The crime thriller film Woman of the Hour, directed by Anna Kendrick (also the lead star), is based on the true story of Cheryl Bradshaw, who appeared on the famous TV show The Dating Game and ended up having an encounter with a serial killer named Rodney Alcala. Over the years, Alcala had assaulted several women and tried to murder them as well - until he surprisingly appeared on the famous TV event and got to meet Cheryl, who was a contestant.
As reported so far, Rodney Alcala had s**ually assaulted and murdered seven women, and only two of them, Tali Shapiro and Morgan Rowan, had been able to survive his attacks. The incidents involving the survivors took place almost 10 years before Alcala's appearance on The Dating Game.
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At the time of the attacks, Shapiro was only 8, and Rowan was 16 years old. Alcala had reportedly r**ed and attempted to murder both of them. He was arrested in 1979 for allegedly murdering an 8-year-old Robin Samsoe and was later convicted in 1980. The other women killed by Rodney Alcala are Georgia Wixted (27), Charlotte Lamb (32), Jill Barcomb (18), Jill Parenteau (21), Cornelia Michael Crilley (23), and Ellen Hover (23). He was later sentenced to death but died of natural causes in custody in 2021.
According to reports, Shapiro was seen appearing at Alcala's sentencing (2010), where she testified against the killer, and in the present day, she lives in Palm Springs, California. On the other hand, Rowan had lived in guilt for years for not reporting Alcala sooner. Eventually, she opened up to Tali Shapiro, and they grew close to each other. Rowan lives a few hours away from Shapiro in California, and they reportedly are good friends.
To know more about the survivors of Dating Game Killer, follow this article.
What did Rodney Alcala do to Tali Shapiro?
According to reports, Tali Shapiro (eight at that time) was walking to school on the morning of September 25, 1968, in Los Angeles when a car suddenly pulled up to the side of the road. Alcala was inside the car and offered to take her for a ride. Shapiro initially hesitated to accept the offer and said no, but Alcala told her he knew her parents and lured her into the car.
Shapiro was reportedly from an influential family, and her father (music businessman) used to work with stars like Mama Cass and Jim Morisson. Years later, per reports, she said in a statement:
"It was totally impossible that he knew my parents. There were always people going in and out of my house. It was like Grand Central Station."
On the day of the attack, Tali eventually got into Alcala's car, and the latter told her he was a professional photographer. He just wanted to take Shapiro to his apartment to show a picture. After the two reached Alcala's house, he hit Shapiro with a metal rod on her head. According to reports, she had no memory of anything that happened afterward.
As stated by multiple sources, Rodney had raped Shapiro and then beat her up. Later, the police found her lying naked and covered in blood in Alacala's apartment. She had reportedly lost her senses but was still alive, groaning in pain. Shapiro further added:
"After the attack, I needed over 27 stitches in the back of my head. He hit me right over the head, in the back of the head."
Where are the survivors of the Dating Game Killer now?
Tali Shapiro was reportedly present at Alcala's sentencing in 2010. There, she testified against him and further added in a statement:
"I didn't have any feelings except of duty, of justice. I never once looked his way. I consciously didn't want to give him any energy whatsoever. I didn't glance at him, I didn't acknowledge him, I never spoke his name. I didn't give him any satisfaction."
In the present day, Shapiro lives in Palm Springs, California, and has a good relationship with Morgan Rowan. Shapiro also said that the world would be better without Rodney Alcala, per reports.
Rowan, the other survivor, had lived in guilt of not reporting Alcala for a long time. She suffered a panic attack on getting the news of Alacala's sentencing, as it had brought back all the trauma. But eventually, she reached out to Shapiro through Facebook and apologized for not reporting the crimes sooner.
The two gradually grew fond of each other and became good friends. As they mentioned, Shapiro and Rowan live hours away in California, and their relationship is like that of sisters.
What did Rodney Alcala do to Morgan Rowan?
In a statement on People Magazine Investigates, Morgan Rowan stated that she had her first encounter with Alcala outside a teen nightclub in 1965. Describing him as "tall, attractive, charismatic," she further added:
"He laughed easily, told stories. Young girls loved him. I never saw that as dangerous, but actually, it was."
As Alcala kept smiling at Rowan's friends' group, she tried to gain his attention by scratching his arm, but she did not stop even after he asked. Then, Alcala reportedly grabbed her and dragged her into a nearby alley. He slammed her head against the wall, leaving her unconscious. Later, Rowan was rescued and treated by the club owner.
Rowan's subsequent encounter with Alcala was in 1968 when she was on a trip with her friends at the Sunset Strip. They were co-incidentally in a joint group of people, and Alcala took all of them to his house to party. Rowan was reportedly scared the whole time but did not reveal it.
Later, Rowan was grabbed by Alcala, who then pulled her into a bedroom and pushed her against a wall. She was barely in her senses when he cut her with a knife, stuffed her mouth with his belt, kept her tied, ripped her clothes, and r**ping her, per reports. Morgan Rowan had reportedly described the attack in a statement, saying:
"His face was red and swollen, his eyes were glassy. He was out of control, like an animal...I wanted it to be over. I wasn't praying to live. I was praying to die."
How did Tali Shapiro and Morgan Rowan survive their attacks?
Shapiro was saved by a bystander named Donald Haines, who had reportedly followed Alcala and her - Haines had suspected something might be wrong and tailed the killer but never approached him. He called 911 soon after which the police arrived at the scene and rescued Shapiro.
On the other hand, Rowan was lucky to have Mike, who broke into Alcala's bedroom right in time, rescued her, and took her to his apartment by the beach, reports. A nurse was there to provide her first aid and helped recover from the initial trauma.
Woman of the Hour covers the heinous crimes of Rodney Alcala and the story of her different victims - only two of whom were able to survive. Cheryl Bradshaw was the only woman who was able to foresee the trouble. She sensed something was wrong following her encounter with Alcala on The Dating Game and later refused to go out with him, thereby saving her own life.
Stay tuned to Soap Central for more information.
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