BREAKING NEWS- New Victim Disclosure In Rodney Alcala Investigation: July 1968 Assault of Hollywood Teen Establishes Her As Earliest Known Victim

February 4, 2021
Los Angeles, California
(58-years ago today I entered the LAPD Police Academy)

BREAKING NEWS STORY!

SERIAL KILLER RODNEY ALCALA’S FIRST KNOWN VICTIM, IN HER OWN WORDS

“IN MY OWN WORDS” MORGAN ROWAN’S FIRST PUBLIC DISCLOSURE CHILINGLY DETAILS SERIAL KILLER RODNEY ALCALA’S BRUTAL ASSAULT AND RAPE OF HER WHEN SHE WAS JUST SIXTEEN

Excerpt from Morgan Rowan’s “In My Own Words”

“I share this story today as a wake-up call to listen to your instincts.  I write this here to share with your daughters and granddaughters…not in this graphic detail but paraphrased in your own style about the dangers of ignoring your own instincts, bowing to peer pressure, and not sharing important events with your parents or loved ones. I write this to never forget the lessons learned. But mostly, I write this to remind you that we all carry our scars and our history….be good to each other…”

This revelation from Morgan Rowan came to me several days ago, when the following email landed in my IN BOX:

It read:

Hello Steve. I thought you might be interested in my story. I have kept it secret most of my life because I did not want to cause my parents pain and blamed myself for it. Six weeks before Rodney Alcala attacked Tali Shapiro, he violently raped me in the same house on De Longpre. I would surely be dead, but like her …. I was rescued. My friend broke the window of his house. Rod was not a stranger to me. He was a constant figure in those days, and some incidents happened before this event also. I have the whole story written out if you would like it.
Morgan

My immediate response to Morgan was:

 Hi Morgan:
So sorry for your victimization.
Yes, I would very much appreciate reading it.
Can you send it via email as a scanned file?  Or snail mail or?
How old were you at the time?  Teen? Adult?
Thanks,
Steve Hodel

What followed were email exchanges with Morgan to clarify locations, timing and make sure I correctly understood all the facts as she recalled them.

For those readers who are not familiar with the crimes of  Rodney James Alcala (a convicted rapist/serial killer currently on California’s Death Row) and my direct connection to the case (which dates back to 1969 as a LAPD rookie detective assigned to Hollywood Division), I will provide you with some background.

BACKGROUND

For the past fifty-three years, I and many others have believed my investigation of the September, 1968, Hollywood Rape/Attempt Murder of the then eight year old,  Tali Shapiro was Rodney Alcala’s “first victim.” According to Morgan Rowan’s harrowing story, I was wrong!

For the past 53-years, Tali Shapiro was believed, until now, to be Alcala’s first victim.

Detective Steve Hodel circa 1969

Rodney Alcala on FBI Most Wanted List 1969

Alcala managed to escape, change his identity and and remain free until 1971 when he was apprehended in New Hampshire while working at a girl’s summer camp. I flew back arrested him and extradited him back to California. He was prosecuted and received a sentence of “1 to 99 years”, but was released after serving only two years in prison.  Deemed by the prison psychologist as “all well,” Alcala would then go on to rape and murder numerous other women and children. His crimes, some of the most sadistic torture murders ever committed in the United States, now stand at eight serial murders and counting.

Below is Morgan Rowan’s never before disclosed, heart wrenching first person account of her July, 1968 assault and forcible rape at the hands of RODNEY JAMES ALCALA. 

ALCALA, one of our nation’s most sadistic serial killers, is currently on Death Row, awaiting execution for eight murders that were committed after his attack on sixteen-year-old, Morgan who with her current disclosure, becomes Alcala’s first known and identified crime.

(The heart-wrenching story of Morgan’s victimization at the hands of Rodney James Alcala and how she survived the attack is told in full detail.

IN MY OWN WORDS
by
Morgan Rowan

Click on below link to read or download Morgan Rowan’s shocking full disclosure of what now historically becomes serial killer/rapist Rodney James Alcala’s FIRST IDENTIFIED CRIME. PDF

IN MY OWN WORDS FEB 3Morgan Rowan FNL FEB 4