1. Witness who rescued girl from ‘Dating Show serial killer’
2. Chilling detail prompting witness to call cops immediately.
Accident – Death – Obituary News : A travelling salesman has come forward with a chilling tale of how he thwarted the plans of notorious serial killer Rodney Alcala to murder a young girl back in September 1968. Donald Haines, who was on a work trip in Hollywood, California at the time, noticed a disturbing interaction between a man and a young girl that set off alarm bells in his mind.
As Haines was driving through the streets of Hollywood, he observed a car blocking an intersection. Inside the vehicle, a man was engaged in an animated conversation with a young girl standing on the street. The girl eventually got into the backseat of the man’s car, and the two drove off. However, Haines, a father himself, had a gut feeling that something was amiss. He decided to follow the vehicle to ensure the girl’s safety.
Haines trailed the man and the girl for a few blocks until their car came to a stop. He watched as they entered an apartment, which, as later discovered by the police, belonged to the man. Uncertain of what to do next, Haines sought out a payphone to alert the authorities.
When the police arrived on the scene, they were met with a horrifying sight. The man was in the midst of assaulting and raping the young girl, who was lying unconscious in a pool of blood on the floor. The police made a split-second decision to save the girl, later identified as 8-year-old Tali Shapiro, rather than pursue the assailant.
Tali Shapiro, now 64 years old, was in a coma for over a month following the brutal attack and has no memory of that traumatic day. The police eventually linked the crime to Rodney Alcala, but not before he fled to New York City to continue his murderous spree.
Alcala, who assumed an alias and enrolled at NYU, went on to kill 23-year-old flight attendant Cornelia Crilley during his time in New York. By 1971, he had earned a spot on the FBI’s Top Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list, prompting his eventual capture after being recognized by children at a summer camp where he worked.
Despite Alcala’s reign of terror, he was only charged with child molestation in relation to Tali Shapiro’s case due to her family’s refusal to participate in legal proceedings. Alcala served less than a year and a half in prison before being released on parole.
In 1978, Alcala made a chilling appearance on The Dating Show, where he won a date with the show’s star, Cheryl Bradshaw. Fortunately, Bradshaw decided against actually going out with Alcala, deeming him too “creepy.”
Alcala went on to commit more heinous crimes, including the abduction and murder of 12-year-old Robin Christine Samsoe. He was eventually apprehended in 1979 after being identified by a witness sketch and was sentenced to life in prison.
Despite maintaining his innocence and appealing his verdicts, Alcala died behind bars in 2021 at the age of 77. His death marked the end of a dark chapter in the history of serial killers, but the bravery of Donald Haines in saving Tali Shapiro’s life will never be forgotten. The harrowing tale serves as a stark reminder of the evil that lurks in the shadows and the importance of trusting one’s instincts in the face of danger..
Witness saved girl from ‘Dating Show serial killer’ reveals chilling detail which made him call cops immediately..