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The Shocking True Story Behind “Woman of the Hour”
Rodrigo Jacques Alcala Buquor, better known in the annals of crime as Rodney Alcala, was born in San Antonio, Texas in 1943 to Raoul Alcala Buquor and Anna Maria Gutierrez. When he was eight, the impoverished clan relocated to Mexico in the hopes of a brighter future. As is often the case in life, things didn’t work out as planned.
Three years after the move, Raoul abandoned the family, after which Anna gathered up her children and retreated back to the United States. On this go round, rather than settling in Texas, they made their home in Southern California. In time, the little boy who had always been a fierce protector of his mother and sisters would transition into a monster who took great pleasure in torturing, raping and murdering little girls and women alike.
In order to support his family, Alcala enlisted in the Army when he turned seventeen. After suffering a mental breakdown three years into his service, a military psychiatrist diagnosed him with antisocial personality disorder. Among other things, the condition is marked by impulsiveness, angry outbursts, a lack of concern for the safety of others, and deceitful or manipulative behavior. Having been deemed unfit to serve, he was granted a medical discharge and sent packing.
