ALCALA Rodney James

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*Not to be confused with the **"Dating Show Murderer"**, Kabelo Rodney Maake.*

## Personal Information

### Born

August 23, 1943
San Antonio, Texas, United States

### Died

July 24, 2021 *(aged 77)*
Corcoran, California, United States

### Other Names

* John Berger
* John Burger
* Rod Alcala

## Criminal Information

### Victims

7 convicted, 8 confirmed, possibly up to 130

### States

* California
* New York
* Wyoming
* Washington *(possibly)*

### Cities

* New York City
* Los Angeles
* Seattle *(possibly)*
* San Francisco *(possibly)*

### Imprisoned at

* Corcoran State Prison  — Corcoran, California
* San Quentin State Prison  — San Quentin, California

 –Alcala on *The Dating Game*

## Biography

### Early life

**Rodney James Alcala** was born on August 23, 1943, in San Antonio, Texas. Raised in a troubled household, he experienced a difficult childhood marked by his father's abandonment and his mother's move to Los Angeles. Alcala's troubled upbringing would foreshadow a dark and criminal future.

### Criminal Beginnings

Alcala's criminal history began to unfold in the late 1960s. His first known crime was the sexual assault and beating of an eight-year-old girl in 1968, for which he was arrested but later paroled after serving only 34 months.[Additional information needed]

### The Dating Game Appearance

In the midst of his criminal activities, Alcala appeared on the television show *"The Dating Game"* in 1978. Despite a winning performance, his charm hid a sinister reality—he was already a convicted rapist and registered sex offender.

### Murders and Modus Operandi

Between 1977 and 1979, Alcala embarked on a killing spree, targeting young women in California. His modus operandi involved luring victims with his charisma and then brutally assaulting and strangling them. The exact number of his victims remains unknown, but estimates range from 8 to 130.

### Capture and Imprisonment

Alcala's crimes finally caught up with him in 1979 when he was arrested for the murder of 12-year-old Robin Samsoe. In 1980, he was convicted and sentenced to death. However, his sentence was overturned twice on appeal.

### Legal Maneuvering

During his time in prison, Alcala's legal battles continued. He represented himself in court, cross-examining his victims and displaying a chilling lack of remorse. Despite his heinous crimes, Alcala's charisma and intelligence made him a formidable adversary in the courtroom.

### DNA Evidence and Further Convictions

In 2010, new DNA evidence linked Alcala to additional murders, leading to a new trial. He was subsequently convicted of five additional murders, bringing the total to seven. In 2013, he pleaded guilty to two more murders.

### Death

Rodney Alcala spent years on death row at California's San Quentin State Prison. He died on July 24, 2021, at the age of 77.

## Victims

### Suspected Victims

Alcala is suspected of as many as a total of 130 murders based on photos found in his possession.

## Timeline

Timeline Missing*This article has an Missing Timeline. You can help Serial Killer Database Wiki by expanding it.*
## Bibliography

### Literature

* Keller, Robert *American Monsters: 12 Horrific Serial Killers Volume 5*

### Articles

* "Rodney Alcala". *Biography* (May 28, 2020).
* Erin Kelly (July 26, 2021). The Horrifying Story Of Rodney Alcala, The Serial Killer Who Won ‘The Dating Game’ During His Murder Spree. *All That's Interesting*.
* Charles Montaldo (July 30, 2021). "Profile of Serial Killer Rodney Alcala". *ThoughtCo*.

## Documentaries

### Television

* *The Dating Game* (September 13, 1978) on IMDb
* *World's Most Evil Killers S2E6: Rodney Alcala* (May 2018) on IMDb
* *The Mark of a Killer S1E5: Momentos of Murder* (February 24, 2019) on IMDb
* *City of Angels, City of Death* (2021 — ) on IMDb

### YouTube Documentaries

* The Chilling Dating Game Show Serial Killer, *Real Crime*  on Youtube
* Rodney Alcala: The Killing Game (Full Episode), *48 Hours*  on Youtube

## In popular culture

### Film adaptations

* The Dating Game Killer (2017) on IMDb
* Woman of the Hour (2023) on IMDb

## See also

* Serial killers who appeared on Television Shows:
	+ John Cooper, Welsh serial killer who appeared as a game-show contestant.
	+ Stephen Port, British serial killer who appeared in a TV show.
* Ted Bundy also represented himself during his trial.

## Links

* Rodney Alcala at Wikipedia
* Rodney Alcala on IMDb
* Rodney James “Rod” Alcala at Find a Grave
* Rodney Alcala victims: a Virtual Cemetery at Find a Grave
* Rodney Alcala. *Radford University*.
* Rodney Alcala. *Keller On The Loose*.
* SERIAL KILLERS Walk Among Us: ft. Rex Heuermann, *The Behavior Panel*  on Youtube *(Alcala's timestamp: 1:37:12)*

## Notes

1. ↑ Alcala repeatedly bit her right breast, strangled three times with a belt and pair of slacks, and killed with a rock; posed in a knee to chest position.
2. ↑ Found December 16.
3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Full name unknown.
4. ↑ She was pregnant at the time of her death.
5. ↑ Found in 1982.

## References

1. ↑ Condemned Inmate Rodney Alcala Dies of Natural Causes. *California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation* (July 24, 2021). Archived from the original on January 30, 2022.
2. ↑ Condemned Inmates Who Have Died Since 1978. *California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation*. Archived from the original on January 30, 2022.
3. ↑ *The Dating Game* (September 13, 1978) on IMDb