The Man Known as the Dating Game Killer Was Found Guilty of Murdering Eight Women — Police Believe He Killed 130

In July 2021, CNN reported that convicted serial killer Rodney Alcala died of natural causes while in prison. It hardly seems fair that a man who murdered eight women should be allowed to pass away peacefully, but life is hardly ever fair. Alcala was known as the The Dating Game Killer because when he appeared on the popular show in 1978, he had already murdered at least five women. Although he ended up winning, the lucky gal did not end up going on the date.

Jim Lange, host of The Dating Game, described Alcala as a successful photographer during his introduction. In fact, Alcala used his photography in order to trick victims into going with him under the guise of participating in photoshoots. When he was eventually caught for good, police discovered Alcala had taken pictures of over 100 women. Although only eight of them were confirmed victims, authorities believe there could be as many as 130. Here's what we know.

In terms of identifying Alcala's victims, we're going to go chronologically starting with his earliest known murder. According to the Queens Chronicle, 23-year-old Cornelia Crilley was strangled to death with her own stocking on June 24, 1971, soon after she moved into her first apartment, in Manhattan. Her case went cold until 2010 when DNA evidence confirmed Alcala was the killer, using a sample of his saliva.

Six years later, Alcala was out on parole after spending time in prison for child molestation when he came across 23-year-old Christine Thornton in the summer of 1977. She and her boyfriend had left Texas and were heading for Montana to pan for gold when they got into an argument in Green River, Wyo., per the Miami Herald. That's where she met Alcala, who offered to take her photo. Her body was found five years later but wasn't identified until 2015 using a DNA sample from her sister Kathy.

New York socialite Ellen Hover was also murdered by Alcala in the summer of 1977. According to the New York Times, in July of that year, Hover had an appointment to see a photographer named John Berger. She was never heard from again. Almost a year later, Hover's "bones were found on the grounds of the Rockefeller estate in Westchester County." Sadly there was not enough DNA to help Hover, but her cousin made sure the cold case stayed warm. In December 2012, Alcala pleaded guilty to killing Hover.

In November 1977, Jill Barcomb's family got word that the 18-year-old from Oneida, N.Y. had been killed, per the New Haven Register. Not only was she beaten, but there were signs of sexual assault. Barcomb's body had been found in the Hollywood Hills. In March 2010, the Los Angeles Times reported that Alcala had been sentenced to death for the murder of Barcomb, as well as four other victims.

Three of the four victims from the March 2010 sentencing were Georgia Marie Wixted (27), Charlotte Lamb (31), and Jill Parenteau (21). These young women were part of a killing spree that occurred in California. It ended in June 1979 with the murder of 12-year-old Robin Samsoe. Each of them had been sexually assaulted and beaten to death. Alcala was arrested a month after Samsoe's murder and sentenced to death the first time in May 1980.

Although Alcala was arrested in July 1979 a month after Samsoe was killed, he would end up "tried and retried for kidnapping and murdering the young ballet dancer," per the Los Angeles Times. The third Samsoe trial was included in the March 2010 trial, meaning Alcala was then answering for the five murders. As stated, he was once again sentenced to death and this time it would stick. He sat on death row for 30 years until his own death.