Alcala jury recommends death

A jury recommended today that a serial murderer receive the death penalty for kidnapping and murdering a 12-year-old Orange County girl and raping and murdering four Los Angeles County women in the 1970s. Rodney James Alcala, 66, was found guilty by a jury Feb. 25, 2010, of five felony counts of murder and one felony count of kidnapping. The jury found true the sentencing enhancements for committing multiple murders, murder with torture, murder during the commission of rape, murder during the commission of kidnapping, murder during the commission of a burglary of an inhabited dwelling, and murder during the commission of a robbery. A date for the sentencing will be determined tomorrow. 

Background on Alcala
In 1972, Alcala was convicted of kidnapping and molesting a child in 1968 in Los Angeles County. Upon serving a 34-month sentence, he was released from prison. After his release, Alcala lived in Monterey Park with his mother and was hired to work as a typist or typesetter for the Los Angeles Times.  This is where he lived and worked in 1977 when he committed his first Los Angeles County murder.  The evidence of this conviction was presented and argued to the jury. 

Murder of Jill Barcomb, Los Angeles County
In November 1977, Alcala raped, sodomized, and murdered 18-year-old Jill Barcomb, a New York native who had recently moved to California. The defendant used a large rock to smash in the victim's face, causing blunt force trauma, and strangled her to death by tying her belt and pant leg around her neck. He then left the victim's body in a mountainous area in the foothills near Hollywood. The murdered victim was discovered Nov. 10, 1977, on her knees with her face in the dirt. The case was investigated but went cold. Biological evidence was collected at the scene, but DNA technology was not available at that time.

Murder of Georgia Wixted, Los Angeles County
In December 1977, Alcala raped, sodomized, and murdered 27-year-old nurse Georgia Wixted. The defendant used the claw end of a hammer to beat the victim and smash in her head. He strangled her to death using a nylon stocking and left her body in her Malibu apartment. The victim was discovered Dec. 16, 1977. The case was investigated but went cold. Biological evidence was collected at the scene, but DNA technology was not available at that time. 

Murder of Charlotte Lamb, Los Angeles County
In June 1979, Alcala raped, beat, and murdered 33-year-old legal secretary Charlotte Lamb. The defendant strangled the victim to death using a shoelace from her shoe and left her body in a laundry room of an El Segundo apartment complex. The victim did not live in the complex and has no known connection to it. Lamb's body was discovered June 24, 1979. The case was investigated but went cold. The case was investigated but went cold. Biological evidence was collected at the scene, but DNA technology was not available at that time.

Murder of Jill Parenteau, Los Angeles County
In June 1979, Alcala raped and murdered 21-year-old Jill Parenteau in her Burbank apartment. The defendant strangled the victim to death using a cord or nylon. Alcala's blood was collected from the scene after he cut himself crawling through a window. Based on a semi-rare blood match, Alcala was linked to the murder. He was charged for murdering Parenteau but the case was later dismissed after his first conviction for the murder of Robin Samsoe.  

Murder of Robin Samsoe, Orange County
On June 20, 1979, Alcala approached 12-year-old Robin Samsoe at the beach in Huntington Beach and asked the victim to pose for pictures. After posing for a series of photographs, the victim got on a bike and rode away, heading for an afternoon dance class. The defendant kidnapped and murdered Samsoe and dumped her body near Sierra Madre in the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains. The victim's dead body was scavenged by animals and her skeletal remains were discovered July 2, 1979. Her front teeth had been knocked out by Alcala. 

After the murder, Alcala rented a storage locker in Seattle, where he stored personal items and items belonging to his victims, including earrings from Samsoe and Lamb. The defendant was planning to move to Seattle without telling any of his friends or family, despite having no job, place to live, or friends in the area. 

Prior to moving, Alcala was identified by several people as the photographer from the beach on the day Samsoe was kidnapped. Following an investigation, Alcala was charged, tried, and convicted for Samsoe's murder in 1980. He was sentenced to receive the death penalty. The conviction was later overturned by the California Supreme Court. Alcala was again tried and convicted for the murder of Samsoe in 1986, and was again sentenced to the death penalty. The second conviction was overturned by the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals. 

While awaiting his third trial for the murder of Samsoe, DNA collected from the murder scenes of Barcomb, Wixted, and Lamb was linked to Alcala. He was charged for the four Los Angeles murders, including Parenteau. 

During the third trial, Alcala represented himself as his own defense attorney and argued that he was at Knott's Berry Farm on the afternoon that Samsoe was murdered. The defendant did not contest the charges that he committed the murders of the four Los Angeles victims. 

This case is being jointly prosecuted by the Orange and Los Angeles County District Attorney's Offices. Orange County Senior Deputy District Attorney Matt Murphy and Los Angeles County Deputy District Attorney Gina Satriano are prosecuting this case.