Netflix’s latest true crime release, Woman of the Hour, starring Anna Kendrick as an aspiring actress and Daniel Zovatto as serial killer Rodney Alcala, is set to land on the streaming service - and thriller fans are wondering all about the infamous murderer and what happened to him.
Netflix has been providing true crime fans with plenty of TV to delve into lately, what with Monsters getting viewers asking everything from if the Lyle and Erik Menendez Story is based on truth to where the Menendez brothers are now as well as Into The Fire: The Lost Daughter prompting curiosity about what happened to Cathy Terkanian.
The latest addition to the Netflix's gripping true crime collection is Woman of the Hour, which, upon its release, might have viewers wondering about the real Rodney Alcala, who killed at least seven women and girls in the 1970s.
Warning: This article contains references to sensitive subject matters, including sexual violence.
Who is Rodney Alcala?
Many who watch Anna Kendrick’s directorial debut, Woman of the Hour, may not have heard of Rodney Alcala.
The story of Alcala’s heinous crimes in the film is intertwined with his appearance on a popular 70’s television game show, The Dating Game, where he encounters aspiring actor Cheryl Bradshaw, portrayed by Kendrick. To the audience, he came off as a man full of charm and charisma, concealing that he was actually a man with a dark killer secret.
In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, the film's director, Anna Kendrick, explained that she wanted to shift the focus away from the fact that Acala appeared on The Dating Game and instead delve into the bigger conversation about the culture that allowed him to commit murders for so long saying, "We got to use The Dating Game as this framing thematic device about, how do you know who is a safe person and who is not?"
By the time Alcala had appeared on the show, he had already committed several crimes and had been arrested and charged for committing sexual violence against a young girl, which landed him in prison for 34 months. He also had a history of allegations. Born in San Antonio, Texas, in 1943, the serial killer enlisted in the army at 17 but was later discharged as a teenager because of allegations of sexual misconduct and a nervous breakdown.
The notorious killer was a professional photographer who often lured his victims in by offering to take their photos. He evaded police by moving across the country as he committed his crimes. He, therefore, was able to successfully appear on the game show and win a date with Bradshaw before she refused the date because she found him “creepy”.
Contestant coordinator Ellen Metzger told ABC News the following day after the show Cheryl Bradshaw called her to say, "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."
When Alcala appeared on the popular TV show as 'Bachelor No. 1' in 1978, his charming conversation included many innuendos. When asked what he looked like, he responded, “I’m called the banana, and I look good.”
When Bradshaw asked him to be more descriptive, he told her to “Peel me”. One of the other contestants from Alcala’s episode, Jed Mills, said in the green room before the show, Alcala told him, “I always get my girl.”
David Greenfield, a producer on the game show, said, “In retrospect, it sounds horrible. But at the time, that’s a good solid answer. … We were looking for raunchy, sexy answers, and that was one. Take it in context now, it’s like, ‘Oh my God.’”
It is thought by authorities that the rejection by Bradshaw may have motivated Alcala to commit more crimes, leading to his arrest in 1979 and conviction for seven murders. According to the Associated Press, authorities suspect he may be responsible for up to 130 killings.
What happened to Rodney Alcala?
A year after appearing on the show, Alcala was finally arrested for the murder of 12-year-old Robin Samsoe. In 1980, he was convicted and sentenced to death but he successfully appealed his conviction twice in 1984 and 2001.
However, authorities found a Seattle storage locker belonging to Alcala, where they discovered trophies he had kept from some of his victims. The evidence included photographs and jewellery, such as a pair of gold ball earrings that matched the description of those worn by Robin on the day she was killed.
During his third trial, 66-year-old Alcala, who was representing himself, was convicted with the help of evidence from the locker. It was all down to prosecutor Matt Murphy deciding to re-examine the evidence and was able to link forensic evidence of four other women who had been found dead or went missing in the late 1970s to the Texan-born serial killer.
Before his arrest, he met a 16-year-old Cynthia Libby and told her, “I could do anything I want to you, and no one would know.”
Libby didn’t take him seriously and agreed to go out with him. She thought he had stood her up, but then her mother told her he’d been arrested for murder. She told People, “I couldn’t believe it. I still have a hard time believing it. I could have been one of the dead girls.”
In 2012, Alcala was extradited to New York, where he pleaded guilty to the murders of Cornelia Crilley in 1977 and Ellen Hover in 1978. He was sentenced to 25 years to life.
In 2016, he was also charged with the murder of Christine Thornton in 1977, but he denied killing her.
Where is Rodney Alcala Now?
Rodney Alcala died of natural causes in July 2021 at the age of 77. After three trials where he had been sentenced to death, his execution had been postponed indefinitely in 2019 due to a moratorium on the death penalty instituted by the State of California.
Speaking to the New York Times following his death, Tali Shapiro, Alcala’s eight-year-old victim, said, “The planet is a better place without him, that’s for sure.”
Investigator Jeff Sheaman, who had worked on the case of Christine Thornton, said, “He’s where he needs to be, and I’m sure that’s in hell,” adding, “When I interviewed him back in 2016, he was the most cold person. Everything about that guy just gives me the creeps.”
