The Story Of Rodney Alcala, The Charming 'Dating Game Killer'

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Bachelorette Cheryl Bradshaw and Rodney Alcala on 'The Dating Game' in 1978. Source: (YouTube.com)

Rodney Alcala, the "Dating Game killer," is known to many as the killer who appeared on The Dating Game. Unfortunately, there's much more to the story -- Alcala is one of the deadliest serial killers in American history, and the Dating Game appearance is really just a footnote to a gruesome legacy. When he appeared on The Dating Game, Alcala had been sought by the FBI, arrested numerous times for violent crimes against women, and had actually served jail time in California. The fact that he was able to get onto a game show is a chilling reminder of how difficult it was to track truly dangerous individuals before criminal records were digitally stored and networked.

Rodney Alcala had already killed four people -- at least four people -- when he appeared on The Dating Game. He was a handsome, charming guy who posed as a fashion photographer. No one knows for sure how many people Alcala killed, but authorities estimate the number to be 130.