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Serial Killer Wins a Dating Show While Hunting His Victims
Serial Killer Wins a Dating Show While Hunting His Victims
In 1978, a charming man appeared on a popular television dating show, winning the heart of the contestant and the cheers of the audience. What no one knew was that this man was a serial killer who had already taken lives and would kill again. How did Rodney Alcala operate for over a decade in plain sight, even appearing on national television?
In this episode, we analyze the case of Rodney Alcala, a predator who leveraged charm and the structural blind spots of the 1970s to evade capture. We explore how a man who looked like "bachelor number one" was able to move through society undetected, and why the systems designed to stop him failed for so long.
Case: Rodney Alcala
Period: 1970s
Event: Appearance on The Dating Game
Profession: Photographer
Education: School of Visual Arts in New York
- Rodney Alcala appeared on The Dating Game in 1978.
- He was described as attentive, creative, and disarmingly normal by those who encountered him.
- The 1970s lacked a centralized database for law enforcement reports across state lines.
- Alcala used his profession as a photographer to approach strangers and gain their trust.
- He understood that the most effective camouflage was belonging, not hiding.
To listen ad-free and access premium episodes, start your 30-day free trial at obomedia.com
OBOMEDIA presents true crime storiesa true crime podcast built on real cases.
Every true crime story in our crime files follows the crime investigation from the missing person report to the trial: investigators and police building a murder case, a police investigation gone cold, justice for the victim and those who survived.
We open the unsolved murder, the cold case reopened decades later, the mysterious death, the disappearance, the serial killer, the family murder, the murder mystery; the missing persons a missing woman, a missing girl, a missing man found dead and the missing and murdered.
From the infamous case to the unsolved case, from classic true crime to dark true crime and disturbing true crime: true crime reports, real crime stories, real murder cases, true murder stories and unsolved mysteries one true crime case at a time, from the OBOMEDIA true crime vault.
© 2026 Created with OBOMEDIA technology. All rights reserved. This episode and its content (audio, text and related materials) are the property of their respective creator and are distributed under the OBOMEDIA name on platforms such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music and Pocket Casts. Reproduction, distribution, editing or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission is prohibited. For permissions, licensing and business inquirie
In 1978, a charming man appeared on a popular television dating show, winning the heart of the contestant and the cheers of the audience. What no one knew was that this man was a serial killer who had already taken lives and would kill again. How did Rodney Alcala operate for over a decade in plain sight, even appearing on national television?
In this episode, we analyze the case of Rodney Alcala, a predator who leveraged charm and the structural blind spots of the 1970s to evade capture. We explore how a man who looked like "bachelor number one" was able to move through society undetected, and why the systems designed to stop him failed for so long.
Case: Rodney Alcala
Period: 1970s
Event: Appearance on The Dating Game
Profession: Photographer
Education: School of Visual Arts in New York
- Rodney Alcala appeared on The Dating Game in 1978.
- He was described as attentive, creative, and disarmingly normal by those who encountered him.
- The 1970s lacked a centralized database for law enforcement reports across state lines.
- Alcala used his profession as a photographer to approach strangers and gain their trust.
- He understood that the most effective camouflage was belonging, not hiding.
To listen ad-free and access premium episodes, start your 30-day free trial at obomedia.com
OBOMEDIA presents true crime storiesa true crime podcast built on real cases.
Every true crime story in our crime files follows the crime investigation from the missing person report to the trial: investigators and police building a murder case, a police investigation gone cold, justice for the victim and those who survived.
We open the unsolved murder, the cold case reopened decades later, the mysterious death, the disappearance, the serial killer, the family murder, the murder mystery; the missing persons a missing woman, a missing girl, a missing man found dead and the missing and murdered.
From the infamous case to the unsolved case, from classic true crime to dark true crime and disturbing true crime: true crime reports, real crime stories, real murder cases, true murder stories and unsolved mysteries one true crime case at a time, from the OBOMEDIA true crime vault.
© 2026 Created with OBOMEDIA technology. All rights reserved. This episode and its content (audio, text and related materials) are the property of their respective creator and are distributed under the OBOMEDIA name on platforms such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music and Pocket Casts. Reproduction, distribution, editing or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission is prohibited. For permissions, licensing and business inquirie
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By Creator at ObomediaSerial Killer Wins a Dating Show While Hunting His Victims
In 1978, a charming man appeared on a popular television dating show, winning the heart of the contestant and the cheers of the audience. What no one knew was that this man was a serial killer who had already taken lives and would kill again. How did Rodney Alcala operate for over a decade in plain sight, even appearing on national television?
In this episode, we analyze the case of Rodney Alcala, a predator who leveraged charm and the structural blind spots of the 1970s to evade capture. We explore how a man who looked like "bachelor number one" was able to move through society undetected, and why the systems designed to stop him failed for so long.
Case: Rodney Alcala
Period: 1970s
Event: Appearance on The Dating Game
Profession: Photographer
Education: School of Visual Arts in New York
- Rodney Alcala appeared on The Dating Game in 1978.
- He was described as attentive, creative, and disarmingly normal by those who encountered him.
- The 1970s lacked a centralized database for law enforcement reports across state lines.
- Alcala used his profession as a photographer to approach strangers and gain their trust.
- He understood that the most effective camouflage was belonging, not hiding.
To listen ad-free and access premium episodes, start your 30-day free trial at obomedia.com
OBOMEDIA presents true crime storiesa true crime podcast built on real cases.
Every true crime story in our crime files follows the crime investigation from the missing person report to the trial: investigators and police building a murder case, a police investigation gone cold, justice for the victim and those who survived.
We open the unsolved murder, the cold case reopened decades later, the mysterious death, the disappearance, the serial killer, the family murder, the murder mystery; the missing persons a missing woman, a missing girl, a missing man found dead and the missing and murdered.
From the infamous case to the unsolved case, from classic true crime to dark true crime and disturbing true crime: true crime reports, real crime stories, real murder cases, true murder stories and unsolved mysteries one true crime case at a time, from the OBOMEDIA true crime vault.
© 2026 Created with OBOMEDIA technology. All rights reserved. This episode and its content (audio, text and related materials) are the property of their respective creator and are distributed under the OBOMEDIA name on platforms such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music and Pocket Casts. Reproduction, distribution, editing or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission is prohibited. For permissions, licensing and business inquirie
In 1978, a charming man appeared on a popular television dating show, winning the heart of the contestant and the cheers of the audience. What no one knew was that this man was a serial killer who had already taken lives and would kill again. How did Rodney Alcala operate for over a decade in plain sight, even appearing on national television?
In this episode, we analyze the case of Rodney Alcala, a predator who leveraged charm and the structural blind spots of the 1970s to evade capture. We explore how a man who looked like "bachelor number one" was able to move through society undetected, and why the systems designed to stop him failed for so long.
Case: Rodney Alcala
Period: 1970s
Event: Appearance on The Dating Game
Profession: Photographer
Education: School of Visual Arts in New York
- Rodney Alcala appeared on The Dating Game in 1978.
- He was described as attentive, creative, and disarmingly normal by those who encountered him.
- The 1970s lacked a centralized database for law enforcement reports across state lines.
- Alcala used his profession as a photographer to approach strangers and gain their trust.
- He understood that the most effective camouflage was belonging, not hiding.
To listen ad-free and access premium episodes, start your 30-day free trial at obomedia.com
OBOMEDIA presents true crime storiesa true crime podcast built on real cases.
Every true crime story in our crime files follows the crime investigation from the missing person report to the trial: investigators and police building a murder case, a police investigation gone cold, justice for the victim and those who survived.
We open the unsolved murder, the cold case reopened decades later, the mysterious death, the disappearance, the serial killer, the family murder, the murder mystery; the missing persons a missing woman, a missing girl, a missing man found dead and the missing and murdered.
From the infamous case to the unsolved case, from classic true crime to dark true crime and disturbing true crime: true crime reports, real crime stories, real murder cases, true murder stories and unsolved mysteries one true crime case at a time, from the OBOMEDIA true crime vault.
© 2026 Created with OBOMEDIA technology. All rights reserved. This episode and its content (audio, text and related materials) are the property of their respective creator and are distributed under the OBOMEDIA name on platforms such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music and Pocket Casts. Reproduction, distribution, editing or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission is prohibited. For permissions, licensing and business inquirie