A chilling case from the past has resurfaced thanks to a new film, bringing renewed attention to one of America’s most infamous serial killers, Rodney Alcala, better known as the “Dating Game Killer.” The nickname comes from his bizarre 1978 appearance on the popular TV show The Dating Game—a time when he was in the midst of a brutal killing spree.
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Steven Mack, a former detective who helped lock away this “monster” for life, recently shared with Fox News Digital the critical clue that sealed Alcala’s fate: a pair of earrings found among his belongings.
Alcala, known for his intelligence—he reportedly had an IQ of 140—believed he was too smart to ever be caught. But in the end, it was meticulous detective work and modern DNA technology that brought him down.
Mack, who spent 18 years as a detective, first crossed paths with Alcala’s crimes in 1979 when he was a patrol officer. Back then, the Huntington Beach Police Department was frantically searching for Robin Samsoe, a 12-year-old girl who had vanished while riding her bike to dance class.
“Robin was full of life—she loved dancing, the beach, her family, and friends,” Mack recalled. Her murder deeply shook the community and left an emotional scar on the investigators.
Years later, as a homicide detective in 2003, Mack took on Alcala’s case. At that point, Alcala had already been sentenced to death for Robin’s murder not once but twice. Both convictions were overturned on technicalities, leaving the case wide open.
Determined to find solid evidence, Mack revisited items stored decades earlier from a storage locker belonging to Alcala. Among the chilling collection of “trophies” was a small satin pouch containing rose-shaped earrings. These items, often kept by serial killers, allowed them to relive their crimes.
It was those earrings that provided the breakthrough investigators needed. DNA found on them matched a woman named Charlotte Lamb, who had been murdered in Los Angeles in 1978. This connection brought fresh momentum to the case, allowing prosecutors to link Alcala to five murders in California, including Robin’s.
With this new forensic evidence, Alcala faced a joint trial for the murders. In 2010, he was sentenced to death again for these heinous crimes. But his dark legacy didn’t stop there.
As Alcala’s DNA profile became available in national databases, it linked him to other murders across the country. In 2013, he was sentenced to an additional 25 years to life for two murders in New York. Then, in 2016, he was charged with killing a pregnant woman in Wyoming in 1977.
Despite the growing list of convictions, Alcala never faced execution. He died of natural causes in a California prison hospital in 2021, at the age of 77. For many, his death felt far too easy considering the pain he caused.
Steven Mack, reflecting on the case, said he believes Alcala’s victim count is likely much higher than what is officially recorded. But even with these convictions, Mack doesn’t think families ever truly find closure.
“Closure would mean forgetting what happened to their loved ones—and that’s impossible,” he said.
For Mack, this case hit close to home. It not only reshaped his career but also impacted his personal life and sense of safety. “It changed everything,” he shared. “Huntington Beach was a safe place, and this shattered that image.”
Even now, Mack refuses to say Alcala’s name. To him, the killer was simply a “monster” who doesn’t deserve any recognition. For the families of his victims and the communities he terrorized, his crimes left scars that time can never fully heal.
