Blonde girl in two piece yellow swim suit

[plait]

I believe it's just a "peeper" photo, taken from outside of a picture window. I don't believe that the girl even knew Alcala was there. This isn't to say that he didn't harm her later, but this photo looks just like an innocent photo of a girl walking across her room with the monster outside looking in.

I think Alcala had an accomplice. One was making her dance after beating her, while RA snapped away outside the window. Her not knowing RA was snapping away. Perhaps RA was trying to get action shots of fear. Maybe they are at the accomplice's apt.

 

[Filly]

I believe it's just a "peeper" photo, taken from outside of a picture window. I don't believe that the girl even knew Alcala was there. This isn't to say that he didn't harm her later, but this photo looks just like an innocent photo of a girl walking across her room with the monster outside looking in.

If it was any other creeper I'd agree. Where this guy is concerned I'd say he's in that room. He was too b*llsy. Also he had his thing for bikinis. I'll look for the link where at his trial one of his supporters or some reporter spoke with him. He asked the guy to get him photographs of an unamed famous actress in a bikini.

If he actually was taking the picture from outside wouldn't we see some form of light? Even a bit. This has the shadows. That lamp with the bulb moved is his style. You can see light coming in from those little holes so it's obviously sunny out.

JMO I do believe this girl was tied up or restrained in some way.

 

[WildHuncher]

This poor girl has to me just woke up from what i think was most likely a drug induced haze , when you really look at her face she is there in pressence but god only knows where in mind . I think she has been held there and been druged and sexually tortured /abused over a period of time even look at how she is walking her stomach is bloated and its like she hasnt been on her feet for days all hunched forword .As far as the pic and weather it is this girl its eerily similar but i really dont know . Unfortunentlly weather its her or not i think she is no longer with us and this picture was taken maybe on or i think close to the end of her life...very sad . I was also thinking about a case where a girl was abducted and i dont remember her name but there was later on a photo graph that showed up of what is believed to be her bound and gaged in the back of a van along with a younger boy , I can not remember the name of the girl they believed it was but i think she went for a bike ride and never returned home they found her bike and walkman but nothing else untill this photo turned up one day...

She looks unsteady. I'd say she's been punched on the cheek

(Left hook? Maybe Rodney had a Howard Cosell announcer's voice going in his head. "Big Rod has TOTALLY taken over the bout already in Round One, ladies and gentlemen!" Yeah, Rodney. You showed her.)

More importantly, she may also have a head wound--Hammer blow?--above the scalp line where the stray tuft of bloody hair originates. There's a dark circle shape. (Gee, Rod! Such a little girl. Why did you need a hammer?)

Edit: The picture is a mess (underexposed) because he got all excited with being in the action. Probably blew the F-stop.

 

[WildHuncher]

If it was any other creeper I'd agree. Where this guy is concerned I'd say he's in that room. He was too b*llsy. Also he had his thing for bikinis. I'll look for the link where at his trial one of his supporters or some reporter spoke with him. He asked the guy to get him photographs of an unamed famous actress in a bikini.

If he actually was taking the picture from outside wouldn't we see some form of light? Even a bit. This has the shadows. That lamp with the bulb moved is his style. You can see light coming in from those little holes so it's obviously sunny out.

JMO I do believe this girl was tied up or restrained in some way.

Agree about the lighting. It's low-angle, single-source, and contrasty. Blackout curtains on the windows. Not normal room lighting. An Alcala modeling shoot that derailed for the usual reasons.

Those do look like some kind of residual redness from restraints on her stomach and maybe her leg.

 

[WildHuncher]

"Big Rod has TOTALLY taken over the bout already in Round One, ladies and gentlemen!"

Buddha was the referee, pushed over while breaking up a clinch.

 

[norest4thewicked]

Here is my hypothesis:

It was totally dark in the room except for possibly one bulb at the top of the Buddha lamp. You can see that the lamp is off because the bottom bulb is off. Maybe it was burned out. But, still, it wouldn't have given much light at all in the room.

Alcala (for whatever reason) has seen this girl before...followed her or maybe is a neighbor. He stakes himself outside her window with his trusty camera. He is either able to see into the room perhaps from the very low light of the upper bulb in the lamp.

When he sees her cross the room, he takes his shot. You can see the tiny flash on the right side of the photo. The heavy shadowing of the room simply means that when he flashed, it lit her up but cast her deep shadow on the walls. I think that the object on the lower right corner is a bush next to the outside of another window perhaps.

The only thing on her cheek is her hair casting shadows. She could have the line on her body from either a scar or from laying on a towel or clothing she had on top of the bikini.

I just don't see anything evil about this photo other than a serial murderer peeping at her - which in itself is terrifying. And, who knows if he later didn't kill this girl. But, in this photo, I see nothing but a girl walking across the room - drunk or loaded perhaps. I think she looks like she doesn't even know anyone is around but her and then a flash comes, thus the dazed look.

I just don't believe that in these photos that except for 2 of them, there is any kind of knowledge of anything evil happening to them. Think about it, killing the way that Alcala did was a very intimate act. He strangled them...the most intimate way you can murder someone. I'm sure that by this time he had them naked. He loved naked women. This woman seems totally unaware of anything going on. That's just my opinion and can't say that I have tested shooting anyone in a house from the outside at night. Not a peeper!

 

[Bargle]

Here is my hypothesis:

It was totally dark in the room except for possibly one bulb at the top of the Buddha lamp. You can see that the lamp is off because the bottom bulb is off. Maybe it was burned out. But, still, it wouldn't have given much light at all in the room.

Alcala (for whatever reason) has seen this girl before...followed her or maybe is a neighbor. He stakes himself outside her window with his trusty camera. He is either able to see into the room perhaps from the very low light of the upper bulb in the lamp.

When he sees her cross the room, he takes his shot. You can see the tiny flash on the right side of the photo. The heavy shadowing of the room simply means that when he flashed, it lit her up but cast her deep shadow on the walls. I think that the object on the lower right corner is a bush next to the outside of another window perhaps.

The only thing on her cheek is her hair casting shadows. She could have the line on her body from either a scar or from laying on a towel or clothing she had on top of the bikini.

I just don't see anything evil about this photo other than a serial murderer peeping at her - which in itself is terrifying. And, who knows if he later didn't kill this girl. But, in this photo, I see nothing but a girl walking across the room - drunk or loaded perhaps. I think she looks like she doesn't even know anyone is around but her and then a flash comes, thus the dazed look.

I just don't believe that in these photos that except for 2 of them, there is any kind of knowledge of anything evil happening to them. Think about it, killing the way that Alcala did was a very intimate act. He strangled them...the most intimate way you can murder someone. I'm sure that by this time he had them naked. He loved naked women. This woman seems totally unaware of anything going on. That's just my opinion and can't say that I have tested shooting anyone in a house from the outside at night. Not a peeper!

If this is a flash photo, it couldn't have been taken through a window. Look at the shadows. They are off to left side of the picture. That means the light source had to be off to the right, outside the area covered by the lens. There would have to be a cable connecting the flash to the camera. Alcala would have to be inside the room for that to be doable. It is possible the light comes from something else. The shadows being only slightly angled above the girl and lamp makes me think there was another table lamp in the room that was turned on. I still lean towards him being in the room at the time.

I agree that this is just a picture of a groggy girl walking across a room.

 

[Redbird]

Is she walking across a room? I have always thought she was being forced to stand in a very unnatural position for some reason. I have just looked through several sets of pictures again and found what I think are four different girls filmed in this room. Therefore I think this might be his apartment, in spite of the kitschy oriental objects. Since the bookcases are so sparse I am thinking he has just moved in or that it is after his years in prison when he no longer has many possessions.

 

[norest4thewicked]

If this is a flash photo, it couldn't have been taken through a window. Look at the shadows. They are off to left side of the picture. That means the light source had to be off to the right, outside the area covered by the lens. There would have to be a cable connecting the flash to the camera. Alcala would have to be inside the room for that to be doable. It is possible the light comes from something else. The shadows being only slightly angled above the girl and lamp makes me think there was another table lamp in the room that was turned on. I still lean towards him being in the room at the time.

I agree that this is just a picture of a groggy girl walking across a room.

Sorry, I disagree. If you are using one flash, the shadow would be behind the person, but if using 2 flashes, it goes to the right or left, depending on where you are standing. We don't know what flash he was using, obviously. I have a camera with 2 flashes and I can turn one off. Also, I have no cable connecting to anything with my flash. It uses batteries. And, even if he did have to use a cable for whatever reason, maybe he lived next door and had an extension cord. Who knows with this freak!

 

[norest4thewicked]

Is she walking across a room? I have always thought she was being forced to stand in a very unnatural position for some reason. I have just looked through several sets of pictures again and found what I think are four different girls filmed in this room. Therefore I think this might be his apartment, in spite of the kitschy oriental objects. Since the bookcases are so sparse I am thinking he has just moved in or that it is after his years in prison when he no longer has many possessions.

Hey Redbird...would you send me the links to the photos that you think are the same room? I'd be interested in looking at them.

 

[Redbird]

So glad you asked. I worked hard on this. From

http://www.ocregister.com/articles/alcala-238877-photos-beach.html?pic=1
(133 pictures)
No. 35 masculine short haired girl against blue sheet
No. 38 yellow bikini girl w/pigtails
No. 59 sad girl with reddish blond long hair
No. 128 frizzy long haired girl

I'm not sure about No. 35. She is posed against a blue sheet similar to the sheets or curtains in the other pictures.

 

[Redbird]

I am trying to group pictures together according to background to figure out how many apartment locations there are.

Here are notes I made to myself about the "blue room"

blonde sad faced girl and blonde girl in bikini appear to be in the same room. I am thinking there were bookcases on either side of a doorway. The doorway probably led into a kitchen. Clear picture of the refrigerator in No. 128 "frizzy long haired girl" . RA draped curtains over the door way and on the wall.

Blue sheet on wall matches blue mat in the white walled apartment with gray rug

 

[Bargle]

Sorry, I disagree. If you are using one flash, the shadow would be behind the person, but if using 2 flashes, it goes to the right or left, depending on where you are standing. We don't know what flash he was using, obviously. I have a camera with 2 flashes and I can turn one off. Also, I have no cable connecting to anything with my flash. It uses batteries. And, even if he did have to use a cable for whatever reason, maybe he lived next door and had an extension cord. Who knows with this freak!

OK, I don't want to get this thread derailed into a discussion of photo techniques, so I'm going to just drop that area of discussion. I'm only posting this because I didn't want you to think I was ignoring your reply.
On to other things for me. :smile:

 

[norest4thewicked]

I am trying to group pictures together according to background to figure out how many apartment locations there are.

Here are notes I made to myself about the "blue room"

blonde sad faced girl and blonde girl in bikini appear to be in the same room. I am thinking there were bookcases on either side of a doorway. The doorway probably led into a kitchen. Clear picture of the refrigerator in No. 128 "frizzy long haired girl" . RA draped curtains over the door way and on the wall.

Blue sheet on wall matches blue mat in the white walled apartment with gray rug

Boy...I really admire you for the patience in doing this. I suppose there could be several places that he lived and also we know he took photos at the models homes sometimes...so there could be any number of places I guess.

The girl on the blue sheet was one of his girlfriends. I can't remember her name right now but I remember reading somewhere that she was alive and well.

Good luck with your project.

 

[Filly]

He loved naked women.

And poor, innocent little girls.

From all that I read I disagree. I think him getting women naked was just to see if he could. Put them in a vulnerable spot.

His thing was legs IMO. The fact he asked that reporter or whoever the guy was at his trial if he could get him pictures of an unamed movie star in a bikini sold me on that. He said if they couldn't get bikini shots he needed the legs showing.

Way back I said it looked like this girl was snapping her fingers. She'd have to be walking pretty fast for her hair to be in her face like that. Plus how big could the room be?

I see a bruise on that left wrist. Way back I think Punk Love manipulated it for us to show the bruise. Same with her leg. Of all the things that got me it's how this creeper hit women in the legs and punched them in the jaw.

 

[SarahR]

No too high at all - I will not gross you out, but trust me when I say my husband has just such a scar on his (significantly larger) abdomen. PLUS, I've been a nurse for 33+ years and I've seen lots of these scars from the early 80's and before.

Isn't it the wrong side for a gall bladder? ive had mine removed and my scar is on the right.

 

[norest4thewicked]

Tonight I was reading through some official portions of documents from the Robin Samsoe trial. I came across this and thought it might be interesting to some who are interested in this woman. The bolded part has been done by me:

Opinion Footnotes
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
*fn1 All further statutory references are to the Penal Code unless otherwise stated.

*fn2 Several other young girls at the beach were approached by Alcala for pictures, either on that day or the next. In each case, someone was able to identify Alcala as the man taking photographs of young girls in bikinis. One young lady, Lorraine Werts, in company with her girlfriend, Patty Elmendorf, was on a beach adjacent to that occupied by Samsoe and Wilvert on the same day Robin disappeared. Alcala took several pictures of her in her bikini, and those pictures were found in Alcala's storage locker in Seattle.
Alcala was also identified by Richard Sillett, a survey-party chief for the Huntington Beach recreational area. He remembered Alcala because he was carrying a 35 millimeter camera with a telephoto lens, an item of particular interest to Sillett.

So...if this girl is either Lorraine Werts or Patty Elmendorf, she is still alive. The only other girls with bikinis on that I remember are the girl in the woods with Alcala in the orangish-red bathing suit, and I think that if someone got to the woods with Alcala, they didn't come back out, except for the girl he took there for the photo shoot right where Ellen Hover's body was discovered.

The girl in the bikini (blue) has been identified as his ex-girlfriend Beth Kelliher.

Lastly, there was the girl with the cigarette, but she appeared older than a "teen" which was described and she was sitting by a swimming pool, not a beach.

What does everyone think?

 

[WildHuncher]

In each case, someone was able to identify Alcala as the man taking photographs of young girls in bikinis. One young lady, Lorraine Werts, in company with her girlfriend, Patty Elmendorf, was on a beach adjacent to that occupied by Samsoe and Wilvert on the same day Robin disappeared. Alcala took several pictures of her in her bikini, and those pictures were found in Alcala's storage locker in Seattle...

So...if this girl is either Lorraine Werts or Patty Elmendorf, she is still alive.

The indoor setting matches poorly to the narrative. She should be out at the beach if she is anyone from the hunting expedition that led to the Samsoe murder. Can't prove he didn't take anyone indoors that day, but nothing says he did. I do think it's broad daylight, though, with bright sun shooting through holes in that far curtain.

The girl in the bikini (blue) has been identified as his ex-girlfriend Beth Kelliher.

Didn't know that. Thanks for it.

 

[norest4thewicked]

The indoor setting matches poorly to the narrative. She should be out at the beach if she is anyone from the hunting expedition that led to the Samsoe murder. Can't prove he didn't take anyone indoors that day, but nothing says he did. I do think it's broad daylight, though, with bright sun shooting through holes in that far curtain.


Didn't know that. Thanks for it.

Well, although it doesn't say anything about the indoor setting, it DID say that she was in the photos released to the public and in a bikini.

Maybe he followed her home? Who knows..but it can only be either this one or the girl in the red bikini in the woods with him.

 

[Redbird]

I could swear I read that the girl in the woods with the red bikini was also a girlfriend, but I may be totally mistaken. Will have to dig around and try to find it.