As I read through this article, my heart filled with a mix of empathy and relief for the victims and their families who finally found justice after so many years.
In a time when series such as “Love Is Blind,” “90 Day Fiancé,” and “Married at First Sight” are commonplace, with Bachelor Nation being a significant part of the landscape, “The Dating Game” appears quite old-fashioned or antiquated.
Originally devised by game show pioneer Chuck Barris in 1965, the concept was straightforward: A lady seeking romance posed a sequence of questions to three unseen gentlemen, eventually choosing one for a date based on their answers.
As a die-hard fan looking back at that fateful night of September 13, 1978, I can’t help but feel a shiver down my spine. The allure of Cheryl Bradshaw’s episode was undeniable – her charm, chemistry, and clever double entendres kept me hooked. But the selection process left me questioning. Little did we know, her winning suitor was none other than a cold-blooded serial killer.
Initially known as “Bachelor No. 1,” Rodney Alcala was eventually found guilty of committing seven homicides, among which was the tragic death of a 12-year-old girl. Law enforcement officials believe that his actual number of victims may be closer to 100 women.
In the series ‘Woman of the Hour‘, Anna Kendrick portrays Sheryl, a character inspired by real events. This production offers a unique angle on a challenging tale, focusing on the bachelorette’s viewpoint. Notably, this represents the first time that ‘Pitch Perfect’ star takes on the role of director.
Kendrick expressed a deep emotional attachment to the content, stating to TopMob News correspondent Will Marfuggi before the film’s premiere on Oct 18th on Netflix. “I usually enjoy creating lighter productions,” he said, “but I was strongly attracted to this narrative and how it subtly explores broader themes about how women, particularly, navigate through life in a continual state of survival.
Kendrick highlighted a challenging scene where the character Rodney, portrayed by Daniel Zavallo, is in a Tiki bar as one of her tricky acts to maintain balance in the movie. She mentioned that an earlier draft of the script featured a more dramatic sequence showing him getting angry at a waitress after she accidentally knocks over his glass.
Instead, they chose to overlook the blatant warning signs and opted for a more covert sense of unease instead. According to Kendrick, they aimed to create a truly chilling scenario without explicitly detailing their intentions in writing.
And it’s all the more terrifying because Woman of the Hour is based on a grisly true story. Read on for all the details on how Bradshaw was set up on a TV-facilitated date with a murderer:
How did Rodney Alcala end up on The Dating Game?
On September 13, 1978, Alcala made his debut as the first bachelor on ‘The Dating Game’. He was presented by host Jim Lange as a photographer who had achieved success after his father discovered him in the darkroom at the age of thirteen, having already developed his photos.
During breaks, he often engages in exhilarating activities like skydiving or motorcycle riding,” Lange added. “Let’s give a warm welcome to Rodney Alcala.
Initially, Bradshaw, a former foot masseuse and current school teacher in Phoenix, inquired about Bachelor No. 1’s most convenient schedule.
Alcala explained that “Nighttime” refers to the period when things become particularly interesting and exciting, implying a readiness for whatever may happen during those hours.
Bradshaw inquired from her potential partners, “What is your name and how do you appear, as I am preparing a meal for you tonight?
In a memorable response, Alcala playfully stated, “They call me ‘The Banana,’ and I must say, I’m quite appealing to the eye.” When further questioned, he quipped, “Go ahead and peel me!
Looking back now, I can’t help but think how utterly peculiar the situation seemed. Back in 2021, the very producer of the iconic show “The Dating Game,” David Greenfield, confessed on ABC News’ “20/20” that it all felt rather abominable.
At the moment, he clarified, “it’s indeed a strong response…What we were seeking were explicit, sensual responses, and that was one of them. Consider it in light of the situation now, it feels something like, ‘Wow!’
Following the advertisement pause, Bradshaw revealed her decision: “Since I prefer bananas, I’ll go with option one.
However, she never ended up going on a date with Alcala as planned (the proposal involved a tennis lesson followed by a visit to Magic Mountain amusement park). Instead, she lost interest in him immediately upon their first encounter.
In an interview with the Sunday Telegraph back in 2012, she expressed that she began feeling unwell. She also mentioned that he was behaving strangely and unwantedly, so she declined his proposal. She had no desire to interact with him anymore.
Ellen Metzger, previously known as the contestant coordinator on ‘The Dating Game’, reminisced about Bradshaw requesting a date the following day after filming had concluded.
Metzger stated on the show ’20/20′ that Ellen expressed her discomfort by saying, “‘I can’t go out with this man. He gives off odd feelings. He’s quite peculiar. I don’t feel at ease. Is there a potential issue here?’ To which I replied, ‘No, there won’t be a problem.'” (In other words, no problem.)
Actor Jed Mills, who appeared as Bachelor Number 2 in an episode of Bradshaw’s show, vividly recalled flinching at the sight of Alcala during filming.
Mills stated to CNN years later that he found the individual unsettling, almost eerie. There was something about him that made me want to keep my distance. To be honest, I might have subconsciously leaned towards the other person to avoid him. Looking back, it’s possible that I did this intentionally.
Who was the “Dating Game Killer”?
In 1978, Alcala made a fateful appearance on the show ‘The Dating Game’, four years following his release from prison where he had spent 34 months behind bars due to conviction for child molestation. His crime was kidnapping and sexually assaulting an 8-year-old girl in 1968.
Before his arrest for the crime, there is evidence suggesting that he had already murdered at least one woman, a murder which wouldn’t be charged until many years later when DNA technology connected him to a set of unsolved cases. Additionally, it is believed that he went on to kill at least four more victims before being identified as Bachelor No. 1.
However, on September 25, 1968, an 8-year-old girl was found safe thanks to a Good Samaritan who saw her getting into a car with an unfamiliar man. This helpful stranger followed them to an apartment building and contacted the police. The officers then discovered the child alive in the evening of that day.
They also found Alcala’s UCLA student ID at the scene, so they had a suspect immediately.
However, as stated in Stella Sands’ 2011 book titled “The Dating Game Killer: The True Story of a TV Dating Show, a Violent Sociopath, and a Series of Brutal Murders“, Alcala – a 25-year-old Army veteran who had deserted his duty and was diagnosed with chronic and severe antisocial personality disorder before he enrolled in college – was already absent.
As an ardent admirer looking back on events that transpired unbeknownst to the California authorities, I found myself astonished by the transformation of notorious figure Alcala. Under the guise of John Berger, he managed to infiltrate the bustling streets of New York City. There, at the revered NYU institution, he earned his bachelor’s degree at the tender age of 27 in 1971. The city that never sleeps became his canvas, as he worked diligently as a photographer and later secured a position as a counselor at an arts and drama camp nestled in the picturesque landscape of New Hampshire.
Who were Rodney Alcala’s murder victims?
On the evening of June 24, 1971, Cornelia Crilley, a 23-year-old TWA flight attendant, was tragically discovered dead in the Manhattan apartment she had just moved into that same day. The police were called to the scene by her boyfriend, as her mother was unable to reach her over the phone. Upon arrival, they found Crilley’s body in a bedroom with a stocking tied around her neck. She was only partially clothed and showed signs of bite marks on her chest, allowing investigators to collect DNA evidence. However, at that time, there was no way to match this DNA to any potential suspects.
Kendrick shared with Rolling Stone that he would collect trophies, often pieces of jewelry, while portraying the killer’s acts in Woman of the Hour. The thought of him, after committing such a horrific crime, taking the time to retrieve a delicate piece of jewelry and preserving it for years still gives me chills. He treated an earring with more care than he did a human being.
Approximately a month following Crilley’s death, LAPD detectives who had been pursuing Alcala in connection with the 1968 child assault reached out to the FBI. Subsequently, the FBI included him on their list of top wanted fugitives.
In August 1971, two campers who were under the supervision of “John Berger” spotted his photograph at the local post office. Despite their doubts that Berger could possibly be Alcala, given that the wanted man was accused of hurting a young girl, they reported this to the camp director who subsequently contacted the FBI.
The following day, Alcala was apprehended at the camp and later transported back to Los Angeles for trial regarding the 1968 assault allegations against him.
Nevertheless, the young victim and her family had departed from their country and were not reachable for testimony. Alcala admitted guilt for child molestation, and on May 19, 1972, a judge sentenced him to a maximum term of 10 years in prison with the chance of parole.
Alcala spent part of his sentence at Deuel Vocational Institution, Tracy, California, and the California Medical Facility (a psychiatric hospital within the state prison system) in Vacaville. He was discharged in August 1974, following a determination by a state prison psychiatrist that he had significantly improved, as stated in Sands’ book. Upon his release, Alcala returned to live with his mother in Monterey Park and was obligated to register himself as a sex offender with the Monterey County Police Department.
13th October, 1974 found him proposing to drive a 13-year-old girl who was waiting for her school bus, but instead, he drove her to Huntington Beach where he gave her marijuana. A park ranger, suspecting something amiss, alerted the police. Alcala was subsequently apprehended and indicted in December for selling drugs, kidnapping, and breaching his parole.
He was convicted of the parole violation and giving drugs to a minor and sent back to prison. He was released on June 16, 1977.
On the 15th of July, 1977, Ellen Jane Hover, a woman who had just relocated to New York following her college graduation in Pennsylvania, went missing.
Two days prior, amidst the widespread power outage that cast Manhattan in shadow and attracted an unusually large crowd, a friend observed Hover conversing with a tall, slim individual sporting a ponytail.
Inquiring about the identity of the strange man, as Sands mentioned, Hover replied to his friend that he was “okay.” After the 23-year-old didn’t show up for a scheduled dinner on the 15th and her parents contacted the police, investigators discovered that she had penned down “John Berger, photographer” in her diary.
Eleven months after his disappearance, the authorities located Hover’s body in a shallow grave situated in North Tarrytown, Westchester County.
As New York officials were on the hunt for Hover, the lifeless body of Jill Barcomb, aged 18, was discovered in the Hollywood Hills on November 10, 1977. Less than a month later, Georgia Wixted, age 27, was brutally murdered in her Malibu apartment, and her body was found on December 16.
In September 1977, Alcala managed to land a position as a typesetter at the Los Angeles Times with a largely fabricated resume (as per Sands’ records, he worked there until May 1979).
In December, the FBI interrogated him about Hover’s disappearance at LAPD headquarters, as they had linked the name Berger from the woman’s diary to Alcala. He confessed to knowing her personally. According to his account, he took her to a location in Westchester to take photos, but later returned her to Manhattan and left her safely at her apartment.
Back in March of 1978, I found myself under scrutiny by detectives from the LAPD’s Hillside Strangler task force. You see, I was a registered sex offender, though at that time, they had not yet apprehended the perpetrators behind the gruesome murders of ten women between October 1977 and February 1978. Little did I know that it would be my cousins, Kenneth Bianchi and Angelo Buono Jr., who would later be arrested in connection with these heinous crimes.
Meanwhile, he continued to work at the LA Times and take pictures on the side.
On June 24, 1978, a 32-year-old woman named Charlotte Lamb was discovered deceased in the laundry room of an El Segundo, California apartment building. Since she did not reside there, her identity remained unknown for several days.
On June 23, Lamb informed her close companions that she would be visiting a nightclub. However, it wasn’t until three days later, when her relatives noticed she hadn’t been seen since, that they contacted the police. It wasn’t long before authorities identified the missing woman as their Jane Doe.
Less than three months later, Alcala was the man of the hour on The Dating Game.
On June 14, 1979, Jill Parenteau, aged 21, tragically lost her life due to strangulation in her Burbank apartment. Exactly six days later, Robin Samsoe, a 12-year-old girl, went missing, last seen on her bicycle en route to a ballet class. Her remains were discovered on July 2 in the Sierra Madre foothills.
The Samsoe case made headlines, as stated in Sands’ book, it was the same Good Samaritan who phoned the police in 1968 to report seeing a young girl enter a suspicious man’s car – which led authorities to where Alcala had hidden his 8-year-old victim. Later, this same Good Samaritan called again to suggest they investigate the individual responsible for that crime as a suspect in this case.
After authorities discovered Alcala’s mug shot, it bore a strong resemblance to the sketch created using witness descriptions of a man taking photos near the Huntington Beach Pier on the day Samsoe vanished.
He was arrested July 24, 1979.
What happened to Rodney Alcala?
Alcala was found guilty of Samsoe’s murder in 1980 and given the death penalty.
Four years after his initial conviction, the California Supreme Court decided that presenting evidence of his past offenses during trial was biased, leading to his case being overturned. However, this wasn’t the end for him. He was put on trial again, re-convicted and sentenced back to death in 1986.
In 2003, once more, a federal appeals court overturned my previous conviction, granting me a fresh opportunity for a trial. Regrettably, despite this, I found myself still behind bars.
In the year 2010, thanks to progress made in DNA analysis, Alcala, who was then 66 years old, was found guilty in Orange County, California for murders committed in the 1970s of Barcomb, Wixted, Parenteau, and Lamb. Bite marks with traces of Alcala’s saliva and other fluids from the perpetrator linked him to all four victims.
During the same proceedings, he was also found guilty of Samsoe’s murder for a third time.
In another court ruling, Alcala, who claimed innocence regarding Samsoe’s disappearance by providing an alibi, and made no defense concerning the other victims, was once more handed a death sentence.
Samsoe’s brother stated to the Los Angeles Times that a total of 36 individuals have unanimously decided that this man should face capital punishment, based on the consensus reached by the three separate juries of twelve members each.
Back in 2012, Alcala’s guilt for the murder cases in New York from 1971 (Crilly) and 1977 (Hover) was confirmed through DNA evidence. As a result, he received a sentence of 25 years to life in prison.
Afterward, Alcala served out the remainder of his life in Corcoran State Prison. In July 2021, at a local hospital, he passed away due to natural reasons. At the time, he was 77 years old.
Tali Shapiro, who was attacked by Alcala in 1968 at age 8, expressed relief to the New York Times upon hearing of his death, stating that the world is undoubtedly improved without him.
Although what transpired was unfortunate for me, I don’t feel it defines me,” the 61-year-old explained. “I’ve managed to leave that behind and move forward with my life, so it doesn’t significantly impact me now. It seems that he’s finally experiencing the consequences of his actions, which is a long overdue justice.
Woman of the Hour is streaming on Netflix.
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2024-10-19 15:20