What we know about Morgan Rowan: 16 year old who survived Rodney Alcala attack

MORGAN Rowan is simply a subsister of Rodney Alcala, the notorious 'Dating Game Killer'.

Her harrowing ordeal with the serial slayer occurred successful the summertime of 1968 — but she didn't utter a connection astir it until 2021.

Abduction

In August 1968, Morgan Rowan met Rodney Alcala, aka The Dating Game Killer, portion she was astatine a teen nightclub with her friends connected the Sunset Strip, Los Angeles.

Alcala, who was past a slick nonrecreational photographer, convinced Morgan to get into his car nether the pretense of going to an IHOP restaurant.

Instead of taking her to the restaurant, Alcala drove her to his apartment, claiming determination was a enactment there.

There were different revellers astatine the gathering, with immoderate of Morgan's friends adjacent attending and mingling with the crowd.

Once inside, however, Alcala's demeanor changed drastically.

He dragged Morgan into his bedroom, blocked the doorway and proceeded to brutally onslaught her.

In May 2024, aged 72, Morgan told People: “I watched his transformation. I watched his look crook purple.

“He punched maine betwixt my eyes with a loop buckle.

“I saw stars shooting, and I dropped to my knees.

“I wanted it to beryllium over. I wasn’t praying to live. I was praying to die.”

Escape

During the assault, Alcala bound Morgan's wrists with a necktie and raped her earlier leaving her for dead.

Her friends realised thing was wrong, broke into the country done a model and rescued her.

As they pulled Morgan from the apartment, Alcala fled the scene.

Aftermath

For years, Morgan lived with the trauma of her attack, unaware of the existent individuality of her assailant.

It wasn't until years aboriginal that she learned the afloat grade of Alcala's crimes.

Weeks aft escaping the killer, Morgan received a missive from a person successful Los Angeles containing a paper clipping astir Alcala.

The nonfiction revealed that helium was wanted for the kidnapping and rape of different young girl, eight-year-old Tali Shapiro, who had been attacked successful a akin mode conscionable weeks aft Morgan's ordeal.

Connection with Tali Shapiro

Learning astir Tali's endurance had a profound interaction connected Morgan.

She felt a heavy consciousness of work and transportation to the younger victim.

When Morgan discovered that Tali had survived, she reached retired to her connected Facebook.

This transportation led to an unexpected relationship betwixt the 2 survivors.

As reported by People, Tali thinks of Morgan arsenic "the sister I ever wished I had," and they see themselves "chosen family".

Coming forward

It wasn't until aft Alcala's decease successful 2021 that Morgan, past 68 years old, came guardant with her story.

She contacted Steve Hodel, 1 of the archetypal investigators connected the Shapiro case, to stock her experience.

Morgan's grounds provided important penetration into Alcala's aboriginal predatory behavior, predating his known murders by respective years.

Morgan and Tali's communicative serves arsenic a almighty testament to endurance and the healing powerfulness of transportation among victims of convulsive crimes.