On December 15, 1977, Georgia Wixted, a 27-year-old nurse, was found dead in her Malibu apartment, marking another tragic event in a series of murders linked to serial killer Rodney Alcala. Wixted was last seen the evening before when she drove another nurse, Barbara Gale, home from a bar. When she failed to show up for work the next day, Gale and their coworkers reported her missing, prompting the police to investigate her apartment.
Upon arrival, police discovered signs of forced entry at Wixted's apartment. Inside, they found Wixted's body posed naked on her bedroom floor. She had been strangled with her own nylons, and the investigation revealed that she had been sexually assaulted. The brutality of the crime was evident from the severe injuries she sustained; her skull had been bashed in, apparently with a nearby hammer, and her genitals had been mutilated.
The investigation into Wixted's murder was part of a broader inquiry into a series of similar crimes that had been occurring in the Los Angeles area. At the time, the FBI had recently questioned Rodney Alcala regarding the death of Ellen Hover in New York earlier that year. Alcala, who had a history of violent crimes and was known to use aliases, had been released from parole in 1977 and was under suspicion for several other murders.
DNA evidence and a handprint found at the scene of Wixted's murder would later be matched to Rodney Alcala, solidifying the connection between him and the crime. Alcala's modus operandi, which included posing his victims in specific positions and inflicting severe physical and sexual trauma, was consistent with the findings in Wixted's case. This pattern of behavior was a hallmark of Alcala's crimes, which would eventually lead to his indictment for multiple murders.
Rodney Alcala was eventually arrested on July 24, 1979, for the kidnap and murder of 12-year-old Robin Samsoe, a case that would ultimately lead to the discovery of evidence linking him to several other murders, including Wixted's. During his arrest and subsequent investigations, police discovered a storage locker in Seattle that Alcala had rented, containing hundreds of photographs of young women, many of whom were in vulnerable positions. Among these items, police found a pair of gold ball earrings that were recognized by Robin Samsoe's mother, further implicating Alcala in the crimes.
Alcala's trial for the murder of Robin Samsoe began in February 1980, and over the course of two-and-a-half months, nearly 50 witnesses testified. The evidence gathered, including DNA matches and witness testimonies, was crucial in establishing Alcala's guilt not only in Samsoe's murder but also in the murders of other women, including Georgia Wixted. Alcala's conviction for these crimes marked the end of a long and terrifying period for the families of his victims and brought closure to the investigations that had been ongoing for years.
