The Playboy Murders: Who is Melonie Haller and what happened to her?

The American actor and model, Melonie Haller, was found in a bloody state and injured on a Manhattan-city bound train on April 13, 1980, after she attended a dinner party at business promoter Roy Alexander Radin's Southampton mansion.

Trigger warning: This article contains mentions of assault. Readers' discretion is advised.

Haller alleged that she had been brutally beaten, r*ped, and forced to participate in s*xual games that were recorded by Radin and his associates. The Playboy Murders season 2 episode 6 titled Horror in the Hamptons will shed light on the widely covered case as it airs on February 19, 2024, at 10 pm EST.

The synopsis of the episode reads:

"Actress Melonie Haller is poised for stardom after appearing in the television series 'Welcome Back, Kotter' and a pictorial in the March 1980 edition of Playboy; eager for her next role, she goes to a party in the Hamptons that takes a violent turn."

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Who is Melonie Haller and what happened to her?

Melonie Haller was born in 1959 in the United States of America. She pursued a career in acting after she graduated from the Juilliard School in New York City. She is known for her role as Angie Grabowski in the American sitcom Welcome Back, Kotter.

Haller was also seen in The Love Machine and The French Connection in 1971 and starred in Hollywood 90028 as well in 1973. Melonie Haller additionally appeared in the March 1980 issue of the Playboy magazine and her story will soon be covered in Investigation Discovery's The Playboy Murders.

Melonie Haller was invited to a dinner party at the Long Island home of film producer and American show business promoter Roy Alexander Radin on April 12, 1980. She was introduced to Radin through photographer Ronald Sisman. Haller attended the dinner in the hope of reviving her acting career with a date, a management consultant from New Jersey named Robert McKeage, per the Los Angeles Times.

However, Melonie Haller was found unconscious and in a bloody state on a commuter train to Manhattan at around 9 am local time by a railroad conductor on April 13, 1980. She was reportedly left on a citybound train by one of Radin’s employees, Ray Wounters.

The 25-year-old New York City model and actor claimed that she was beaten and r*ped at Roy Radin's 72-room waterfront mansion on Meadow Lane, Southampton, per The New York Times. She signed a statement with the Southampton Village Police, stating that Roy Radin had forced her to commit s*domy.

As per the Los Angeles Times, she spoke to the Suffolk County police detective, Lee Roman, saying:

“I was beaten. They dumped me on the train like I was baggage. They beat me and kicked me.”

Melonie Haller further stated that she took part in s*xual games, which were recorded on a camera whose lens she broke during a struggle. She mentioned noticing a gun in Radin’s bedroom along with large amounts of cocaine. Per the Los Angeles Times, Melonie was also brutally beaten by Robert McKeage and the two had reportedly fought on Saturday at Radin's residence.

As the Suffolk County police officers prepared to conduct a raid at Roy Radin's mansion, he reportedly ordered his staff to ensure a complete cleanup of the house. However, the officers who searched the house found a pistol in his walk-in closet and arrested him for illegal possession of a gun.

In 1981, Robert McKeage reportedly pled guilty to assaulting Melonie Haller and was subsequently sentenced to 30 days in prison, per the New York Times. Roy Radin, on the other hand, was placed on probation and fined $1,000 after he pled guilty to the possession of a gun.

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Melonie Haller is popularly known for playing Angie Grabowski in season 3 of Welcome Back, Kotter. She starred alongside Gabe Kaplan, John Travolta, and Robert Hegyes during her time on the show. The 1980 case made headlines at the time and will be explored in episode 6 of The Playboy Murders season 2.