The Serial Killer of The Dating Game

Rodney Alcala, also known as the Dating Game Killer, was a convicted sex offender and suspected serial killer who appeared on a 1978 episode of The Dating Game. Born in 1943 in San Antonio, Texas, Alcala committed his first known crime in 1968 when he lured an 8-year-old girl into his apartment, beat her, and raped her. Despite this, it would be 11 years before Alcala’s crimes caught up with him.

After leaving his military post, Alcala worked as a freelance photographer and lured hundreds of women to his apartment under the guise of taking their photographs. In 1971, he was found to have over 1700 sexually explicit photographs in a Seattle storage locker, leading to the discovery that at least 4 of his victims met him through his photography ruse. The authorities believe that there may still be unidentified victims in the photos.

Alcala’s killing spree began in 1971 with flight attendant Cornelia Crilley and continued with at least 7 known murders, including that of a 12-year-old girl named Robin Samsoe. Despite his crimes, Alcala appeared on The Dating Game in 1978, where he won the date with the bachelorette but ultimately was not able to go on the date due to the bachelorette finding him creepy. He was eventually caught in 1979 after an eyewitness saw him with Robin Samsoe.

During his trial, Alcala exhibited bizarre behavior and ultimately maintained his innocence despite being found guilty of multiple murders. He was sentenced to death row but this verdict was later overturned due to improper jury information. However, a second trial found him guilty of five counts of first-degree murder, and a third trial in Wyoming linked him to even more murders. Alcala died in July 2021 in a hospital near Corcoran State Prison.

Rodney Alcala, once a gifted student with a promising future, ultimately became known as one of the most prolific serial killers in history. His preferred method of killing was to strangle his victims, and police believe that there may be many more unidentified victims of his crimes. Alcala’s case serves as a disturbing reminder of the depths of depravity that some individuals can sink to.