July 24, 2021
Los Angeles
Finally, some good news this morning.
One of the world’s most monstrous serial killers died in a hospital near Corcoran State Prison this morning.
Rodney Alcala, known as “The Dating Game Killer” was awaiting execution for multiple serial murders across the nation.
Just knowing he is no longer breathing brings a huge sigh of relief to me.
As many of my readers know, I arrested Alcala some fifty years ago in 1971 for the kidnap/attempted murder/rape of little 8-year-old, Tali Shapiro.
The California Courts had an “indeterminate sentencing” back then and though he was sentenced to 1-99 years, incredibly, he served just two years and change, and the prison psychiatrist deemed him “all well now” and he was released.
Alcala went on to rape and murder at least a dozen more women and children and was ultimately convicted and sent to prison in the late Seventies and after numerous retrials, he finally received the Death Penalty.
Below related photos are from my arrest back in 1971:
My Hollywood kidnap/att.murder victim Tali Shapiro circa 1968 Tali testifying in court at trial
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Rodney James Alcala then and now
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I was able to get Alcala on the FBI “Most Wanted” in 1971 and after his arrest at a girl’s camp in New Hampshire, I flew back and extradited him to California on our Hollywood child kidnap/att. murder warrant.
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Steve Hodel Hollywood patrol and as a rookie detective late Sixties/Early Seventies
CBS Video Interview on my Hollywood Crime (4 minutes)
Some of his murder victims:
Below is a Rolling Stones article out today announcing his death this morning at the prison hospital
The post Justice Slow In Coming: Fifty-Years After My Arrest of Rodney James Alcala “The Dating Game Killer” Dies In Prison at Age 77 appeared first on Steve Hodel.