Who Was Rodney Alcala? The True Story Behind Netflix’s ‘Woman of the Hour’

Rodney Alcala was a convicted serial killer and sex offender known for murdering at least seven people in the 1970s. He appeared on The Dating Game in 1978, shocking viewers when his criminal past was later revealed. Authorities suspect he may have killed over 100 victims across multiple states.

Rodney Alcala, a notorious serial killer, shocked the world when it was revealed that he once appeared on the popular TV show The Dating Game in 1978.

Cheryl Bradshaw, the woman who chose Alcala for a date on the show, had no idea she was picking a murderer responsible for a string of horrific crimes.

Her gut feeling about his strange behavior ultimately saved her life, but many of his other victims weren’t as fortunate.

Alcala was convicted of killing seven people in the 1970s, though authorities believe he may have taken the lives of over 100 victims across multiple states.

Alcala’s Early Crimes

Born in 1943 in San Antonio, Rodney Alcala joined the U.S. Army at just 17 but was later discharged following reports of sexual misconduct and a nervous breakdown.

He went on to study fine arts at UCLA and even worked briefly for the Los Angeles Times. However, beneath his seemingly normal life, he had already begun his violent spree.

His first known attack occurred in 1968 when Alcala lured 8-year-old Tali Shapiro into his car. After taking her to his Los Angeles home, he brutally assaulted her.

Fortunately, a witness who saw him bringing the girl into his house alerted authorities, saving Shapiro’s life. However, Alcala fled the state before he could be arrested.

Escaping Justice

After the attack on Tali Shapiro, Alcala evaded capture by fleeing to New York, where he enrolled at NYU under the alias “John Berger.”

While living in New York, he even worked as a counselor at a girls’ arts and drama camp in New Hampshire, despite being a registered sex offender.

He was eventually recognized by two camp attendees who saw his picture on an FBI Most Wanted poster, leading to his arrest. Though Alcala pleaded guilty to child molestation charges, he was able to continue his life under parole and probation.

The Dating Game Appearance

In 1978, Rodney Alcala appeared as a contestant on The Dating Game, a popular TV show where single women would choose a date from a group of bachelors based on their answers to flirty questions.

Cheryl Bradshaw, the bachelorette on that episode, ended up selecting Alcala, who was introduced on the show as a “successful photographer” who enjoyed skydiving and motorcycling.

Alcala’s responses to Bradshaw’s questions were filled with playful yet unsettling innuendo. When Bradshaw asked him about his “best time,” he replied, “The best time is at night, nighttime.”

In another exchange, Bradshaw asked, “I am serving you for dinner. What are you called, and what do you look like?” to which Alcala chillingly responded, “I’m called ‘the banana,’ and I look really good. Peel me.”

Despite picking him on the show, Bradshaw later changed her mind about going on the date due to Alcala’s disturbing behavior, a decision that likely saved her life.

Jed Mills, a fellow contestant who sat next to Alcala during the episode, also found him unsettling, later remarking, “I immediately did not like this guy.”

The Horrific Murders

Rodney Alcala’s life of crime continued after his brief stint on The Dating Game. Between 1971 and 1979, Alcala murdered several women in California and New York.

His known victims include 12-year-old Robin Samsoe, whose murder in 1979 led to Alcala’s first death sentence in 1980. He also killed Jill Barcomb, Georgia Wixted, Charlotte Lamb, and Jill Parenteau in the late 1970s.

Alcala’s trial for Samsoe’s murder took years to finalize. His death sentence was overturned in 1984, but he received a second death sentence in 1986.

That sentence was also overturned in 2003 due to improper use of evidence, but Alcala was sentenced to death for a third time in 2010.

During this trial, Alcala acted as his own lawyer, asking questions and making arguments on his behalf, which only added to the eerie nature of the case.

In 2012, Alcala was convicted of two additional murders that took place in New York—those of Ellen Jane Hover and Cornelia Crilley.

Hover was the daughter of a nightclub owner, and Crilley was a flight attendant. Both women were brutally murdered in the 1970s before Alcala moved to New Hampshire to continue his killing spree.

Unidentified Victims and Evidence

In 2010, authorities discovered a storage locker linked to Alcala in Seattle, which contained over 100 photographs of unidentified women and children. This discovery led to fears that Alcala’s actual victim count was much higher than initially believed.

The photographs were released to the public in the hopes that they might help identify missing persons or solve cold cases.

One of the cases connected to these photos was that of Christine Ruth Thornton, a 28-year-old woman who was six months pregnant when she was murdered in 1977.

Her family recognized her photo from Alcala’s collection, leading to charges against Alcala for her murder in 2016. However, the case did not proceed due to Alcala’s declining health.

Alcala’s Final Years and Death

Despite being convicted of seven murders, investigators suspect that Rodney Alcala was involved in many more unsolved cases across the U.S. His ability to charm and deceive people allowed him to evade justice for years, even while committing horrific crimes.

Alcala spent the remainder of his life on death row in California. In July 2021, he died of natural causes at the age of 77, leaving behind a legacy of terror and unanswered questions about the true extent of his crimes.