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John Wayne Gacy (March 17, 1942 - May 10, 1994) was an American serial killer. He was convicted of, and later executed for, the rape and murder of thirty-three men between 1972 and his arrest in 1978. He became notorious as the "Killer Clown" because of the many block parties he attended, entertaining children in a clown suit and makeup. Gacy was born and raised in Chicago, Illinois. He worked briefly in Las Vegas, Nevada, before returning to Illinois. He attended a business college and began a moderately successful career as a shoe salesman in Springfield, Illinois. In 1964 he married and moved to Waterloo, Iowa, where he managed a Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurant belonging to his wife's family.
But soon, his demons surfaced. The night his son was born Gacy had sex with a man he met at a bar; he recalled feeling exhilarated and ashamed by their encounter. Yet, he went to the hospital the next morning to see his wife and son as though nothing had happened. In May 1968 he was convicted of sodomy on a teenager and sentenced to 10 years. His wife divorced him. Throughout his life, Gacy would vehemently deny that he was gay, but insisted that he was instead bisexual.
He was paroled in 1971 and returned to Chicago where he worked for a construction contractor. In 1975, he bought a house in the Chicago neighborhood of Norwood Park, where he lived with his mother, and established his own home improvement business. He married a woman he had known since high school, and she and her two daughters moved in with him and his mother moved out. He became a prominent local businessman, a member of the Jaycees and a Democratic precinct captain. It was also during this time he claimed his first known victim, a teenage boy he picked up at a bus depot. His marriage fell apart and his wife divorced him in mid-1976. Free of family obligations, Gacy began his double life: respected member of the community by day, sexual predator and murderer by night.
No suspicion fell on him until late 1978 when he was investigated following the disappearance of a teenage boy, Robert Piest, who was last seen with Gacy. A search of his house revealed a number of incriminating items related to other disappearances. In December 1978 Gacy went to the police and confessed. He claimed he had first killed in January 1972. He confessed to 33 murders, indicating where the bodies were in 28 of the cases—buried under his house. The other five he said were thrown into the Des Plaines River. Most of the victims were young male prostitutes. Some victims were also teenage boys who Gacy had hired through his contracting firm. Bodies were uncovered from December 1978 to April 1979 when the last known victim was found downstream in the Illinois River. |
Killer Clown:
The John Wayne Gacy Murders
By Terry Sullivan, Peter T. Maiken
This book paints the most comprehensive and accurate picture of Gacy that has ever emerged. It can be roughly divided into three parts: the investigation surrounding the disappearance of Rob Piest, the discovery of bodies on Gacy's property and the painstaking investigations into Gacy's past, and Gacy's trial and convictions for murder. And there is more than enough cruelty, sexual sadism, and lurid details in these pages for even the most seasoned true crime fan. Sullivan discusses the fates of many of Gacy's known victims -- how they were tortured before and during sex, how they were killed and how they were buried beneath Gacy's house, some in graves that they themselves had dug. A true story that reads like a novel, this book also has a huge cast of characters, from investigators to friends and neighbors to the victim's families. It's an exceptional account of an exceptionally evil man.
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Man Who Killed Boys
By Clifford Linedecker
A true story of mass murder in a Chicago suburb. Successful businessman, community benefactor, good friend and neighbor-- and perverted mass murderer. Over a period of three years, John Wayne Gacy, Jr. sexually tortured and murdered 33 boys. His friends and neighbors in his unassuming Illinois community never suspected a thing. Gacy was a Jekyll-and-Hyde figure, leading an outwardly normal life, but secretly brutalizing dozens of young men in a hidden lair, and concealing their bodies under the floorboards of his suburban home. Through extensive personal interviews with those who knew Gacy, veteran true-crime scribe Clifford L. Linedecker takes us on a shocking ride through Gacy's life, delving deep into the man's troubled past, recounting his appalling series of murders, and recreating the drama of his trial-- which resulted in his execution by lethal injection in 1994. Gruesome and horrifying, The Man Who Killed Boys reveals stark terror set amid the daily lives of an ordinary community. Documented with an 8-page photo archive.
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The Last Victim:
A True-Life Journey into the Mind of the Serial Killer
By Jason Moss
Jason Moss was a very strange boy: an overachiever, always looking for some challenge, some new way to excel. In his studies, in sports, and, for some reason that he can never explain comprehensibly, seducing serial killers into telling him their secrets. His first "project" was John Wayne Gacy. Moss sent carefully crafted letters to Gacy in which he portrayed himself as a young, naive, insecure gay man who could be easily manipulated. Gacy was suspicious and put Moss through harrowing emotional tests before surrendering his trust, but Moss came out ahead. Gacy fell head over heels for Moss, replying with graphic and disturbing letters instructing him to commit depraved acts for Gacy's vicarious thrills. Moss led him on, convincing Gacy that he was doing these things, but somehow this victory wasn't sufficient. So he extended his efforts to include other jailed killers. Although he experienced some success, amassing a disturbing collection of documents--including detailed sexual prose from Jeffrey Dahmer, disjointed ramblings from Charles Manson, and awkward, violent illustrations from "Night Stalker" Richard Ramirez--his closest relationship was always with Gacy, whom he eventually visited in prison, where even the unflappable Moss learned fear.
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A&E Biography - John Wayne Gacy:
Monster in Disguise
VHS
A politician, a clown, an entrepreneur, a family man--these were the roles played by John Wayne Gacy to hide the fact that he was a serial killer who murdered 33 boys and young men. Rare archival materials and interviews with family and friends paint a portrait of Gacy from cradle to grave.
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Court TV - Crime Stories:
John Wayne Gacy
VHS
The film sheds light on several aspects of the terrible murders which resulted in the deaths of 33 young men and boys in the Chicago area during the 1970's. You are given a glimpse of Gacy's life growing up. You witness his downward spiral that would ultimately lead to sexual murder. And you are shown the forensics and investigative techniques that led up to his arrest and conviction on 33 counts of first degree murder (one of the largest counts in American history). However, the most fascinating and unsettling view would be that of Gacy himself. The piece de resistance of the documentary is the footage taken during an interview with Gacy on death row in 1992 - just two years before he would be executed by lethal injection. Hearing the deranged sadistic sexual murderer speak out to the world about the "decay of morals and family values in America" may be the most chilling part of the whole film. Whether you're a serial killer enthusiast or just curious, you should find this video to be an informative and overall worthwhile investment.
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John Wayne Gacy
Buried Secrets
VHS
A successful businessman living quietly in a charming Chicago suburb, John Wayne Gacy seemed a model citizen. But he had a gruesome secret, and its discovery shocked the nation. For the "model neighbor" was the most prolific killer in American history, and the remains of 33 youths were discovered buried beneath his home. Learn how Gacy escaped detection for so long, and get a behind-the-scenes look at how he manipulated the legal system, staving off execution for 14 years. For the first time, Gacyís lawyers publicly discuss the case against their client. In never-before- seen footage, Gacy himself recalls the grisly murders.
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Gacy
DVD
The most prolific (and perhaps horrific) serial killer in American history, John Wayne Gacy (Mark Holton) appeared to be a model citizen in his suburban Chicago neighborhood. He even volunteered as a clown at a local hospital. But a tip to the police led to his connection to 30 brutal murders -- and the gruesome discovery of his victims' bodies stuffed in the crawlspace under his home.
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