Rodney Alcala

Last Updated on February 27, 2026

Rodney James Alcala was an American serial killer who murdered at least 8 women between 1971 and 1979.

Alcala appeared on The Dating Game, a dating game show

Rodney Alcala is sometimes referred to as the Dating Game Killer.

Cheryl Bradshaw was his Dating Game date.

She found him too creepy and refused to go on any further dates with him.

Rodney Alcala was a serial killer who would strangle his victims.

He would then revive them and repeat the process until he got bored and would kill them.

The authorities found over 1,000 images of women.

Many in sexual poses, and it is unknown how many of the women he has killed.

The book THE KILLING GAME: The True Story Of Rodney Alcala (AD*) goes into great detail about him.

Rodney Alcala’s Victims

1971 – 1977

Rodney Alcala’s first known murder victim is Cornelia Crilley.

She was sexually assaulted and strangled with a stocking in her New York apartment on 12th June 1971.

Rodney was indicted for her murder in 2011 after his bitemark was matched to one left on her body.

He pleaded guilty to her murder in 2013 and was sentenced to an additional 25 years.

Ellen Jane Hover was the daughter of a wealthy nightclub owner.

She went missing from her New York apartment on 16th July 1977.

In her diary, she noted that she was due to meet a photographer, John Berger, an alias of Rodney Alcala.

Alcala was questioned by police in December 1977 but released as there was no evidence.

A year later, Ellen Hovers body was discovered in a shallow grave in the Rockefeller estate in Mount Pleasant, New York.

An autopsy ruled her death a homicide.

Alcala was known to bring females to this area for photography sessions.

Due to the evidence, Alcala was indicted for her murder in 2011.

He pleaded guilty in 2013 and was sentenced to an additional 25 years.

The body of Jill Barcomb was discovered on the 10th November 1977.

She was found in the Hollywood Hills.

She had been sexually assaulted, bludgeoned with a blunt object and strangled with a pair of trousers.

Until 2005 she was believed to have been a victim of the Hillside Stranglers.

Alcala was linked to the crime by DNA evidence in 2005.

Georgia Wixted was a nurse whose body was found in her apartment on 16th December 1977.

She had been sexually assaulted and bludgeoned with a hammer and was strangled with a nylon stocking.

1978 – 1979

In June 1978, Charlotte Lamb was murdered by Rodney Alcala.

Her body was placed in the laundry room of an apartment block.

She had been sexually assaulted and strangled with a shoelace.

Rodney Alcala was linked to her murder after her DNA was found on an earring found in his storage locker.

21-year-old Jill Parenteau was sexually assaulted and murdered following a break-in at her home in June 1979.

Alcala had cut himself whilst crawling through the window and left blood at the scene.

At the time he was a suspect after a blood match but the charge was dismissed.

On 20th June 1979, Rodney Alcala took photos of Robin Samsoe and a friend on the beach

A concerned adult checked up on the girls and Robin took off on her bike.

Robin never arrived at her ballet class.

Her body was discovered 12 days later, at the side of the road.

A police sketch was made by witnesses at the beach.

Alcala was recognised by his parole officer.

He was arrested at his mother’s home, where they later found a receipt for a storage locker he had recently rented.

Alcala has been convicted of the crime three times.

Two of the convictions were overturned in 1980 and 2001.

In the storage locker, they found thousands of Rodney Alcala’s photos of young girls and women and a pouch of earrings.

A pair of earrings was identified by Robin’s mother as belonging to her.

The last confirmed murder by Rodney Alcala is Christine Ruth Thornton.

He was charged in 2016 for her killing.

In 2013, the police released a catalogue of Alcalas’ photographs, and she was identified by her sister.

Christine had disappeared in 1977 and remains were discovered in 1982, close to where the photo was taken.

The photo identification led to a DNA test on the remains in 2015, identifying them as Christine.

Due to ill health, he has not been extradited to Wyoming to stand trial for her murder.

Alcala admits taking the photo but denies the murder, despite his DNA being found on her remains.

Monique Hoyt was a Rodney Alcala survivor and testified at Rodney Alcala’s trials.

She managed to escape from Alacala after bravely befriending him after he had photographed, hit and sexually assaulted her.

The book The Picture Predator: The True Story of One Man’s Brutal Campaign of Terror (AD*) covers his crimes in more detail.

Suspected Alcala Victims

Rodney Alacala was linked to the murder of Antoinette Wittaker.

She was last seen leaving her house with a man who matched Alacala’s appearance on 7th July 1977.

Her body was discovered in a vacant lot.

She had been stabbed to death and was posed fully clothed.

Pamela Jean Lambson disappeared after planning to meet a photographer.

Her nude body was found on a hiking trail; she had been beaten and strangled.

Due to the lack of physical evidence, Alcala has never been charged with the crime.

Due to the nature of the crime, authorities strongly believe Alcala was responsible.

The body of Joyce Gaunt was discovered in a picnic area on 17th February 1978.

She had been beaten, sexually assaulted and strangled.

Because of the nature of the crime and the posing of the body, the killing has been considered as being committed by Alcala.

Other suspected victims include Cherry Greenman, missing since 1976.

She bears a resemblance to one of Rodney Alcala’s photos.

Early Crimes

In 1968, Rodney Alcala lured Tali Shapiro into his apartment.

This was seen by a witness who reported the crime to the police, but they arrived too late.

Police found Tali in his apartment; she had been sexually assaulted and beaten with a steel bar.

Alcala had fled the scene, landing him a place on the FBI’s Most Wanted List.

By the time he was captured, the Shapiro family had fled the country.

She refused to testify, and he was charged with the lesser crime of child molestation.

Alcala was sentenced to 1 to life and was granted parole after serving 34 months.

Rodney Alcala was further convicted of a Parole violation for providing marijuana to a minor in 1974.

Tali was a witness at the later Alcala trials.

Morgan Rowan talks about her and Tali surviving his crimes in her book Stolen From Sunset: A true story of surviving the Dating Game Killer (AD*)

Media

A Rodney Alcala movie, The Dating Game killer was released in 2017.

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