THE DATING GAME KILLER
from Red Tree Crime Hosted by Red Tree Crime
🎧 "They called him the Dating Game Killer. In September 1978, he appeared as "Bachelor Number One" on a popular primetime show, introduced to millions as a "successful photographer" who enjoyed skydiving and motorcycling [citation:2]. The bachelorette, Cheryl Bradshaw, picked him to win." But she never went on the date. Her instincts screamed "weird vibes" [citation:1]. She couldn't have known that the charming man on stage was Rodney Alcala — a convicted sex offender on the FBI's Most Wanted list who had already murdered multiple women and photographed hundreds of victims in sexually explicit poses [citation:1][citation:6]. The nation, however, would soon learn. Alcala was eventually convicted of eight murders, though authorities fear the true number may exceed 130 [citation:2]. He was linked to five California victims — including 12-year-old Robin Samsoe and four women aged 18 to 32 — along with two New York slayings committed while he was evading capture under the alias "John Berger" [citation:2][citation:8]. Featured in the Netflix film "Woman of the Hour," this is the haunting intersection of pop culture and pure evil — where game show appearances become crime scene puzzles and the line between celebrity and predator vanished under studio lights [citation:4]. Turn off the lights. Put on headphones. Justice demands you listen. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/red-tree-crime--6847553/support.
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