Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
Cops Release "Dating Game Killer" Photos
By
Jaya Saxena
Published Apr 21, 2010
Modified Apr 22, 2010
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
View all 14
By
Jaya Saxena
Published Apr 21, 2010
Modified Apr 22, 2010
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
The NYPD has decided to release over 200 photos taken by "Dating Game Killer" Rodney Alcala of his potential victims in the hopes that the subjects or their families will come forward and identify themselves. Though Alcala is on death row in California, he lived in Manhattan for a few years and has been connected to two murders here. One policeman told the Post the photos could help "solve several homicides he [Alcala] is a suspect in."
Police were sent the photos last month by the Huntington Beach Police Department, but did not release them to the public, which angered his victims' families. "They should be in every newspaper, on TV and on the Internet,"said Sheila Weller, the cousin of Ellen Hover, who was found murdered in Westchester in 1978. Alcala has long been a suspect. The shots were found in a storage locker in Seattle, and the NYPD was sent 221 photos that suggested they were taken around New York. Alcala allegedly hung out in Greenwich Village in the '70s, going by the name John Berger and studying film under Roman Polanski. He was nicknamed the "Dating Game Killer" because of an appearance on the show.
21 subjects have already been identified in California, and cops hope the same will happen in New York. "He definitely was involved in more murder than we know of," said Retired Huntington Beach Detective Steve Mack, adding that he hopes the photos will bring closure to families of missing persons. "We ought to give the families that lost loved ones a proper identification." WPIX has a gallery of all 221 photos, which include photos of children.
Tagged
dating game killer
nypd
photos
rodney alcala
serial killer
Jaya Saxena
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE news
Early Addition: Get to know Wanda, the donkey in the Met's 'La Bohème'
Because she's 18 years old now, here are your early links: The RHONY castmember mentioned in the Epstein Files, killing rats with carbon monoxide, Selena Gomez says don't vape and more.
By
James Ramsay
Published Oct 19, 2026 at 8:26 a.m. ET
Eric Adams' NYC buildings boss Eric Ulrich heads to trial, 3 years after arrest
Ulrich, a former city councilmember, is accused of trading access and favors for cash and bribes. He was the first aide to Mayor Adams charged with public corruption.
By
David Brand
and
Samantha Max
News
Eric Adams' NYC buildings boss Eric Ulrich heads to trial, 3 years after arrest
Ulrich, a former city councilmember, is accused of trading access and favors for cash and bribes. He was the first aide to Mayor Adams charged with public corruption.
By
David Brand
and
Samantha Max
Need help with mental health or addiction services? NYC has a new tool.
By
Caroline Lewis
NYC sues personal injury law firm accused of bogus trip-and-fall claims
By
Walter Wuthmann
NYC Council to consider earlier Legionella reporting after deadly outbreaks
By
Catalina Gonella
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .