Rodney James Alcala

Serial Killer

Rodney James Alcala: The Dating Game Killer

Introduction to a Serial Predator

Rodney James Alcala was one of the most prolific and cunning serial killers in American history. Operating primarily throughout the 1970s, Alcala is confirmed to have murdered at least eight women and girls across California, New York, and Wyoming, though law enforcement authorities suspect his true victim count could be as high as 130. His intelligence, charismatic facade, and chilling audacity allowed him to evade permanent capture for over a decade, crossing state lines and assuming false identities to continue his violent spree.

Early Life and the First Attacks

Born in Texas in 1943, Alcala moved to California as a child. He briefly served in the military before being discharged following a nervous breakdown and a diagnosis of antisocial personality disorder. Alcala's descent into violent crime became a matter of public record in 1968 when he lured eight-year-old Tali Shapiro into his Hollywood apartment. A passing motorist saw the girl being led away and called the police. Officers arrived to find the child severely beaten and sexually assaulted, but Alcala managed to escape out the back door. Fleeing the state, he moved to New York under the alias "John Berger" and enrolled in New York University's film school, where he studied under Roman Polanski.

Modus Operandi and "The Dating Game"

Alcala utilized a consistent and highly effective modus operandi to secure his victims. A skilled amateur photographer, he often approached young, attractive women and girls in public spacessuch as beaches, parks, and streetsoffering to take their portraits. His confident demeanor and the promise of a professional photo shoot served as the perfect lure to isolate them. Once he had them alone, his attacks were characterized by extreme sadism. Alcala frequently employed a method of torture where he would strangle his victims until they lost consciousness, wait for them to revive, and then strangle them again, repeating the process before finally killing them. Many victims were also brutally bludgeoned and sexually assaulted, their bodies left in deliberate poses. In the midst of his murder spree in 1978, Alcala famously appeared as a contestant on the popular television show "The Dating Game." Introduced as a successful photographer who enjoyed skydiving and motorcycling, his smooth-talking persona won over the audience and he was selected as the winner. However, the bachelorette, Cheryl Bradshaw, famously refused to go on the date with him. She contacted the show's producer afterward, stating that she found Alcala's backstage demeanor to be excessively "creepy" and unsettling, a chilling intuition that likely saved her life. ...Read More

Confirmed Victims: (7)

Cornelia Crilley Age: (23), Date of Death: 1971-06-12

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Suspected Victims:

Cherry Greenman Age: (19), Date of Death: 1976-09-14

Antionette Tony Witaker Age: (13), Date of Death: 1977-07-09

Joyce Gaunt Age: (17), Date of Death: 1978-02-16

Christine Thornton Age: (28), Date of Death: 1977

Pam Lambson Age: (19), Date of Death: 1977-10-08

Survivors:

Morgan Rowan Age: (16), Date of Attack: 1966 (Exact date unknown) & 1968 (August, Exact Date unknown)

Tali Shapiro Age: (8), Date of Attack: 1968-09-25

J. Julie Age: (13), Date of Attack: 1974

Monique H. Age: (13), Date of Attack: February, 1979

Condemned Inmate Rodney Alcala Dies of Natural Causes - CDCR

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