Biography

Rodney James Alcala (born Rodrigo Jacques Alcala; August 23, 1943 – July 24, 2021), also known as John Berger and John Burger, was an American serial killer and convicted sex offender who was sentenced to death in California for five murders committed between 1977 and 1979. He pleaded guilty and received a sentence of twenty-five years to life for two further murders committed in New York State. He was also indicted for one murder in Wyoming, although the charges filed there were dropped. While he has been conclusively linked to nine murders, the true number of victims remains unknown and could be as high as 130. The 2024 movie Woman of the Hour is based on the episode in which Alcala was the winning contestant The Dating Game.