A report on the criminal justice system’s 50-year pursuit of serial killer Rodney James Alcala. From his 1968 abduction, rape and attempted murder of 8-year old Tali Shapiro in Los Angeles; to his 2010 conviction -- with the help of advances in DNA technology -- for the kidnapping, rape and murder of five California women; and to the subsequent discovery of other murders attributed to Alcala in New York and Wyoming. “48 Hours" correspondent Peter Van Sant reports. This classic "48 Hours" episode last aired on 11/9/2024. Watch all-new episodes of “48 Hours” on Saturdays, and stream on demand on Paramount+. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Chapter 1: What happened to Tali Shapiro in 1968?
Her intuition probably saved her life. Others would not be so fortunate.
We'll never know how many women are lucky, because every woman that crossed that guy's path was a potential victim.
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There's got to be something at the heart of that evidence that they've got.
Yeah.
I'm Payne Lindsey.
And I'm Maggie Freeling.
This is Up and Vanished Weekly.
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Chapter 2: How did police find Rodney Alcala?
As was agreed upon, Alcala was returned to San Quentin's death row.
I got a telephone call from Robin Samso's mother, and she said she was so grateful that we were doing this. It's such a comfort to know that regardless of what might happen to the California cases, if for some reason he should get out, he's coming back to New York and he's going to serve 25 to life.
Both the New York and California prosecutors are haunted by the question. Are there other victims out there?
He crisscrossed the country, West Coast, East Coast, East Coast, West Coast, crossed through a lot of states, and I'm sure there are victims in those states.
They just have to be found.
How come she hasn't contacted us? That's not like her.
Rodney Alcala had been convicted of seven murders and was facing five separate death penalties. Kathy Thornton, who had spent the last 39 years trying to track down her missing sister Christine, had never heard of Alcala. But her son did. It would change Kathy's quest forever.
The Killing Game. Tonight's 48 Hours Mystery.
In 2013, Kathy's son had watched a 48-hour story on Alcala that led him to its website and a series of photos taken by Alcala of unidentified women.
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