“The Dating Game Killer” Rodney Alcala
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Due to the nature of this case, listener discretion is advised. This episode includes discussions of violence, abduction, and sexual assault of minors, rape, and murder. Consider this when deciding how and when you'll listen.

It's 1971, and two kids are experiencing the epitome of childhood freedom. It's summer, they're at sleepaway camp, and they've just been granted permission to walk down to the post office, unchaperoned, to mail a letter home. Nothing's going to ruin this day. Not even... a little rain, which quickly turns into a downpour.

From inside the post office, the campers watch raindrops pelt the windows. It's going to be a while before this storm calms down. As they realize they'll have to kill some time indoors, their eyes drift to a bulletin board covered with flyers. That's when they notice a familiar face peering back at them from a poster.

It's a photo of a man who looks like one of their camp counselors, John, or as they call him, Mr. Burger. He's teaching them photography and really knows what he's talking about. He attended NYU film school. He's funny and easygoing and a favorite with the kids.

Only, the man on the flyer is supposed to be from Texas. As far as the campers know, John's never been there before. And the poster says his name isn't John. It's Rod Alcala. Strangest of all, it says he's on the FBI's 10 Most Wanted Fugitives list. And that he's accused of interstate flight, kidnapping, and rape.

But the Mr. Burger they know would never do that. Would he? I'm Vanessa Richardson, and this is Serial Killers, a Spotify podcast. You can find us here every Monday. Be sure to check us out on Instagram, at Serial Killers Podcast. We'd love to hear from you. If you're listening on the Spotify app, swipe up and give us your thoughts. Stay with us.

Hey, listeners. Today's episode is sponsored by Netflix's upcoming film, Woman of the Hour, coming out on October 18th. Our team got to watch an early sneak peek of Woman of the Hour and jumped at the opportunity to dive deeper into this real-life case with you all. We've been wanting to cover Rodney Alcala for a long time, and we couldn't pass up this unique chance to do such a highly requested topic and partner with the launch of a movie we're genuinely eager to share with you.

Based on a true story set in the late 1970s, the film's directed by and stars Anna Kendrick, who plays Cheryl Bradshaw, a woman whose life intersects with Rodney Alcala on national television when they both appear as contestants on the dating game. Woman of the Hour flips the script on the typical serial killer narrative by showcasing the voices and perspectives of the women who were directly or indirectly victimized.

Be sure to stick around at the end of the episode because Netflix has given us a behind-the-scenes preview of the filmmakers' approach to this story. Watch Woman of the Hour, only on Netflix, October 18th, rated R. At the start of summer 1971, Cornelia Crilly has her hands full. She's landed a great new apartment on the Upper East Side of Manhattan with two of her fellow flight attendants.

It's June 24th, and her roommates are working, crisscrossing the country by plane. But Cornelia has the day off, so she's been put in charge of moving. That's just fine with her, though. For someone who spends so much of her time in the air, Cornelia is exceptionally grounded.

She grew up in Queens in a large Irish Catholic family and emerged with a strong sense of self. She'd known for a long time what she wanted to do with her life. She worked hard, saved up her money, and attended the prestigious Breach Academy, a school run by TWA to train elite flight attendants. Now, Cornelia is living her dream, working on domestic and international flights.

Despite her busy career, she maintains strong relationships at home. Her boyfriend is a rising star at the Brooklyn District Attorney's office, and she always makes time to speak with her mother on the phone, sometimes several times a day. Sometime on moving day, Cornelia meets a young man named Rodney Alcala. He just graduated from film school and is about to spend his summer teaching at a kids' summer camp.

Now, we don't know how Cornelia and Rodney met. We don't even know if they ever exchange a word. What we do know is, later that evening, after Cornelia's mother and boyfriend spend hours trying to reach her by phone, she's discovered dead in her new apartment. She's been beaten, raped, and strangled with a stocking. There are no signs of a break-in, so police think she must have known her attacker. ♪

Seven weeks later, it's August 12th, and Rodney's been arrested by the FBI, but not for Cornelia's murder. He's taken into custody for another totally separate offense that occurred in California. At this point, investigators have no clue he was involved in Cornelia's death. In fact, the Crilley family will have to wait over 40 years to confirm the identity of her killer.

By that time, Rodney Alcala will go on to claim at least six more lives. Rodrigo Jacques Alcala Bucor was born in San Antonio in 1943. His family, who nicknamed him Rodney, moved back and forth between Mexico and Texas during his childhood.

According to Stella Sands' book, The Dating Game Killer, it's possible that two events affected his early years. He lost his grandmother, who he'd been close to, and his father left the family. Even so, by all accounts, there were no other major incidents to speak of during Rodney's school years. He got good grades, made friends, and participated in extracurriculars. By 1963, though, something shifts.

Rodney's serving in the army, stationed at Fort Bragg in North Carolina, when suddenly his superiors notice something is wrong. They chalk it up to some kind of mental health crisis. Then Rodney goes AWOL and shows up at his mother's house all the way across the country. By now she's moved out to Southern California.

He's eventually seen by an Army-appointed psychologist, who recommends that Rodney be hospitalized and treated for, quote, "...anti-social personality, chronic severe," adding that he appeared to exhibit "...feelings of aggression, as well as an absence of guilt."

By early 1964, he's discharged from the army and apparently isn't required to seek any further treatment. Instead, he enrolls at UCLA to study photography.

He's still registered there in 1968, when police find his student ID at the scene of an attack. Detectives arrive just in time to save Rodney's victim, but in the chaos, Rodney makes a run for it and gets away. Even though investigators know who they're looking for, finding him is no simple task. He seems to drop off the map entirely.

One of the detectives in charge of the case, Steve Hodel, assumes he's fled the country. In reality, Rodney moves to New York and does something incredibly brazen. He waltzes into NYU. Classes have already begun for the fall semester, but that doesn't seem to matter. Somehow, he lands himself a spot in one of the most reputable film schools in the country.

While there, he begins living under an assumed name, John Berger. He isn't making things too easy on the investigators, but this type of brashness will eventually characterize Rodney's entire crime spree.

While at NYU, Rodney, or John Berger, is no wallflower. He works on student films, goes on dates, and befriends the assistant dean. It seems like everybody knows him and likes him. Not to mention he lands a summer gig as a camp counselor teaching children. At times when most criminals would consider going into hiding, he practically puts himself in the spotlight, sometimes literally.

Years later, 2020 interviews Veronica Thomas, a psychologist who assessed Rodney. According to her, his personality disorder causes him to crave attention. More than that though, he believes he's intelligent and that he deserves that attention. And he continues this behavior even after it eventually leads to his downfall.

Remember the summer campers who spotted his FBI "10 Most Wanted" poster? Later that day, they tell their camp director, who decides to go down to the post office and have a look for himself. As soon as he does, he calls the FBI. Detective Steve Hodel escorts Rodney back to Los Angeles. He's expected to face several charges there that should hopefully keep him behind bars for a long time.

But in order to ensure Rodney goes to prison, prosecutors feel they need to offer a plea deal with lesser charges. He takes the deal and agrees to register as a sex offender. In return, he gets an indeterminate sentence of one year to life. This means he'll have regular meetings with a parole board to determine whether their inmate is rehabilitated.

As legal analyst Jamie Floyd points out in 2020's coverage of the case, this kind of sentencing presents a challenge when dealing with Rodney. That's because someone with antisocial personality disorder may manipulate and deceive others for personal gain. Detective Hodel recalls interviewing Rodney after his arrest and got the feeling he was good at reading people. Hodel says, quote, "For him, it was all kind of a chess game.

After just 34 months in prison, Rodney gets released on parole in August 1974. He's successfully convinced the decision makers that he's rehabilitated. But two months later, a park ranger discovers Rodney smoking weed with a minor. Once again, he's taken into custody. And just like last time, not all of the charges stick. Two and a half years later, he's a free man walking the street.

By now, it's 1977, and Rodney's becoming familiar with the system. He knows there are loopholes that can be manipulated, and he actually gets permission from his parole officer to go on a trip back to New York, right as the city's in the middle of a dangerous and deadly summer. Today's episode is sponsored by Woman of the Hour, only on Netflix October 18th.

I mentioned earlier that the movie stars Anna Kendrick. Well, Woman of the Hour also serves as her directorial debut. It's another reason I'm excited to tell you about this movie, because I've been a fan of hers for years. Not only is she an Academy Award nominee for her work in Up in the Air, she's also the lead in the Pitch Perfect series, which I loved. And now she's finally taken a seat in the director's chair for Woman of the Hour.

On the surface, a true crime story involving a serial killer might not seem like an obvious choice for Anna Kendrick's first directing project. So who better to tell you how it all unfolded than the director herself? We waited so long for the movie to come together. And it was one of those things that I think is pretty common where a movie is just taking forever and then suddenly it's just over.

and it's happening really fast. And we suddenly found ourselves with a start date and no director. And we started talking about names, you know, who we could get at the last minute. And I think it was about like maybe 36 hours into recording,

you know, this idea of like, okay, we're just going to scramble and try to find a director, that I had what was truly the most horrifying thought that I've ever had, which was, oh no, I'm going to pitch myself to direct the movie. I knew that I had such strong feelings about it that I'd regret it if I didn't at least put my name forward. The result? Variety named Anna Kendrick one of their 10 directors to watch for 2024. If

If you're a fan of her previous work, like I am, you have to see what she's able to pull off behind the camera. We'll be hearing more about the director's experience of making the film at the end of today's episode, so be sure to stick around. Watch Woman of the Hour, only on Netflix, October 18th, rated R.

July 1977 is a chaotic time to be in New York City. The son of Sam has been terrorizing the city since the previous summer when he began shooting at random young couples. While residents wonder when he'll strike next, newspapers print his disturbing letters.

Then, on July 13th, in the middle of a triple-digit heat wave, a major blackout plunges the city into darkness for 25 hours. Looting grows out of control in some neighborhoods, leading to thousands of arrests. But as dawn breaks on July 15th, things are getting back to normal in midtown Manhattan, where recent college grad Ellen Hover just moved into her own apartment.

After majoring in biology with a minor in music, her main objective is now enjoying her hard-earned freedom. Those who know Ellen describe her as optimistic and down-to-earth, surprisingly so considering she grew up around entertainment royalty.

Her father owned the once-famous Hollywood nightclub Ciro's. To say she's had a unique childhood is an understatement. Her godfathers are Sammy Davis Jr. and Dean Martin of the Rat Pack. Ellen may be an heiress, but more than anything, she just wants to explore the big city and spend time with friends.

That morning, she heads to the main branch of the New York Public Library, and then home to make some food. After that, she plans to meet up with a new acquaintance named John.

They'd met a few days earlier. As John was photographing people on the street, he ran into Ellen and asked if he could take her picture. She agreed. At this point, he's studied photography for several years and owns some impressive equipment. He shoots portraits and keeps books filled with pictures, mostly of young people he comes across on the street or the beach in California.

and he often shows them off and uses them as a ruse on his victims. That evening, Ellen is a no-show for dinner with a friend. North of the city, her mother can't reach her by phone and calls around, but nobody knows where she is.

Investigators start with Ellen's apartment. Nothing looks suspicious, but they make note of her calendar. Under July 15th, she'd dutifully written, "John Berger, photographer." It's a solid lead, but that summer police are overwhelmed. And of course, there isn't a real John Berger to be found.

So Ellen's parents hire a private investigator to move things along. Through interviews, he puts together a description of the photographer Ellen met. He's a young man with a ponytail, and he'd been seen outside of her apartment. The following month, David Berkowitz is arrested, bringing the Son of Sam murders to an end. Ellen is still missing, and now her case picks up steam.

By this point, John Berger, aka Rodney, has left town heading back to Los Angeles. And in September 1977, he makes yet another brazen move.

He walks into the LA Times offices, applies for a job using his real name, and lands a gig as a typesetter. These days, such a turn of events is frankly hard to believe. Rodney's a registered sex offender and a felon. He's gone to prison twice, and he's been one of the FBI's 10 most wanted fugitives. But once again, he's able to manipulate others by charming them.

Meanwhile, federal investigators start to make the connection between Rodney and his assumed name, John Berger. On December 14th, 1977, the FBI reaches out to the LAPD. They want to compare notes on Rodney, aka John, and investigators have no problem finding out where he works. They bring Rodney into police headquarters to question him about Ellen Hover's disappearance.

After all, they have strong evidence that he may have been the last person to see her alive. And Rodney confirms he was with her on July 15th. He adds he took her out to Westchester, snapped some photographs, and then dropped her off somewhere. He doesn't hint at anything nefarious, so investigators have no choice. They let him go.

The next evening, on December 15th, Georgia Wickstead heads out to a local pub to celebrate a friend's birthday. Georgia's a passionate nurse who works with cardiac patients. She was inspired to help others after she went through a cancer scare back in high school. She was so blown away by the nurses who took care of her, she knew she had to become one herself someday.

Now her career as a nurse covers her rent at her beachside apartment in Malibu. But it's hard work, so Georgia and her coworker blow off steam, staying late at the pub. Around 2:00 a.m., she drops off her coworker and presumably heads back to her place. Sometime after Georgia gets home, Rodney enters her apartment.

Later, police locate a box sitting outside one of her windows. Scuff marks on the wall and a window screen that had been removed suggest that's how he got in. After Georgia fails to show up for work, police discover her dead in her apartment. She's been bludgeoned with a hammer, raped and strangled. And it looks as though she's been posed in a sordid manner.

Veronica Thomas, the psychologist who later assesses Rodney, feels that he did this to grab investigators' attention. George's case is not the first or last time Rodney poses his victims. Jill Barkham, a kind and free-spirited woman who'd just moved to Los Angeles, had been found dead the previous month. She too had been beaten, raped, strangled, and then seemingly posed.

Investigators don't make a connection between Jill's and Georgia's murders immediately. That's because Jill was found in the hills of Franklin Canyon, not far from Mulholland Drive. The location and the M.O. appeared to match a different serial killer operating at that time, the Hillside Strangler, or as they'd later be known, the Hillside Stranglers.

Rodney was even questioned by the Hillside Strangler Task Force the next spring. But of course, they were looking for someone else entirely.

A few months later, it's June 1978, Ellen Hover has been missing for about 11 months. But one detective has zeroed in on a patch of woods in Westchester County, outside the city. He's conducted dozens of interviews and learned that the photographer Ellen met with, who he now knows is Rodney, liked to go there to watch sunsets.

The lead doesn't narrow things down that much. The area he's searching is still hundreds of acres. It takes 24 trips, but he finally finds potential evidence: undergarments in Ellen's size.

He returns a few days later and uncovers Ellen's skeletal remains. Investigators are pretty certain Rodney was involved, especially after another woman contacts them to confirm he'd also taken her to the same location on a photo shoot.

But Ellen's been missing and exposed to the elements for so long that she has to be identified by dental comparison. There's not enough forensic evidence left to secure an arrest, so Rodney remains a free man, able to kill again. A week and a half after Ellen is located, he does just that.

Charlotte Lamb lives close to the beach. She takes advantage of her prime location in Santa Monica, California. That is, whenever she's not studying for school or working as a legal assistant. A career she enjoys. On June 23rd, 1978, she invites friends out to a new nightclub. Even though they can't make it, Charlotte figures going by herself is better than sitting around on a Friday night.

She never makes it back home. The following morning, an apartment manager in El Segundo, about 15 miles away from the nightclub, reports a dead body that has inexplicably been left in the laundry room. It's Charlotte. At some point during her night out, she crossed paths with Rodney, although we don't know for certain whether she ever spoke to him or even noticed him until it was too late.

Like Rodney's previous victims, Charlotte had been brutalized, raped, and strangled. This time, he posed her in a more obvious way than his previous victims. Rodney's now a decade into his crime spree, at least, and investigators already suspect his involvement in Ellen Hover's death. So keep that in mind when you consider his next move.

Rodney walks into a Los Angeles casting office and auditions for a show called The Dating Game. The provocative game show features one bachelor or bachelorette per episode who chooses one of three contestants for a date

The catch? A wall separates them from seeing each other until the end of the game. In order to make their choice, the bachelor or bachelorette is given cue cards with prepared questions for the contestants to answer. This may be the most bizarre example of a killer hiding in plain sight. According to prosecutor Matt Murphy, trying to go on national television in the midst of a killing spree demonstrates Rodney's narcissism and ego.

"2020" interviews the game show's producer and contestant coordinator, who auditioned Rodney. While the producer felt Rodney came off as strange and recommended he be turned away, the coordinator felt differently. She thought he might play well to the audience, especially the women. In the end, Rodney was cast as Bachelor Number One.

The episode aired on September 13th, 1978. In it, the bachelorette tasked with choosing her blind date is a teacher named Cheryl Bradshaw. She knows the dating game is just a show, but in all honesty, she's hoping to actually find someone special.

For every one of Cheryl's questions, Rodney gives a raunchy answer. When Cheryl asks what his best time is, he says, "At night," adding, "Night time is when it really gets good," with obvious innuendo.

It's exactly what the audience wants to hear. They all laugh at his answers. It's all in good fun, everyone thinks. The producers of the show have been told that the dating game needs to be provocative. If attention is what Rodney's looking for, it's precisely what he gets.

In hindsight, his appearance is anything but fun. Like when he growls at Cheryl in a deep voice in an attempt to sound like a, quote, "dirty old man." Or when Cheryl Bradshaw chooses Bachelor #1 as the winner. Her prize? The show unwittingly sends Cheryl on an all-expenses-paid date with a serial killer.

Today's episode is sponsored by Netflix, who were kind enough to screen Woman of the Hour early for us. Yes, the filmmakers clearly did their research into the case, which I can appreciate, but what really impressed me was the way they approached the story from the often overlooked perspective of the victims, and the way they illuminated just how the gender norms of that time period allowed Rodney Alcala to operate the way that he did.

As the title suggests, the women are at the forefront here. Orienting the story around them gives us a chance to see them going about their daily lives before Rodney Alcala enters the picture. And it's the relatability of their stories that makes this movie all the more unnerving.

In Woman of the Hour, the filmmakers found an opportunity to dramatize an actual episode of the dating game, in effect creating a larger metaphor of the social system that allowed Rodney to commit his crimes. And it's told through the lens of this really fun and at times misogynistic 1970s game show.

The acting is worth mentioning too. Anna Kendrick shines as witty Cheryl Bradshaw. Her life is so painfully relatable that watching her navigate this world creates some really wonderful moments of levity. And the supporting female cast really heightens the intensity of the viewing experience. They do an amazing job of bringing their characters to life so that you can really understand how this kind of tragedy could happen to anyone.

And then there's Rodney, played by Daniel Zavado, who captures the darkness inside the real-life killer while also showing exactly how he charmed his victims. We really want to thank Netflix for allowing us to see Woman of the Hour early so we could pass along the recommendation to our listeners. Watching the movie made us really excited to finally present this case. So let's get back to it.

In 1978, on the set of The Dating Game, Cheryl Bradshaw chooses Rodney Alcala as her winning bachelor. Their date will be tennis lessons followed by a trip to an amusement park called Magic Mountain.

As the audience files out of the studio and the stage lights go dim, Cheryl and Rodney chat backstage. Throughout the taping, he charmed her and made her laugh. But now, Cheryl gets a strange sensation in her stomach, like she's ill, because Rodney suddenly starts acting creepy.

Cheryl's not the only one who reacts this way. According to one of the other Bachelor contestants, Rodney acted quiet and aloof until he'd suddenly interrupt with some strange comment. While the Bachelors waited in the green room, Rodney reportedly burst out with, "I always get my girl." It seemed like he was trying to intimidate the competition.

The next day, Cheryl calls up the show's contestant coordinator and cancels the date, a decision that some believe may have saved her life. Because Rodney's crime spree isn't done yet. In the first half of 1979, he'll go on to attack at least three more victims before investigators finally close in on him.

In February, Rodney picks up a teenage girl who recently ran away from home. He lures her in with his camera, saying he needs a subject for a photography contest. Only this time, things don't go as Rodney planned. The girl survives his attack by outsmarting him and reports him to police, who take him into custody. A trial date is set for that September, but in the meantime, Rodney gets out on bail.

On June 14th, 1979, Jill Parenteau is late for work. Very late. It's not like her at all. So a concerned coworker stops by her apartment and finds unthinkable horrors inside.

Jill has been beaten, raped, and strangled with nylon stockings and an electrical cord. She too has been posed. This time, Rodney has used pillows to prop up his victim. Investigators have no idea who'd want to do this to Jill, but they collect DNA samples from the crime scene, just as they had after the murders of Cornelia Crilley, Jill Barkham, Georgia Wickstead, and Charlotte Lamb.

Less than a week later, on June 20th, Robin Samsoe and her friend Bridget enjoy a sunny afternoon in Huntington Beach when Rodney approaches them with his camera. Carefree and unsuspecting, the girls allow him to take some photos.

Across the beach, one of Bridget's adult neighbors sees this all happening. She storms over to check on the girls and immediately Rodney slinks away. It's a brief interaction, but it sticks in Bridget's mind.

A short time later, Robin leaves for her ballet studio. It's her first day answering phones in exchange for free classes, and she really doesn't want to be late. So Bridget offers up her bike, telling Robin not to stop along the way. But Robin never shows up at the studio.

Robin's mother, Mary Ann, files a missing persons report the same evening. The next morning, detectives conduct interviews and call a composite artist who works with Bridget to create a sketch. It looks remarkably like Rodney, who has distinctive long, curly hair.

After the sketch is released to the media, Rodney actually straightens his hair and then, three days later, cuts it short. It's a drastic change and a futile one because his old parole officer recognizes him from the police sketch and reports his suspicions. Investigators think they might have their culprit already.

By a strange coincidence, the same day the parole officer contacts investigators, Rodney's episode of The Dating Game airs as a rerun. The detectives at Huntington Beach watch him on television in disbelief. Decades before video footage is readily available on phones and computers, they're watching footage of their primary suspect.

Rodney's brazen, attention-seeking moves have just come back to haunt him. It takes 12 days for Robin's remains to be discovered in a brushy recreational area in the vast Angeles National Forest.

Three weeks later, investigators take Rodney into custody and search his bedroom, where he's left a crucial piece of evidence out in the open. It's a receipt for a storage unit in Seattle. He rented it the week after Robin's body was found, so the timing looks suspicious. Detectives travel to Washington to search the storage unit. There, they uncover a load of evidence. Rodney has kept thousands

thousands of eerie photographs he's taken over the years, showing women and children in vulnerable poses. But the real key to the Robin Samsoe case sits inside a small cloth pouch within the storage locker. Inside, investigators find several pairs of earrings. One set belongs to Robin's mother, Mary Ann. Robin borrowed them the day she was abducted.

As for the others, experts believe they're Rodney's trophies, keepsakes from his other victims.

For Robin's family, the road to justice is a long one. At first, Rodney is convicted of first-degree murder. In 1980, he's sentenced to death. But a few years later, his conviction is reversed after the state Supreme Court rules the jury shouldn't have been given evidence of Rodney's previous crimes. As a result...

He's given a second trial. Only this one ends just like his first. He's found guilty of murdering Robin and is sent back to death row. Then in 2001, the second conviction gets overturned. The public is outraged.

Rodney always felt his court-appointed team hadn't done everything in their power to defend him. So going into his next trial in 2010, he decides to represent himself.

To investigators, it's another striking example of his narcissism and perhaps an attempt to psych out the prosecution. Worse, this means Rodney gets to personally cross-examine witnesses like Robin's mother, as well as some of his previous victims. It's impossible to conceive of how difficult this must have been for all of these witnesses.

But in the courtroom, it becomes clear. Rodney underestimated how determined they are to put an end to his terror for good. Scientific advancements are also working against him. Rodney's DNA, taken from the pouch of earrings, has been matched to the DNA samples taken from Jill Barkham, Georgia Wickstead, Charlotte Lamb, and Jill Parenteau many years ago.

Prosecutor Matt Murphy decides that this time Rodney won't just be facing one murder charge for killing Robin Samsoe. Instead, he slams Rodney with five counts at once.

That finally brings the matter to an end. In 2010, Rodney is convicted of all five murders and is sent back to prison for the rest of his life. And investigators aren't done with him yet.

In New York, prosecutors charge him in the cases of Cornelia Crilly and Ellen Hover. Rodney pleads guilty, bringing his total number of murder convictions up to seven.

According to some authorities, though, he may have killed as many as 130 people. Remember the trove of eerie photographs discovered in his storage locker in Seattle? Many of his subjects in those pictures remain unidentified, and some are considered potential victims. Which is why a few of these photos are released to the public years later, in case anybody can help police identify them.

In fact, that's how investigators in Wyoming connect Rodney to a cold case in 2016. Christine Thornton disappeared there back in 1977 while traveling the country. Her skeletal remains, found in 1982, suggested foul play. But without much evidence, a suspect was hard to come by.

Years later, Christine's family recognizes her in one of Rodney's photographs. In it, she sits on a motorcycle against a backdrop of scrub brush. A DNA test connects Christine to the skeletal remains found in Wyoming. Sure enough, Rodney's photo was taken just a few feet away from the spot where Christine's remains were found.

Investigators realize Christine's disappearance occurred the same summer that Rodney drove from New York back to LA on his motorcycle. They get as far as charging him with the murder and even meet with him in person. A detective hands him the photo of Christine and asks, "Did you kill her?" Rodney stares at the picture silently for a long time, tracing her outline with his finger.

He admits he'd been to the location before, that he knew Christine, and that he took the photo, but he doesn't take responsibility for what he did to her. Investigators decide extradition and a trial would be more of a vacation than Rodney deserves, so they don't pursue the charges. They feel they got their answer, and that the killer is already in the jail cell where he belongs.

California's moratorium on the death penalty saves Rodney from execution, but he dies in prison of natural causes in 2021 at the age of 77. Rodney Alcala may have put himself in the spotlight because he believed he was smart enough to always stay a step ahead, but he clearly didn't see how it would all end.

With his victims having the final word. Thanks for tuning in to Serial Killers, a Spotify podcast. We'll be back Monday with another episode. We want to thank our sponsor for this episode, Woman of the Hour, only on Netflix October 18th. And be sure to stay tuned after the credits to hear more behind-the-scenes stories from director and star Anna Kendrick.

For more information on the case of Rodney Alcala, we found Stella Sand's book, The Dating Game Killer, as well as reporting by 2020 and 48 Hours, extremely helpful to our research. Stay safe out there.

This episode was written and researched by Mickey Taylor, edited by Connor Sampson, fact-checked by Laurie Siegel, and sound designed by Alex Button. Our head of programming is Julian Barreau. Our head of production is Nick Johnson, and Spencer Howard is our post-production supervisor. I'm your host, Vanessa Richardson.

Hey listeners, thanks for sticking around. After I watched Woman of the Hour, I wanted to know more about how the project came to be. And I found this story I wanted to share about Anna Kendrick's experience being thrown into the deep end as a first-time director. Because it was such a short timeline, I think it was literally about six weeks between the moment I was pitching myself to when we were going to be starting hard prep. And

And they were like, "Maybe you can do a pitch." We're all excited, so maybe you can do a pitch that's a little more of an actual pitch. And I think, again, I think it was like 24 hours later that because I was like, I don't even have time to learn how to put together a very professional presentation. I was on a Zoom with my phone, holding my phone up to the Zoom going like, "This is what I think Cheryl's world feels like, and this is what I think the opening should feel like." Because I was like,

If this is happening, I should probably only focus on the actual making of it rather than like, I'm going to learn how to put together a really professional packet. It was very haphazard, but I did have a really strong feeling about the script and about the world and some changes that had happened in my life that felt like the idea of people as, you know, safe and unsafe and

the way that it's so hard to ever truly know someone and trust someone, that really resonated with me. And so, like, just very, very quickly, I was suddenly...

interviewing casting directors and cinematographers and kind of in these interviews going, "How's this going? Am I doing a good job? Like, what would you ask you?" But very much learning as I went and also really not giving myself an option to back out because I knew that if we were making the movie in six months that

if I pitched myself, which I probably wouldn't have, that I would have then chickened out and been like, "You're right. You should get somebody to... We should find somebody else. We should find somebody who's more experienced. This is a bad idea. I want to do the right thing for the movie." It really was feeling like pushing myself off a cliff.

I love a behind-the-scenes story about getting a film together by hook or by crook, just because the storytellers are so passionate about it. If you want a totally fresh take on today's story, shot beautifully and handled in a really unique and compelling way, watch Woman of the Hour, only on Netflix, October 18th. Rated R.