The Netflix special “Woman of the Hour” brought renewed attention to the chilling case of Rodney Alcala, the “Dating Game Killer.” Craig Robison, the lead detective on the case with the Huntington Beach police, recently broke his silence after decades of mandated silence due to Alcala’s ongoing legal proceedings. Robison, also a retired prosecutor and judge, described Alcala as a man with a dangerously misdirected high IQ, fixated on manipulating and harming women and girls. The detective firmly believes that Alcala’s capture prevented further atrocities.
Alcala’s appearance on “The Dating Game” in 1978, amidst his killing spree, solidified his infamous moniker. Contrary to the dramatized portrayal in the Netflix film, Alcala’s date with bachelorette Cheryl Bradshaw never materialized. Bradshaw’s intuition sensed something amiss, preventing a potentially fatal encounter. Robison, who consulted with actress Anna Kendrick for the film, emphasized the importance of understanding Alcala’s motivations.
The investigation into Alcala began with the disappearance of 12-year-old Robin Samsoe in June 1979. Initially treated as a potential runaway case, the investigation took a grim turn as details emerged. Samsoe and her friend, Bridget Wilvurt, had been approached on the beach by a man matching Alcala’s description, who asked to take their picture. Wilvurt’s collaboration with a sketch artist and a crucial tip from a parole officer led investigators to Alcala, whose past revealed a disturbing pattern of violence against young girls.
Alcala’s criminal history included the brutal assault of 8-year-old Tali Shapiro in 1968 and a subsequent conviction for child molestation. Released on parole, he was later arrested again for marijuana possession while in the company of a 13-year-old girl. Just months before Samsoe’s disappearance, Alcala had been arrested for the rape of a 15-year-old hitchhiker, only to be released on bail. This pending case proved significant in the unfolding investigation.
A remarkable coincidence, or perhaps divine intervention as Robison suggests, played a pivotal role in identifying Alcala. While watching television, one of the detectives recognized Alcala as the contestant on an old “Dating Game” episode. This discovery prompted detectives to revisit Wilvurt, who instantly identified Alcala as the man from the beach, solidifying their suspicions. Samsoe’s remains were tragically discovered in a remote ravine, leading to Alcala’s arrest for her murder.
The discovery of Alcala’s storage locker in Seattle proved crucial. It contained a trove of incriminating evidence, including hundreds of photographs of women and jewelry. Among these items were a pair of gold ball earrings, recognized by Samsoe’s mother as belonging to her daughter. While DNA technology was not available at the time, these “trophies,” as Robison described them, foreshadowed the eventual forensic connection to Alcala’s crimes. Alcala’s first two death sentences for Samsoe’s murder were overturned on technicalities.
Decades later, advancements in DNA technology provided the definitive link to Alcala’s crimes. The same pouch containing Samsoe’s earrings also held a pair belonging to Charlotte Lamb, another victim murdered in 1978. This forensic evidence led to Alcala’s 2010 conviction for five murders in California, including Samsoe’s. He subsequently pled guilty to two additional slayings in New York and was charged with another murder in Wyoming. Alcala’s DNA continued to connect him to unsolved cases across the country.
Alcala’s reign of terror ended with his death from natural causes in 2021 while awaiting execution. Despite the lengthy legal battles and overturned convictions, Alcala remained incarcerated from his 1979 arrest until his death, thanks to the tireless efforts of Robison and his team. The meticulous investigation, coupled with advancements in forensic science, ultimately ensured that Alcala was held accountable for his heinous crimes, offering a measure of closure to the victims’ families and bringing an end to the reign of the “Dating Game Killer.”
