1.31.2011

hey there lonely girl

These are some of more than 200 photographs* recently released by the Huntington Beach, California, and New York City police departments, taken by convicted serial killer and rapist Rodney Alcala. The images, gleaned from a cache of over 2000 found in a storage locker, were all taken before Alcala's 1979 arrest for the murder of a 12 year old. (I believe six more murder charges have been added over the years, with two coming just this month).

I like these photographs. Their provenance makes it virtually impossible not to see in them a predatorial eye. It gives them a lurid charge. But had I not known where they were from, I would still like them.//

Alcala, who passed himself off as a photographer, appeared on The Dating Game in 1978, about the same time he was to have killed the 12 year old. He was Bachelor #1 and won the date. Bachelorette Cheryl Bradshaw decided not to go out with him.//

* These are not, to my knowledge, images of victims.

3 comments:

Lotus said...

Kind of frightening to see how a predator can pick you out of a crowd. These photos are beautiful, but also kinda creepy... they're all sad or thoughtful... even the one smiling. She looks like she was distracted from a sad thought.

I agree. I like these, even after knowing where they came from. ; )
Lotus

angvou said...

Thanks Lotus. I've become kind of fascinated with the images-- However, many more were a lot creepier, or just plain bad...These are my pick out of dozens I found online.

ukealyptus said...

Hey Angela -- these are great! I like how you scroll down and THEN get the bizarre info. Thanks.

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