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BREAKING NEWS:
Notorious serial killer charged for murder in 30-year-old local cold case
SWEETWATER COUNTY A California man has been charged for his involvement in a 1977 Sweetwater County homicide.
In a joint press release from the Sweetwater County Sheriffs Office and the Sweetwater County Attorneys Office, Sheriff Mike Lowell and County Attorney Dan Erramouspe announced that murder charges have been filed against Rodney James Alcala, 73, of California following a 34 year investigation by the Sweetwater County Sheriffs Office. Alcala, a condemned California Department of Corrections inmate, has been charged with first degree murder, though it is unknown when he will be returned to Wyoming to answer the charges against him.
Authorities believe that during the summer of 1977 Alcala murdered Christine Ruth Thornton, 28, of San Antonio, Texas and disposed of her body in a remote area northeast of Granger, a small rural community in western Sweetwater County. In April 1982, Thorntons remains were located by a local rancher, but would remain unidentified until 2015 despite efforts by the Sweetwater County Sheriffs Office and Wyoming State Crime Laboratory to identify the remains. Though evidence located at the scene was dilapidated, it was determined that the individual was the victim of homicide.
In 2013 Detective Jeff Sheaman picked up the cold case and continued the investigation. A tissue sample from the remains was submitted to the University of North Texas Center for Human Identification for mitochondrial DNA analysis and inclusion into the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUS). NamUS assists law enforcement agencies in the identification of missing persons through various means, including comparison of DNA samples from unidentified and missing persons and relatives of these people who can submit their own DNA samples for analysis.
Alcala was tried and convicted for the 1979 murder of Robin Samsoe in 1980. In 2005 a California grand jury indicted Alcala for the murders of Jill Barcomb, Georgia Wixted, Charlotte Lamb, and Jill Parenteau. Alcala was convicted at trial of all four murders in 2010, and sentenced to death by a California jury. Following Alcalas 2010 conviction, detectives of the Huntington Beach Police Department Robbery-Homicide Unit released to the public a series of photographs that were found in Alcalas possession in 1979 in hopes of identifying other potential victims.
Though unknown to Sweetwater County detectives, Thorntons family had been searching for her since her disappearance from the San Antonio area in 1977, and in 2013 a relative was reviewing the Alcala photographs and located a photograph of Thornton. Thorntons family contacted Huntington Beach Police Department detectives and reported their findings. In 2014 two of Thorntons siblings submitted their DNA samples for inclusion into the NamUS system. In July 2015 Sweetwater County detectives were contacted by NamUS and alerted to the possible identification of Thornton.
Detectives continued their investigation, and positively identified the remains as those of Thornton. Detectives were able to determine that the photograph of Thornton in Alcalas possessions was taken a short distance from where her remains were found. Other evidence discovered during the investigation has linked Alcala to Thorntons homicide.
Alcala, commonly known as the Dating Game Killer for his 1978 appearance on the popular television show, was also linked to two additional murders in New York in the 1970s. Alcala was charged and convicted of these crimes in 2012 and given a lengthy prison sentence before being returned to California. While Alcala has been deemed a prolific serial killer, authorities dont know the full extent of his crimes, though they estimate he may have up to 130 victims across the United States.
If convicted, Alcala could face punishments of death or life in prison in Wyoming. Alcala is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
Anyone who has further information on the case, particularly anyone in contact with Thornton or Alcala during 1977, is encouraged to contact Sergeant Joe Tomich at 307-922-5295.
