Found this out only the other day after contacting a friend of mine whom I hadn't heard from since 1971.
The same year she and I went to the beach with whom we now believe was Rodney Alcala, the Dating Game killer. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Uf95INZmWI
He is current in San Quentin, death row, for killing five California girls. They think he may have killed as many as 134 across the United States.
This is our conversation online, and how after just getting in touch with her she wrote me:
Linda: "What do you remember about the time we hitch-hiked to Fire Island? After we got to the beach, the guy who picked us up sent you off to the refreshment stand, which was quite a distance away. Tell me what you remember before I go on. Glad you got in touch"
ME: "Think I remember that he told us he was Eddie Rickenbacher's son. I told someone I knew this (a man in his late sixties) and he laughed and said that guy was really putting one over on you, Eddie Rickenbacher was a pilot in World war one and no way was this young guy his son!"
Linda: "There's a reason I want to see if you remember him before I finish. I'm not sure if he was the one you mentioned. Do you remember anything about the guy who drove us to the beach? You sat in the front and I was in the back. I think it may have been a convertible. He had a lot of photo equipment with him and said he was a student."
Me: "I don't remember him, really. I remember you were into photography and I think I remember you and he struck a chord with that, but it's real foggy.
The guy I remember was tall, dark and kind of ruggedly handsome, is that the same guy?"
Linda: "I'm pretty sure it was Rodney Alcala. We hitchhiked during the summer of 1971, which was exactly when he was in NYC."
Me: "Wow. No kidding. Wait a min, you mean, on this site it says he was the dating game killer, that guy?"
Linda: "He took pics of me and half-heartedly tried to rape me while you were gone. That's why I never forgot him. Years later I realized that all the details added up. I even spoke to the CA District Atty about 2 years ago and she said it was his m.o. He was only in NYC for a few months, and that was exactly when he picked us up. I think it was a weekday because there weren't many cars in the lot. He looked a lot better back then!"
Me: "Yes, I think I do remember him because, Linda, what I remember is he was kind of good looking and took an interest in you and yet, he kind of scared me, even at that time. I was so naïve to leave you alone. God! You never said anything to me did you?"
Linda: "The pics would have been of me walking on the beach. I don't seem to be in any of the published pics- I've looked.
I was pretty freaked out and never said anything to you. I think I felt responsible (and stupid). But we left when you got back. I think the snack bar may have been closed.
He didn't talk much at all during the car ride. And I was disappointed because he had a lot of photo equipment with him and said he was a photo student in NYC. He was probably quiet because he was figuring out how to separate us. As soon as he got us way down the beach, he gave you money and sent you off.
We didn't bring bathing suits because it was a little too early in the season and the water was cold. He wanted me to walk towards the beach naked, but I wouldn't do that.
We were young and naive. He could easily have killed us both!
There were some people down by the water, but we were much further back. I didn't know what to do because the wind and surf were loud enough to where I didn't think anyone would hear me. Plus, I remember thinking that I didn't want to embarrass him and get him angry. I just told him that he was nice looking and could get any girl. He was just laying on top of me.
I'm guessing he picked us up in May, strangled the girl in NYC in June, and by August he was in New Hampshire being arrested. And look at the first paragraph- he was studying film in NYC, just like he told us! The timeline is very tight around then."
Since then we have talked on the phone. Linda and I did not hitch rides, ever. I said to her we didn't do that, she said, no not really. Then I told her what I think I remember is we met this guy at a park or something, he spoke to us, charmingly and claimed he was Rickenbacker's son, trying to impress us (only we being young had no real idea of who that was). Then asked us if we wanted to go for a ride to the beach, Fire Island.
I'm wondering if he told us this story about being Rickenbacker's son to make us think he was someone we'd want to get to know better, impress us, even make us think maybe he had some money or something. Not sure.
It was off season, May. The snack bar would've been closed, he would've known this so he was sending me off waaay down the beach on a wild goose chase, so he could be alone with my friend. This is my summation.
Linda is sure we did not go back with him. She says she was so stunned and wouldn't have gotten back in the car with him. Neither of us can remember how we got back from Fire Island.
Thought I'd put it on here to see what anyone knows of Rodney Alcala. My friend believes he was in a convertible and we are trying to remember or find this out.
Also, Linda has not seen the pictures he took of her on the websites online. We think that they were not put up to 'identify this girl' because she said they were taken of her from the side and she was too uncomfortable to look at the camera, so they would not be very good for someone identifying anyone.
The same year she and I went to the beach with whom we now believe was Rodney Alcala, the Dating Game killer. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Uf95INZmWI
He is current in San Quentin, death row, for killing five California girls. They think he may have killed as many as 134 across the United States.
This is our conversation online, and how after just getting in touch with her she wrote me:
Linda: "What do you remember about the time we hitch-hiked to Fire Island? After we got to the beach, the guy who picked us up sent you off to the refreshment stand, which was quite a distance away. Tell me what you remember before I go on. Glad you got in touch"
ME: "Think I remember that he told us he was Eddie Rickenbacher's son. I told someone I knew this (a man in his late sixties) and he laughed and said that guy was really putting one over on you, Eddie Rickenbacher was a pilot in World war one and no way was this young guy his son!"
Linda: "There's a reason I want to see if you remember him before I finish. I'm not sure if he was the one you mentioned. Do you remember anything about the guy who drove us to the beach? You sat in the front and I was in the back. I think it may have been a convertible. He had a lot of photo equipment with him and said he was a student."
Me: "I don't remember him, really. I remember you were into photography and I think I remember you and he struck a chord with that, but it's real foggy.
The guy I remember was tall, dark and kind of ruggedly handsome, is that the same guy?"
Linda: "I'm pretty sure it was Rodney Alcala. We hitchhiked during the summer of 1971, which was exactly when he was in NYC."
Me: "Wow. No kidding. Wait a min, you mean, on this site it says he was the dating game killer, that guy?"
Linda: "He took pics of me and half-heartedly tried to rape me while you were gone. That's why I never forgot him. Years later I realized that all the details added up. I even spoke to the CA District Atty about 2 years ago and she said it was his m.o. He was only in NYC for a few months, and that was exactly when he picked us up. I think it was a weekday because there weren't many cars in the lot. He looked a lot better back then!"
Me: "Yes, I think I do remember him because, Linda, what I remember is he was kind of good looking and took an interest in you and yet, he kind of scared me, even at that time. I was so naïve to leave you alone. God! You never said anything to me did you?"
Linda: "The pics would have been of me walking on the beach. I don't seem to be in any of the published pics- I've looked.
I was pretty freaked out and never said anything to you. I think I felt responsible (and stupid). But we left when you got back. I think the snack bar may have been closed.
He didn't talk much at all during the car ride. And I was disappointed because he had a lot of photo equipment with him and said he was a photo student in NYC. He was probably quiet because he was figuring out how to separate us. As soon as he got us way down the beach, he gave you money and sent you off.
We didn't bring bathing suits because it was a little too early in the season and the water was cold. He wanted me to walk towards the beach naked, but I wouldn't do that.
We were young and naive. He could easily have killed us both!
There were some people down by the water, but we were much further back. I didn't know what to do because the wind and surf were loud enough to where I didn't think anyone would hear me. Plus, I remember thinking that I didn't want to embarrass him and get him angry. I just told him that he was nice looking and could get any girl. He was just laying on top of me.
I'm guessing he picked us up in May, strangled the girl in NYC in June, and by August he was in New Hampshire being arrested. And look at the first paragraph- he was studying film in NYC, just like he told us! The timeline is very tight around then."
Since then we have talked on the phone. Linda and I did not hitch rides, ever. I said to her we didn't do that, she said, no not really. Then I told her what I think I remember is we met this guy at a park or something, he spoke to us, charmingly and claimed he was Rickenbacker's son, trying to impress us (only we being young had no real idea of who that was). Then asked us if we wanted to go for a ride to the beach, Fire Island.
I'm wondering if he told us this story about being Rickenbacker's son to make us think he was someone we'd want to get to know better, impress us, even make us think maybe he had some money or something. Not sure.
It was off season, May. The snack bar would've been closed, he would've known this so he was sending me off waaay down the beach on a wild goose chase, so he could be alone with my friend. This is my summation.
Linda is sure we did not go back with him. She says she was so stunned and wouldn't have gotten back in the car with him. Neither of us can remember how we got back from Fire Island.
Thought I'd put it on here to see what anyone knows of Rodney Alcala. My friend believes he was in a convertible and we are trying to remember or find this out.
Also, Linda has not seen the pictures he took of her on the websites online. We think that they were not put up to 'identify this girl' because she said they were taken of her from the side and she was too uncomfortable to look at the camera, so they would not be very good for someone identifying anyone.
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