Police asks help identifying the people in photos taken by murderer

[JoeFromLB]

excerpt:
Detectives said they aren’t sure how many people Alcala might have killed while in New York between 1968 and 1971 and again in 1977.

“I personally wouldn’t say it’s more than 50 total, including the ones we know about in California, but it’s hard to say,” said Steve Mack, a retired homicide investigator in Huntington Beach, Calif., who worked on the case for years. “He’s a sexually sadistic serial killer.”

Said Murphy (Orange County prosecutor Matt Murphy), “He was active around the same time as Ted Bundy, and I think he’s probably got more victims.”

Bundy confessed to killing 30 people between 1974 and 1978.

http://theoriginalgreenwichdiva.com...a-is-linked-to-1970s-murders-in-ny-city/1771/

 

[HockeyGirl]

I have spent the morning looking at New York missing persons databases, and so far, I haven't found any resembling anyone in his photos.


Does anyone know where this piece of *$@$ lived prior to going to UCLA? I have a strong gut feeling that he started much earlier than we have record of, and am willing to bet he had issues as a preteen and teenager with some sort of crime involving women, it could be something as small as stealing clothing from them or harassment.

 

[AnnieOakley]

I don't think we should rule out the possibility that he had victims in his earlier years as well.
Apparently, he lived in LA from age 12-17. Then "Alcala joined the Army when he was 17 and served as an Army clerk, but he only lasted a few years. In 1964 he had a nervous breakdown. A military psychiatrist described him as an anti-social personality disorder. Discharged, he returned to Los Angeles and enrolled at UCLA, where he received a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in 1968. That same year he abducted, raped and nearly killed an 8-year-old girl."

So, really anytime from 1955- 1960 in the LA area (I know those earlier years are a stretch, but you never know...) Then 1961-1964, wherever he was posted in the army, which could have been multiple places. Then again in LA from 1964-1968.

I am really curious about 1964 when he had a "nervous breakdown".

 

[AnnieOakley]

In looking at a number of missing children's cases in the LA area in the late 50's, most are assumed to have been killed by Mack Edwards... I wonder if Alcala could have been responsible also.
One case in particular, Bruce Kremen, jumped out at me. Bruce disappeared while attending camp--- and Alcala later worked at a camp. I wondered if maybe he volunteered as a camp counselor in his younger days-- you know, when older teens work with the younger kids. Shortly after Bruce's disappearance, Alcala ran off and joined the army...

 

[dsntslp]

http://cnnnancygrace.files.wordpress.com/2010/03/00871.jpg

The girl he (assume it is him) is "trying" to talk to (that is ignoring him and looks uncomfortable), looks like she could be the sister of the girl standing/dancing behind the girl in the brown and white striped shirt. The two girls look like sisters.

If that is him with the camera who took the picture?
Was he ever known to have any room mates?
Where was his stuff while he was incarcerated?
IOW, did a room mate keep the rent up and his stuff was still there when he got out?
Could there be an accomplice?

 

[dsntslp]

Just an observation, probably not worth anything, but if you look behind the swing there is a mirror and you can see a partial reflection of a male that may be the one taking the pictures, standing in front of what may be a refrigerator. Also note the newspaper on the floor, too bad it can not be read or matched by the picture on it for a date. It would be easier if we could match at least some of the pic's to an apartment location, city and state at least. Maybe someone will be here one day and recognize the apartment, we can hope.

http://cnnnancygrace.files.wordpress.com/2010/03/00123.jpg

 

[dsntslp]

In looking at a number of missing children's cases in the LA area in the late 50's, most are assumed to have been killed by Mack Edwards... I wonder if Alcala could have been responsible also.
One case in particular, Bruce Kremen, jumped out at me. Bruce disappeared while attending camp--- and Alcala later worked at a camp. I wondered if maybe he volunteered as a camp counselor in his younger days-- you know, when older teens work with the younger kids. Shortly after Bruce's disappearance, Alcala ran off and joined the army...

Charley Project page for Bruce Kremen: http://www.charleyproject.org/cases/k/kremen_bruce.html

The Doe Network: http://www.doenetwork.org/cases/2255dmca.html

LAPDonline: http://www.lapdonline.org/missing_persons_listing/missing_person_view/33427

Site that has an article that states the Kremen case went to the cold case squad: http://www.therestlesssleep.com/?p=146

 

[dsntslp]

RE: The swing pic. I saved it so I could blow it up without as much distortion. The newspaper says "VOICE" at the top, perhaps "The Village Voice"? Next to the newspaper is the phone book - opened to yellow pages (I think). Could he have been using girls from modeling agencies and escort services as his models? It doesn't appear they ordered pizza or take out because she is eating from a bowl. Admittedly take-out can be put in a bowl though. Again, just my observations.

There is also a pattern (in rows, every other 12-16 inches, I think) on the floor itself as if it is brushed or stamped into the concrete. I would think LE has identified where this apartment is. (LOL, wish they would tell us.)

Looking closer at the newspaper it may have a "U" in a lighter color and then "VOICE". I can not tell if there are lighter letters after that. University Voice? U Voice...


ETA: That flooring may be cheap laminate mock wood flooring too though. When I look at it on the left of the pic it looks like laminate, when I look at the floor on the right side of the rug it looks different.

 

[CarlK90245]

Just an observation, probably not worth anything, but if you look behind the swing there is a mirror and you can see a partial reflection of a male that may be the one taking the pictures, standing in front of what may be a refrigerator. Also note the newspaper on the floor, too bad it can not be read or matched by the picture on it for a date. It would be easier if we could match at least some of the pic's to an apartment location, city and state at least. Maybe someone will be here one day and recognize the apartment, we can hope.

http://cnnnancygrace.files.wordpress.com/2010/03/00123.jpg

Or if anyone recognizes the album cover, you could pin the earliest possible date of the photo to the date the album was released. I don't recognize it, but I can see that it appears to be a live album featuring someone who plays acoustic guitar.

 

[Mr. E]

That blurry woman picture is creepy as all get out. There is a wooden platform of some sort above the window; it has wires coming from it. What's it for? Can they be lowered to create a more private, quiet room? Then there is the plain brown suitcase under the table, and the bag with something in it. Clothes on the back of the chair, weird pink swing hanging down in the middle of the room, mirror on the back wall -- it's just too creepy. Why the sudden need to vacuum, I wonder?

I was wondering, too, about the photos that have kind of a red background. The angle of the shots is kind of up, like he was sitting down. Could this have been a strip club of some sorts? Or has that already been determined?

 

[dsntslp]

Re" the swing pic still:
I think the rope on the left is where the swing rope is going through a pulley (out of camera view) so it can be raised and lowered? The wire is attached to the wood shutter that is raised vs lowered in front of the window. I think maybe the vacuum is to remove white fur from the black carpet for the sake of pictures. It looks to me like if that shutter was in the down position it would look just like a book shelf and one might never know there was a window there...it seems to be long enough to reach all the way to the sill of the window (based on the size of the door on the adjoining wall to the left). There appears to be a layer of brick removed from the sill to make the shutter area fit the shutter rather than customizing the shutter. Yeah, kinda creepy. I'll have to keep those "bookshelf/shutters in mind now when looking at the pic's again.

Carl, I am not good with the music stuff but I am sure someone else here will be able to recognize that album cover.

I see a rim to a car (looks new) in the top right of the pic, an older style brown glass glue bottle with the rubber type tip for dispensing sitting on the table on the left that has the light bulb boxes and old style black rotary dial phone.

The clothes on the back of the chair are his pants along with a fuzzy green or faded black blanket. (I am not thinking about where that blanket may be now, ugh.) I can make out the mans belt still in the belt loops of the pants on the chair. He is standing in the kitchen in front of her (shown in the mirror behind her) and he is in his BVD's and I see the refrigerator and a small kitchen table with possibly a pink or red table cloth. That or that is the color of the table. Not that any of it matters it's just what I can see.

Seen in the mirror, above the kitchen it looks like there is a loft and a couple of boxes or something stored up there.

Yes, Mr. E, those "red" pic's bothered me as well. They remind me of the dives in Mexico with the super low red painted concrete ceilings etc. I guess it could be anywhere though.

 

[dsntslp]

Okay,
I'll stop there. I am off to see if I can identify that newspaper now.

 

[dsntslp]

Could it be this paper? Maybe when he lived in NY?

http://www.villagevoice.com/news

Maybe what I thought may have been a lighter "U" before "VOICE" is actually where it says "The Village" printed lengthwise and the VOICE printed across after that?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Village_Voice

I think it is very possible he was making contact with potential victims through the newspaper classifieds and/or the phone book. JMO

 

[cj1132]

Just an opinion but I don't think the vacuum is early 70's.

 

[tatertot]

cj1132, I have an email in with Vacuumland.org, a forum for vintage vacuum cleaner fans, to possibly identify that pink or purple upright bagged vacuum in the swing photo. It's got a distinctive shape to it.

*

Although I definitely think it's possible that Purple Bells sewed her own shirt(s), "Styled in California" appears to be a J.C. Penney brand. Here's a SiC blouse on eBay:

http://cgi.ebay.com/Vintage-Styled-...ItemQQptZUS_CSA_MC_Shirts?hash=item563578df23

Also, near the UID was a "brown, cotton suede jacket with white wool collar and cuffs." I know it was a popular style in the 1970s, but another girl is seen wearing a similar jacket in this Alcala photo: http://cnnnancygrace.files.wordpress.com/2010/03/00591.jpg

*

Ruth Connes disappeared May 20, 1976 from Berkeley, California after meeting a "Jeff" who had responded to her ad offering her services as a photographer's model. I wish her photo was more clear because I'm having trouble comparing her with Alcala's photos:
http://www.charleyproject.org/cases/c/connes_lynn.html

*

Vehicle I.D: a Kawasaki III Mach 500, introduced in late 1968:
http://cnnnancygrace.files.wordpress.com/2010/03/02141.jpg

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kawasaki_triple

I'm trying to I.D. that yellow hatchback in front of the bike, but I think it's a Ford Pinto. Wonder why the bike is tied to the rear bumper with the blue & white nylon cord like it's being towed? Also, the girl in the photo has something going on with her smallest left toe. Is this what you'd call a hammertoe? It's not in line with the others at all.

 

[HockeyGirl]

Vehicle I.D: a Kawasaki III Mach 500, introduced in late 1968:

I'm trying to I.D. that yellow hatchback in front of the bike, but I think it's a Ford Pinto. Wonder why the bike is tied to the rear bumper with the blue & white nylon cord like it's being towed? Also, the girl in the photo has something going on with her smallest left toe. Is this what you'd call a hammertoe? It's not in line with the others at all.

Great work on the Kawaskai. I pretty sure it is not a Pinto, with the exception of the Pinto Wagon, Pinto's for the most part had horizontal tail lights. My first thought was that the car was a Datsun, but I can't find one with tail lights resembling that picture. Trying to ID that car is going to drive me nuts, LOL.

I didn't even notice the toe, great eye.

I agree with the above posters, I wish they would at least let us know which pictures have been ruled out as victims.

 

[dsntslp]

Thanks Tatertot,
That's much easier than going through all the vintage vacuum sites like I was doing.

I am going to hook the laptop up to the big screen TV tomorrow and see what else I can see in the pictures if anybody has anything specific they want me to look at just let me know.

Is it possible to get the timeline posted as a sticky?

Seems I have jumped between two threads and missed stuff, off to read it all and come back again.

ETA, I talked to a seventy two year old man today that used to work in Yonkers, NY (20 mins from Greenwich) until 1971. He said not to limit ourselves to the New York area when searching for matches to any of the girls in the pictures that we see the NY apartment in. Seems back then Greenwich had people living in tents all over in parks and people coming from all over the place. Many were hitchhikers and many were runaways. He said think "Woodstock". And yes...he went to Woodstock, lol.

 

[JoeFromLB]

Ohhhhhh - I KNOW I've seen this child's face before.....where, where, where.....

http://cnnnancygrace.files.wordpress.com/2010/03/00263.jpg

I've had the same feeling. This one is really bothering me...

 

[JoeFromLB]

courtroom photos...the Alcala photo is from 1986, as he is sentenced to death for the 2nd time for the murder of Robin Samsoe.

 

[CarlK90245]

The timeline is totally off, so I know these aren't the same person, but doesn't she look like Janice Fullham? (with a little less chin)