The Killing Game

The Killing Game

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Ratings: 6.63/10 from 43 users.

The Killing GameA report on serial killer Rodney Alcala's 40-year odyssey of rape, murder and eluding justice.

Rodney Alcala is a convicted rapist and serial killer. He was sentenced to death in California in 2010 for five murders committed in that state between 1977 and 1979, and is under indictment for two additional homicides in New York. His true victim total remains unknown, and could be much higher.

He is sometimes labeled the "Dating Game Killer" because of his 1978 appearance on the American television show The Dating Game in the very midst of his murder spree.

One police detective called him "a killing machine", and criminalists have compared him to Ted Bundy. A homicide investigator familiar with the evidence speculated that Alcala could have murdered as many as 50 women, while other estimates have run as high as 130.

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Nikita Kade
Nikita Kade
9 years ago

These are the times that try [humans'] souls. If anyone should die for his crimes, it's this guy. But that begs the question: should the state put anyone to death for the crime of murder, and thus become a murderous state? There is no fairness in these situations; there is nothing that can satisfy the victims' families, no punishment that will outlive or erase their years of pain. The death penalty deters no one; in financial terms, it is actually more costly to taxpayers than life imprisonment. And yet the desire to be rid of someone like this man is so strong that, if left to our own devices, a crowd of random people would probably be happy to see him set free, so that we could fall upon him and do the job ourselves. I often wonder if there aren't just too many of us, with societies too big and too diverse to police themselves fairly. We are very rich and very poor, with a few falling in the middle to work like slaves for mediocre lives. A lucky few get into the right line, and receive all of modern life's benefits. A lucky few who want to murder, rape and torture find a shelter in our justice system; or an unlucky few have their number called, and are put to death. The randomness is disconcerting. Where is the answer?

Ian Armistead
Ian Armistead
10 years ago

Re - Precious Precious, when you say he shouldn't be put to death you are likening him with a normal human being which he is not. When he murdered someone he left there relatives with a life sentence of losing a loved one so why should he have the right to life when he removes someone elses?

Precious Precious
Precious Precious
11 years ago

No matter what the sentence to death is a bit too much.

Lock him up if he's a danger but don't kill a human being. Basically he is being killed for killing. Is that anywhere close to "LEGAL"? If killing is illegal then why life sentence?

just my 0.02

Mehmet Öz
Mehmet Öz
11 years ago

gooddddd explanat?on

mls51
mls51
11 years ago

It's not Chinese twisted humor....it"s basic Chinese philosophy......it sends a message gives a lesson for the parents and family who raise a child to become a murderer.......take care in your responsibly to bring your children up properly to be contributing members of society .... not criminals.

bustedclock
bustedclock
11 years ago

I always admired the twisted Chinese humor of sending the family of the condemned a bill a few yuan for the cost of the bullet that did the trick.

Escada Es
Escada Es
11 years ago

Not understanding this thread. This is about a serial killer murdering and raping at least 4 victims and possibly more? Am I at the right place? I wanted to say I feel sorry for the people of California who have to put up with such an enept California Supreme Court that they overturned a guilty verdict by jury not only once but twice!! Allowing this animal to kill again. I think in such cases .. that Supreme Court needs to lose their jobs and be let go. Obviously their judgement is no better than the serial killer they released.. Where is the accountability in this country??

Teddy Mcd
Teddy Mcd
11 years ago

On spanking children. It's not spanking it's hitting - striking and it's wrong. I will not even debate the issue.

"What about a pat on the butt?" - see above.

I think of a child 2 - 3 feet tall being hit by a 5 - 6 foot adult as sort of comparable to an adult being hit by a 10 - 12 foot giant. In the case of an adult being hit by said giant the adult has some sense of how to protect themself, either that or run like hell. Whereas the child has no such defense and nowhere to run.

It's plainly wrong and It is no way to teach a child to reason - to understand right from wrong. Of course if you want to call on biblical teaching, 'Spare the rod...' No! Let's not go there either.

Teresa
Teresa
11 years ago

Im tired of this Mother fed me too many cheerios when I was young. Also alot of people have been abused severely and are not serial killers. Time to bring back OLD SPARKY

Glittery_affair
Glittery_affair
11 years ago

Very haunting episode.

lakhotason
lakhotason
11 years ago

Social Services is about as bad as the abuser. Sometimes they turn these children over to foster parents whose only interest is making money off these kids one way or another.

This is not to say that most foster parents are truly trying to help. It's the bad apples that need to be weeded from the system.

lakhotason
lakhotason
11 years ago

But you cannot rehabilitate a pedophile and that's what we are talking about.

Glen Hale
Glen Hale
11 years ago

They are sociopaths who have no feelings and can not understand they are hurting other people. They only worry about themselves and no one else including "loved ones"
Crying and asking for mercy means nothing to them.
1 in 4 has the mental problem and could be your boss or political member

lakhotason
lakhotason
11 years ago

This is why I could never be a cop. If I had arrested this piece of garbage there wouldn't be a trial. And it wouldn't be a quick and painless bullet to the head either.

bringmeredwine
bringmeredwine
11 years ago

This doc was totally intersting and kept my heart and emotions pumping in outrage for 40 minutes. Never a dull moment.
Interestingly enough, just as I was wondering why on earth a victim's family member had never shot Alcala; a mother did admitt she had come to court with a gun, fully intending to wipe this guy off the face of the earth.
I thought this story was well worth the telling and was presented in a very respectfull manner on behalf of the young victims and their families.

emp12345
emp12345
11 years ago

these type of people are part of human evolution. Clearly, liars, cheaters and evil people win (look at the USA since WWII). Just a small number of these cheaters and murderers determine what happens in the world. Guys like Alcala are just extremes of the evolutionary process. Within 500 years, if the human species is still here, there are only cheaters, liars and murderers. The honest people who used to do the work will be long gone. That's why the human species will die out.

xxconspiracyxx
xxconspiracyxx
11 years ago

Well i suppose it is what it is, the law is law and thats that, someone of the law tells you if your gonna die, you die.

I'm done here I think, not much else to say really unless there is a change of subject. ha!

xxconspiracyxx
xxconspiracyxx
11 years ago

before DNA really took off, imagine all the innocent people that have been executed, how do we really know? we are trusting people to check DNA samples, what if they make a balls up somewhere, i mean we all make mistakes.

xxconspiracyxx
xxconspiracyxx
11 years ago

I dunno man, putting you life to what a computer says.

xxconspiracyxx
xxconspiracyxx
11 years ago

You know I haven't watched this yet and am just about to, but speaking about the death penalty is a touchy game, I mean there has been cases where people have been on death row for years then found out that they are innocent, even though some people should have the death penalty I still think it has its flaws,

Can you imagine how some people have felt knowing there innocent but having to sit in death row?

Just doesn't work.

I wish that they would make jails the way they should be, like gloomy dungeons, shackles and let them rot there for the rest of there life, no Playstations, Plasma TV's, gyms, pool tables etc

If i knew jails were like a gloomy dungeon with shackles, then I would like to see them suffer like that then put to death knowing they have escaped in a way.

Lorna Kennedy
Lorna Kennedy
11 years ago

Not really, only that the way they are doing things needs to be changed because like you said its appaling when you look at those statistics. I also think there are lots of small offences in america that should be dealth with in a completely different way so they wouldnt be clogging up the system and draining the resourses and time needed for more serious offences. This three strikes and your in prison over there doesnt seem to always be the best way to deal with petty cases.

Lorna Kennedy
Lorna Kennedy
11 years ago

I watched a documentary recently about cases where people could be rightly acquitted due to DNA evidence. When I say condone the death penalty it is just that i dont want to be the one to decide but I know that many of these men (and some women) are living a grand old life for themselves in prison and dont deserve to live let alone a gym, tv and three meals a day. And we all know its the tax payer paying to keep them comfortable.

Here I know of a local chap caught dealing drugs. Not on a huge scale but he was in the army and the wanted to make an example of him. He served seven years. Thats more than what peadophiles get in this country. So if i dont trust the way the law is enfoursed its hard to trust it with something as serious as life. In this country anyway.

Lorna Kennedy
Lorna Kennedy
11 years ago

I would never say I enjoy watching documentaries like this but I do watch them because I am interested in how the brain works or in this case does not work. I agree with robertallen1 why watch it then Justin. Surely with a title like ''the killing game'' you didnt think it was about quantum theory. It may also help to identify other victims whos family still have no answers and no peace. I would rather these ladies stories be heard but still, it is not the morbid and grotesque I am interested. Would you not agree that it is interesting how this man could do these things yet every instinct in me is repulsed. Thats a huge difference in how the mind works.

Justin Lesniewski
Justin Lesniewski
11 years ago

i never watch documentaries or shows on killers, psychos, et.c. I feel that it aggrandizes them, and in all honesty they shouldn't even be reported on in the news....there should be no acclaim at all for such creatures. That some people enjoy watching these will forever mystify me. I'll take nature,space, politics, anything over studying why some deviant decided to become evil. The tone in which describes what has transpired in these docs is much too reverent for me

robertallen1
robertallen1
11 years ago

So why is this monster still alive?