LOS ANGELES – An alleged serial killer from Inglewood is accused of using online dating app to lure his victims, attack at least two men to death, and then stealing their cars.
What we know:
On Monday, September 8, Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman announced charges against 34-year-old Rockim Prowell. Prowell is accused of shooting 51-year-old Miguel King to death in 2021 and then charged with the murder of 53-year-old Robert Gutierrez in 2023.
Hochman’s office said in a press release that Prowell met up with the two men through the same dating site.
Timeline:
According to the DA’s office, Prowell met up with King on July 20, 2021. Prowell allegedly shot King and then took the would-be date’s car. King’s car was found a short distance from Prowell’s home and King’s remains were found in the Angeles National Forest, DA’s office said in a press release.
Rockim Prowell. Photo by Beverly Hills Police Department
Prowell and Gutierrez met up on August 21, 2023 and the latter was reported missing two days later. As of September 2025, Gutierrez’s body has not been found, the DA’s office said in a press release.
Fast-forward to February 22, 2025, Prowell used the same dating app to meet up with a 40-year-old man. Prowell allegedly tied up the victim, stole his wallet and beat him with a baseball bat. The 40-year-old victim was able to get away, but Prowell allegedly hit him and broke his leg while trying to run away from the murder suspect.
If convicted as charged, Prowell faces death or life in California prison without parole, DA’s office said in a press release.
“Imagine the terror and horror these victims felt after being duped into believing they were meeting for one reason, only to face inexplicable violence,” Hochman said in a press release. “These were predatory acts that showed a total disregard of life.”
Prowell is charged with two counts of murder with the special circumstance allegation of multiple murders. He was also charged with a count of attempted murder, two counts each of carjacking and second-degree burglary and a count of assault with a deadly weapon.
What we don’t know:
Officials did not specify which dating app Prowell allegedly used to lure the men.
The backstory:
In addition to the alleged murder cases, Prowell was arrested in Beverly Hills in 2021 after he was allegedly linked to at least 30 masked burglary incidents across Southern California. He was charged with two counts of burglary, two counts of grand theft, and one count of vandalism, according to a previous FOX 11 report.
The Source: This report used information provided by the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office. The use of the term “alleged serial killer” in the report comes as the term “serial murder” is defined by Encyclopedia Britannica as “the unlawful homicide of at least two people carried out by the same person (or persons) in separate events occurring at different times.” In this report, the DA’s office discussed two alleged murders happening nearly two years apart and both cases being linked to the same suspect.
