MONIQUE Hoyt was one of the few people who survived an encounter with serial killer Rodney Alcala, during his crime spree which ran from 1968 until 1979.
The murderer’s crimes were dramatized in Netflix’s Woman of the Hour, which is set a year before Rodney murdered Monique.
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Surviving Rodney Alcala
Monique was fifteen years old when she crossed paths with Rodney Alcala on Valentines Day in February 1979.
She was hitchhiking home when Rodney offered to drive her home, before actually taking her back to his apartment and raping her.
He then took her to a mountainous area in California, where he took pictures of her as taking pictures of his victims was one of Rodney’s modus operandi.
Rodney hit Monique in the head with a rock, but she managed to slip away when he drove to a gas station to use a bathroom.
She filed a police report about her terrifying experience, but Rodney’s mother posted his bail.
The Dating Game Killer’s crime spree
Rodney’s crime spree began in 1968, when he attacked 16-year-old Morgan Rowan and 8-year-old Tali Shapiro.
Both of his victims survived their traumatic encounters, but Rodney then murdered Trans World Airlines hostess Cornelia Crilley.
After being charged with child molestation for his attack on Tali in 1971, Rodney stayed in prison until 1977.
However, he then murdered a 27-year-old nurse named Georgia Wixted and an 18-year-old girl named Jill Barcombe after his release.
Rodney later appeared on The Dating Game in 1978, where he tried to charm a bachelorette named Cheryl Bradshaw into choosing him as a date.
Cheryl did eventually pick Rodney, but chose not to go on the date after he made several sinister jokes.
Eventually, Rodney was brought to justice after murdering a 12-year-old girl named Robin Samsoe.
The police circulated a sketch of the suspect which was recognised as Rodney by his old parole officer.
He was arrested in 1979 and sentenced to death in 1980.
However, the sentence was overturned in 1984 and he spent the rest of his life in prison, before dying in 2021.
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Woman of the Hour
Rodney’s crimes are dramatized in Netflix’s Woman of the Hour, which is set a year before he attacked Monique.
The film’s ending focuses on his encounter with Monique, though, and stays close to the real-life events that inspired the movie.
However, the film does not reveal that Rodney’s mother was the one to post bail which allowed him to escape the law once again.
The film was directed by Anna Kendrick, who also stars in the movie as Cheryl Bradshaw.
Woman of the Hour made its Netflix debut on October 16, 2024, and is available for streaming.
