Who was Rodney Alcala? Dating Game killer who brutally murdered women and children for more than a decade - as Woman of the Hour explodes on Netflix

As Woman of the Hour becomes a planetary sensation connected Netflix, viewers are present turning their attraction to the antagonist of the thriller: Rodney Alcala. 

Anna Kendrick's chilling caller film, which premiered connected October 18, is based connected the harrowing existent communicative of the Dating Game Killer, who participated successful a dating crippled amusement connected nationalist tv successful the midst of his execution spree. 

In the precocious 1970s, Rodney Alcala appeared connected the fashionable TV bid The Dating Game, and instantly drew viewers successful with his charm and charisma.

However, unbeknownst to the cast, crew, and audience, the smooth-talking antheral had murdered and brutally raped aggregate women earlier helium participated successful the amusement - crimes that had landed him connected the FBI's Ten Most Wanted Fugitives database astatine the time. 

Woman of the Hour focuses connected Dating Show contestant Cheryl Bradshaw (Kendrick), who meets Alcala (played by Daniel Zovatto) and narrowly misses going connected a day with the serial slayer aft yet getting a 'strange vibe' from him connected the show. 

As the horrific events are retold successful the caller Netflix hit, FEMAIL explores the twisted slayer down the polished dating amusement contestant and the brutality of his crimes. So, who is Rodney Alcala?

Who was Rodney Alcala? 

Rodney Alcala was calved Rodrigo Jacques Alcala-Buquor connected August 23, 1943, successful Mexico, earlier his household relocated to Los Angeles erstwhile helium was 8 years old. 

Shortly aft joining the Army astatine the property of 17, Alcala was discharged successful 1964 pursuing a tense breakdown and allegations of intersexual misconduct.

He went connected to postgraduate from the University of California earlier attending movie schoolhouse astatine New York University successful 1971. 

What dating amusement did Rodney Alcala look on?

On September 13, 1978, Alcala appeared arsenic a contestant connected The Dating Game, a fashionable TV amusement that featured 3 eligible bachelors competing for a day with a bachelorette. 

He was introduced by the big arsenic 'a palmy lensman who got his commencement erstwhile his begetter recovered him successful the darkroom astatine the property of 13, afloat developed,' arsenic reported by the Independent. 

Alcala managed to unafraid a day with bachelorette Cheryl Bradshaw, who, during the show, asked him to picture what benignant of repast helium would be. 

The serial slayer answered: 'I'm called "The Banana" and I look truly good... Peel me.' 

It was aboriginal reported that an enforcement shaper connected The Dating Game tried to halt the serial slayer from appearing connected the amusement due to the fact that helium had a unusual property - but yet gave successful to workfellow who said helium was handsome. 

Prior to his quality connected the show, Alcala had served a 34 period situation condemnation for sexually assaulting and beating eight-year-old Tali Shapiro. 

However, with standardised inheritance checks acold beyond the norm during that epoch of world television, producers of the amusement were unbeknownst to the transgression that landed the slayer connected the FBI's Ten Most Wanted Fugitives List. 

What crimes did Rodney Alcala perpetrate and who were his victims? 

Alcala's archetypal recorded transgression was successful 1968, erstwhile a alien called the constabulary aft they witnessed him lure an eight-year-old miss named Tali Shapiro into his Hollywood apartment.

When instrumentality enforcement arrived, they recovered the small miss laying successful a excavation of her ain blood.

She had been beaten and raped with a metallic bar, and spent 32 days successful a coma owed to the injuries.

But Alcala had already fled by the clip they got there. He instantly went connected the run, changing his sanction and moving to the eastbound seashore - wherever helium landed a occupation astatine a New Hampshire children's campy arsenic a counselor.

In 1971, his concealed was exposed aft the FBI added him to its database of 10 Most Wanted Fugitives and immoderate of his campers noticed his representation connected the partition successful the station office.

He was yet arrested and convicted of kid molestation, but lone spent 17 months successful situation earlier helium was released connected parole.

Months aft helium was backmost connected the thoroughfare helium struck again, this clip assaulting a 13-year-old miss aft helium offered her a thrust to school. 

This transgression landed him backmost down bars for different 2 years, but by 1976, helium was escaped erstwhile more.

After that, Alcala moved backmost to Los Angeles, wherever helium touted himself arsenic a nonrecreational manner lensman portion secretly committing a drawstring of gruesome murders.

It's been said that helium lured his victims into his location by inviting them to airs for his 'portfolio.'

He would past strangle them until they passed out, and erstwhile they would reawaken, helium would torture, rape, and yet termination them - earlier rearranging their limbs into explicit positions and photographing their bare dormant bodies.

One unfortunate was Jill Barcomb, who was brutally murdered aged 18 connected November 9, 1977. 

Ms Barcomb had conscionable relocated to the Los Angeles country from New York, and had lone been surviving successful Southern California for astir 3 weeks earlier being found on a ungraded way adjacent Mulholland Drive successful Los Angeles. 

Just 1 period later, connected December 16, 1977, Georgia Wixted was murdered by Alcala. 

The registered nurse's battered and bruised assemblage was recovered connected the level of her Malibu workplace flat adjacent her brass bed, alongside a hammer, aft being sexually assaulted, tortured, bludgeoned and strangled by the sadistic killer.

On June 24, 1978, 32-year-old ineligible caput Charlotte Lamb's bare assemblage was recovered successful the laundry country of a ample flat analyzable successful El Segunda aft being sexually assaulted and strangled with a shoelace by Alacala. 

In 1978, helium participated successful The Dating Game, during which helium competed for a accidental to spell retired with that episode's bachelorette, Cheryl Bradshaw, and won.

One twelvemonth later, Alcala was arrested for the execution of a 12-year-old miss named Robin Christine Samsoe, who had been recovered beaten, raped, and stabbed to decease adjacent her location successful Huntington Beach, California.

Her friends told instrumentality enforcement that a alien had approached them connected the formation earlier she vanished and asked to instrumentality photos of them.

Officers released a sketch of the antheral - and erstwhile Alcala's parole serviceman recognized him, helium turned him in.

Alcala was yet recovered blameworthy for the murder, and received the decease punishment - but helium launched 2 palmy appeals resulting successful 3 antithetic trials.

In 2003, successful the midst of his 3rd trial, authoritative Matt Murphy decided to re-examined grounds that had been recovered successful a retention locker ain by Rodney years prior.

He made a shocking find - DNA that linked Alcala to 4 different murders that had occurred successful the 1970s.

Where is Rodney Alcala now? 

In 2010, implicit 3 decades aft his archetypal arrest, an Orange County assemblage convicted Alcala connected 5 counts of first-degree murder, for which helium was sentenced to death.

He was fixed an different 25 years successful 2013 aft helium pled blameworthy to 2 much murders, and was charged again successful 2016 aft DNA grounds connected him to the 1977 decease of a 28-year-old woman.

While the nonstop fig of radical helium killed is unknown, the Associated Press has reported that helium whitethorn person murdered up to 130 radical crossed the country.

He died successful 2021 astatine property 77 from unspecified earthy causes portion connected decease row.