Rockim Prowell. Photo: Beverly Hills Police Department
A 34-year-old Inglewood man, Rockim Prowell, has been charged with the murders of two men and the attempted murder of a third, all of whom he allegedly met through a gay dating app.
At the time of the attacks, Prowell was on probation for a series of burglaries in Beverly Hills.
The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office announced the charges, linking Prowell to a string of violent crimes spanning from 2021 to 2025.
According to prosecutors, Prowell’s alleged crimes began in July 2021 when he met Miguel Angel King, 51, on a dating app. The two arranged to meet, and King was later found fatally shot in his home.
Prowell is accused of stealing King’s car, which was later found several miles away with forensic evidence that allegedly links Prowell to the killing. King’s body was discovered on August 14, 2021, in the Angeles National Forest.
Prowell is then accused of meeting another man, Robert Gutierrez, 53, on a dating app in August 2023. Gutierrez was reported missing by his family, and his body has not been found. When police arrested Prowell, they reportedly found Gutierrez’s car in his garage.
The alleged violent spree continued on February 22, 2025, when Prowell met an unnamed 40-year-old man on the same app. The victim alleges that Prowell tied him up and beat him with a baseball bat. He managed to escape but was allegedly chased and struck by Prowell in a vehicle, which resulted in a broken leg.
The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office has charged Prowell with two counts of murder with the special circumstance of multiple murders, two counts of carjacking, one count of assault with a deadly weapon, and one count of attempted murder.
“Imagine the terror and horror these victims felt after being duped into believing they were meeting for one reason, only to face inexplicable violence,” said Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan J. Hochman. “These were predatory acts that showed a total disregard of life.”
If convicted, Prowell faces a possible death sentence or life in prison without the possibility of parole.
The case has drawn comparisons to other serial killer cases involving gay dating apps, such as British serial killer Stephen Port, who met four of his victims on Grindr between 2014 and 2015. Similarly, a Louisiana man was convicted in 2023 for a kidnapping and attempted murder that was part of a scheme to mimic the murders of serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer. This case serves as a stark reminder of the safety risks associated with online dating.
