There’s a troubling pattern over the years of murderers and serial killers appearing on television, namely game shows.
One example is Rodney Alcala, who was on the hit game show “The Dating Game” in 1978, amid his murder spree. His story was made into the new Netflix movie “Woman of the Hour,” directed by and starring Anna Kendrick.
There’s also John Cooper, who was on the TV darts contest show “Bullseye” in 1989. Years later, he went to jail for murder and footage from his appearance on the show was used as evidence against him.
Criminal psychiatrist Dr Sohom Das told the Daily Mail on Sunday that killers have “inherent narcissistic tendencies” which prompts some of them to go on TV.
“Narcissistic individuals have an inflated sense of self-importance and a need for admiration, so they might literally put themselves on TV as a platform to be adored,” said Das.
“Appearing on these shows could have provided these killers with an opportunity to showcase their perceived talents, charm and intelligence – specifically, in the form of memorising cuddly toys on a conveyor belt,” Das added.
The criminal psychiatrist also noted that for people who lead “a solitary and often troubled life,” which is the case for most serial killers, “the prospect of being on television” is very “appealing” to them.
That was certainly the case for Alcala, who killed at least eight people (authorities estimate that real number is more than 100) between 1971 and 1979.
During that time, he appeared on a 1978 episode of “The Dating Game,” where host Jim Lange introduced three male suitors (including Alcala) who were there to be cutely questioned by a single woman, Cheryl Bradshaw, sitting on the other side of a partition.
Bradshaw ultimately didn’t go on a date with Alcala because she had a bad gut feeling about him.
Alcala was arrested in 1979 and later sentenced to death in California for five murders. He also later got a sentence of 25 years to life for two murders committed in New York. Alcala died in a California prison in 2021 of unspecified natural causes at age 77.
The story about Alcala going on “The Dating Game” was told by Kendrick, 39, in her directorial debut. Daniel Zovatto plays Alcala in “Woman of the Hour.”
Lori Vallow is another murderer who was on a game show. She appeared on “Wheel of Fortune” in 2004. Vallow, who went by Lori Ryan at the time, talked about her family to host Pat Sajak on the show. She was later arrested and charged with several murders, including her 17-year-old daughter Tylee and her 7-year-old son JJ.
Edward Wayne Edwards, another serial killer, appeared on the game show “To Tell the Truth” in 1972, after he had escaped from prison, robbed gas stations, and placed on the FBI’s 10 Most Wanted list. He committed several murders after going on the show and was arrested in 2009. He died of natural causes in jail in 2011 at age 77.
A different killer, Paul Curry, competed on “Jeopardy!” in 1989 and won $24,000. Five years later, he poisoned his wife, Linda, to collect over $500,000 in insurance money and other benefits. Curry was convicted and sentenced to life in prison in 2014.
