Who Was John Wayne Gacy? Inside The True Crimes Of 'Devil In Disguise' Killer Who Terrified America

It has been over four decades since John Wayne Gacy, the infamous ‘Killer Clown’, was put behind bars, but he remains one of the most terrifying figures in true crime history, as a reminder that evil can wear the most ordinary of faces. The smiling suburban man who hid unimaginable darkness behind his clown persona remains synonymous with horror. 

The new Peacock series, titled Devil in Disguise: John Wayne Gacy, re-examines Gacy’s chilling double life and exposes how one of the most ordinary-looking men became one of the most prolific serial killers. Behind his Family Guy mask, he brutally murdered at least 33 young men and boys, many of whom he buried in the crawl space of his Chicago home.

Meet John Wayne Gacy, the ‘devil’ behind the mask

Born in 1942 in Chicago, John Wayne Gacy appeared to be your typical guy next door who led an ordinary suburban life. Besides his construction and remodelling business, he was an active participant in local politics and even worked as ‘Pogo the Clown’ to entertain sick children. His ever-smiling personality made him a popular clown in the area who often performed at children’s birthday parties and various charity events.

Little did the world know that behind this carefully crafted persona was a disturbing alter ego, a predator who preyed on vulnerable young men. Gacy mainly targeted runaways and part-time workers, luring them to his home under the guise of friendship or work, only to subject them to horrific abuse and murder.

Inside the killer clown’s horrific crimes

Gacy’s ordinary suburban guy persona and charity work as a clown helped protect his crimes for several years. According to criminal records, between 1972 and 1978, John murdered 33 known victims, though it’s suspected the number could have been a lot more in reality. Most of his victims were killed by strangling or asphyxiation. 

26 of Gacy’s victims were buried in the crawl space beneath his home at 8213 West Summerdale Avenue, while others were dumped in the Des Plaines River, according to a Newsweek report. It wasn’t until December 1978 that his gruesome murders were discovered, making international headlines after police unearthed remains of his victims from his suburban ranch house. Thus ended the killer clown’s haunting trail of murders.

Gacy lured his victims inside his ranch house under the guise of work for his business

In 1971, Gacy launched his own business that he named PDM Contractors (Painting, Decorating, Maintenance), through which he often hired young men. Less than a year later, he would assault and kill his first-known murder victim, 16-year-old Timothy McCoy, whom he reportedly stabbed to death and buried beneath his ranch home’s crawl space.

Image Credit: Chicago Tribune

Some of Gacy’s known murder victims, as per Chicago Tribune, included John Butkovich, Francis Wayne Alexander, Darrel Samson, Samuel Stapleton, Randall Reffett, Michael Bonnin, William Carroll, Jimmy Haakenson, Rick Johnston, William George Bundy, Michael Marino, Kenneth Parker, Gregory Godzik, John Szyc, Jon Prestidge, Matthew Bowman, Robert Gilroy, John Mowery, Russell Nelson, Robert Winch, Tommy Boling, David Talsma, William Kindred, Timothy O’Rourke, Frank Landingin, James Mazzara, and Robert Piest. Several of these young men had been employees of PDM Contractors.

A disappearance that exposed the ‘Devil in disguise’

On December 11, 1978, 15-year-old Robert Piest vanished after telling his mother he was meeting Gacy for a potential job in his firm. When the teen never returned home, investigators followed his tracks to Gacy, who had previously been accused of being a sex offender. Upon searching his house, cops uncovered several personal belongings of boys who previously went missing and, eventually, human remains beneath his home.

Though John maintained a composed demeanour at first, his facade eventually began to crumble upon confrontation. After some erratic statements, he eventually confessed to his crimes, admitting to killing “more than 30” people in a shocking, matter-of-fact tone. He went on to describe his crimes in chilling detail, even referring to an alternate personality named ‘Jack Hanley’ to explain his actions.

Gacy’s final days before execution

In 1980, the so-called ‘Killer Clown’ was found guilty of 33 murders, as well as charges of sexual assault and indecent liberties with a minor. He spent 14 years on death row before being executed by lethal injection on May 10, 1994, at the age of 52. Before his death, Gacy ordered a bizarre final meal of fried chicken, fried shrimp, French fries, and fresh strawberries.

John Wayne Gacy’s crimes forever changed the way people viewed the safety of small-town America. To this day, his story continues to terrify as well as fascinate crime experts and researchers alike for its haunting reminder that evil can lurk so easily in plain sight.

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