Dating Game Killer

Rodney Alcala is arrested in 1971 after raping and beating 8-year-old Rosie Hoffman. The case leads to charges of assault, while Rosie's parents move her to Mexico, preventing her from testifying at his trial. He is charged only with assault.

Over the following years Alcala is repeatedly charged with abusing girls. His reported good behavior and 'reformed' image earns him preferable treatment in court, resulting in light sentences. This pattern enables him to continue committing crimes.

In 1978 Alcala appeared on the television show The Dating Game while he was actively killing. The appearance brought him into the national spotlight just as investigators were pursuing other victims. The TV appearance is later noted as a disturbing moment in the public memory of his crimes.

A park ranger recognizes Alcala walking with a murder victim, Tammy Jensen, days before her body is found at the same location. This eyewitness account provides crucial evidence that helps police identify him as a suspect. The discovery leads to his eventual arrest.

Investigators later discover Tammy Jensen's earrings in Alcala's Seattle storage locker. The physical evidence strengthens the link between him and Jensen's disappearance and murder. It becomes a pivotal piece in building the case against him.

In 1984 Alcala's conviction is overturned because the prosecutor's references to his prior crimes biased the jury. The ruling prompts a new round of trials rather than immediate execution. The case underscores the impact of trial conduct on long-running investigations.

He is retried and again sentenced to death in 1986. The verdict reaffirms the severity of his crimes and extends the legal process over many years. The ongoing legal saga illustrates the persistence of the case.

A change in the law allows police to collect DNA from convicts in 2002, and Alcala is tied to additional murders through genetic evidence. This advancement widens the scope of his serial crimes beyond earlier known victims. The new evidence strengthens cases that had faced earlier procedural hurdles.

In 2012 Alcala pleads guilty to two additional murders in New York, expanding the geographic footprint of his crimes. The confirmation of crimes outside California marks a broader tabulation of his victims. The plea sets the stage for further sentences.

In 2013 Alcala chooses to represent himself in court and questions himself on the stand. Rosie Hoffman returns to testify after 42 years, and Tammy Jensen's mother Carol adds testimony that helps secure a death sentence for five counts of abduction and murder. The combined testimony, along with his self-representation, solidifies the culmination of his case.