New True Crimes Series Showcases Escapes From Serial Killers

True Crime Series John Wayne Gacy - YouTube, Real Crime

People Magazine Investigates is releasing a new true crime series that exposes the stories of people who have survived the attacks of serial killers. The series will take a look at some well-known serial killers and the one that got away. Continue reading to learn about People Magazine Investigates: Surviving A Serial Killer, where and when you can watch, and more.

Episode One Rodney Alcala: The Dating Game Killer

According to a press release by Investigation Discovery, the true crime series “takes back the narrative of their lives by sharing the disturbing yet empowering accounts of how they escaped the clutches of a serial killer.”

The series, produced by Radley Studios, will feature interviews with survivors, their families, and law enforcement officials. Each episode will “piece together the emotional, shocking, and exclusive stories that finally brought serial killers to justice.”

The first episode takes a look at the story of Morgan Rowan, who survived an attack by the serial killer Rodney Alcala. Rodney is also known as the “Dating Game Killer.”

True Crime Series Rodney Alcala - YouTube, Inside Edition
YouTube/Inside Edition

Alcala was nicknamed the “Dating Game Killer” because he was the winning contestant on a dating show on ABC during his serial killing spree in 1978. In total, Rodney Alcala has been officially linked to eight murders. Authorities believe the number of killings he is linked to could be as many as 130 though.

When Can You Watch The New True Crime Series?

Morgan Rowan was 16 years old when she was attacked by Alcala at a party at his home in Hollywood, but she didn’t report the incident. Due to her hesitation to speak with police, Rowan has felt guilty because the “Dating Game Killer” went on to attack 8-year-old Tali Shapiro.

Rowan discusses her decades-long search for Shapiro in the first episode. She wanted to reach out and connect with her to let her know she wasn’t alone. Eventually, the two women became great friends. They speak about their unique relationship with each other in the true crime series.

True Crime Series Morgan Rowan - YouTube, A&E
YouTube/A&E

His terrifying reign ended in 1979 when he was charged with the murder of 12-year-old Robin Samsoe. The young girl went missing on the way to her ballet class and her disappearance and death were linked to Alcala. One year later, he was sentenced to death.

He was also charged with the 1970s rapes and murders of four more women in the Los Angeles area. Georgia Wixted, Jill Parenteau, Charlotte Lamb, and Jill Barcomb were all victims of Rodney Alcala’s sadistic mind. While on death row, he also pled guilty to two rape and murder cases in New York City that involved Cornelia Crilley and Ellen Jane Hover.

Alcala never got to see his death sentence play out though. He died in prison of natural causes at the age of 77 in 2021.

People Magazine Investigates: Surviving A Serial Killer will premiere on Sunday, May 5 at 9 p.m. EST on the ID channel. It will air at the same time for six weeks.

Amanda Blankenship

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *