Netflix's 'Woman of the Hour' is based on the true story of Rodney Alcala, a seemingly ordinary contestant on a '70s TV dating show who was secretly a serial killer. Despite having already begun his murder spree, the San Antonio-born veteran competed as one of three bachelors rivaling for bachelorette Cheryl Bradshaw's attention.
His charm β the same tool he used to lure his victims β won him the date, though Bradshaw had no idea she was interacting with a killer. From his small-screen stint to his many convictions, here's everything to know about one of America's most notorious serial killers, Rodney Alcala. At 17, Alcala enlisted in the Army but was discharged in following a nervous breakdown and allegations of sexual misconduct, per CBS News. He graduated in from the University of California, Los Angeles with a fine arts degree, but soon after his first attack, fled to New York University β where he attended a class with Roman Polanski under the alias "John Berger.
Alcala appeared on a episode of The Dating Game, the popular competition series where three eligible bachelors vied for a date with a bachelorette β eventually earning him the moniker, "The Dating Game Killer. The ABC program was heavy on innuendo. Though Alcala ended up being the most eligible suitor, bachelorette Bradshaw sensed something was wrong. After the show, she ultimately refused the date, telling contestant coordinator Ellen Metzger , " 'I can't go out with this guy.
There's weird vibes that are coming off of him. He's very strange. I am not comfortable. Alcala was selected by the show because he was tall, handsome and charming. Previously, he had served 34 months in prison for the brutal rape and beating of an 8-year-old girl, Tali Shapiro. By the time of his arrest, Alcala had killed at least seven women, but authorities believe the body count could be much higher.
Prosecutors said Alcala was a cruel killer who toyed with his victims. He would beat or strangle them until they lost consciousness. When they woke up, he would repeat the process before finally killing them. In , Alcala was sentenced to death for year-old Robin Samsoe's murder; the judgment was reversed in , though, and he was granted a new trial. He was sentenced to death again in , only for that judgment to be overturned in In , an Orange County jury convicted Alcala on five counts of first-degree murder, for which he was sentenced to death yet again.
