Rodney Alcala

Rodney James Alcala, born Rodrigo Jacques Alcala on August 23, 1943, was an American serial killer whose heinous acts spanned the late 1970s. Known for his charm and intelligence, Alcala was a contestant on the television show The Dating Game in 1978, a time when he was actively committing murders. His ability to blend into society masked the dark reality of his life as a convicted sex offender.

Alcala was ultimately sentenced to death in California for five murders committed between 1977 and 1979. In addition to these convictions, he pleaded guilty to two more murders in New York State, receiving two sentences of twenty-five years to life. Although he was indicted for a murder in Wyoming, those charges were dropped. While he has been conclusively linked to nine murders, law enforcement believes the true number of his victims could be as high as one hundred thirty.

One of the most chilling aspects of Alcala's criminal behavior was his collection of over one thousand photographs featuring women, teenage girls, and boys, many posed in sexually explicit manners. In 2016, he was charged with the murder of a woman identified in one of these photographs, highlighting the ongoing investigation into his past. Police have speculated that several of the individuals in his photos could be victims of rape or murder.

Prosecutors described Alcala as someone who