked them to pose for him. The majority of these photographs remain unidentified, leading investigators to believe that these women may have also been his victims.

The Dating Game Appearance

In the same year, Alcala appeared on the television show "The Dating Game." Despite charming the female contestants with his intelligence and wit, the chosen contestant ultimately declined a date with him. Later, it was discovered that she had made a lucky escape as Alcala was a dangerous serial killer.

Convictions and Death Sentence

In 1979, a twelve-year-old girl named Robin Samsoe went missing in Huntington Beach, California. Her partially decomposed body was found twelve days later in the Los Angeles foothills. Alcala was arrested in connection to her murder and, in 1980, he was convicted and sentenced to death. However, his conviction was overturned by the California Supreme Court.

In 1986, Alcala was retried and again sentenced to death, but an appellate court later overturned the conviction due to a witness not being allowed to testify.

In 2003, Alcala faced new charges after DNA evidence linked him to the murders of two women in Los Angeles. He was also charged with four additional murders committed between 1977 and 1979. Despite representing himself in court, Alcala was found guilty of five rapes and murders in 2010. He was sentenced to death for the third time, and it remains uncertain whether he will be able to evade punishment again.

Before his trial, the Huntington Beach Police Department released 120 photographs taken by Alcala in an attempt to identify any potential victims. Several women came forward claiming to recognize themselves in the photos.