The Disturbing Truth Behind Netflix’s ‘Woman Of The Hour’ Serial Killer Rodney Alcala
In the chilling thriller "Woman of the Hour" on Netflix, Anna Kendrick stars and makes her directorial debut, portraying the true story of American serial killer and sex offender Rodney Alcala, who shockingly won The Dating Game in 1978.
The movie delves into Rodney Alcala’s life, starting with a scene where he photographs a woman he is about to assault in Wyoming, before exploring various points in his life and his encounters with women. One of these women is Sheryl Bradshaw, played by Kendrick, a contestant on The Dating Game. Bradshaw’s character is based on Cheryl Bradshaw, who almost went on a date with Alcala after his appearance on the show.
Alcala’s criminal history dates back almost a decade before his infamous appearance on The Dating Game, and he continued his spree of murders until his arrest the following year. Screenwriter Ian McDonald, who discovered the Dating Game story on a true crime website, described Alcala as different from notorious serial killer Ted Bundy, noting that Alcala’s crimes were not hidden but overlooked by others.
Rodney Alcala was convicted of killing seven women in the 1970s, but investigators believe the actual victim count may never be known. His first murder charge came in 1979 for the death of 12-year-old Robin Samsoe. Alcala was sentenced to death for her murder in 1980, but subsequent legal proceedings resulted in multiple reversals and retrials.
In 2010, Alcala was convicted of five counts of first-degree murder and sentenced to death. He faced additional murder charges in other states, receiving a 25 years to life sentence in New York for the murders of Cornelia Crilley and Ellen Jane Hover. In 2016, he was charged with the murder of Christine Ruth Thornton in Wyoming.
Two survivors of Alcala’s attacks, Tali Shapiro and Morgan Rowan, managed to escape his brutality. Shapiro was raped and assaulted by Alcala when she was just 8 years old, while Rowan was attacked twice by him in her teenage years. Both survivors shared harrowing accounts of their encounters with Alcala.
Rodney Alcala passed away in 2021 at the age of 77 while awaiting execution in California. His death came as a result of natural causes, and his execution had been postponed indefinitely due to a moratorium on the death penalty in the state. Alcala’s legacy as one of America’s most notorious serial killers lives on, with his story depicted in the Netflix film "Woman of the Hour."