(John Wayne Gacy: Picture credit: bbc)
Before I get into this post I would just like to say a big thank you for the amazing feedback on my last posting in this series which focused on 10 Facts You May Not Know About Serial Killer....Ted Bundy as well as the post I had written about him last year which went into his background, crimes, trial, aftermath etc. I always receive numerous messages and comments on my Social Media Platforms in regards to my posts on various serial killers. It's amazing that no matter how many books we may have read, documentaries we may have watched, there always seems to be information that we come across that we didn't know previously. I'm always appreciative when people reach out to me to say that they enjoy my work and have found out some more details they never knew about a certain case before.
I often get asked the question ''Who is your favourite serial killer?'' and in all honesty, that question is quite a pet hate of mine. I believe it to be in poor taste. I'm not a fan of a serial murderer, an individual who has taken lives in horrific ways and destroyed families as well as leaving survivors behind with a lifetime of trauma. I think some people often get the lines between reality and fantasy blurred and that's when you get ''fans'' of these types of people. There's women who talk about Ted Bundy like he was Donny Osmond and guys who will drool over the likes of Jodi Arias. I think it's the fantasy of being with this type of person in a sexual manner but of course I assume in their fantasies that they escape or are spared? The truth of the matter is that they could have been so easily a victim themselves of these types of people, any of us could.
So when asked that question I don't want to be rude and not answer it so I tend to respond with, ''the serial killer that I find interesting to study is...'' and then I respond with who that individual is and why. If you've been a reader of mine for a while you will know that the serial killer who I find intriguing in a psychological way as well as to research, is John Wayne Gacy. The response to this is often shock because they assume that I will pick one of whom they deem to be 'handsome' and that's also where so much glamour has been placed onto these people via movies, culture, music etc. Possibly explaining in a way why some people see these monsters as celebrities. John Wayne Gacy himself though not what some would class as being a handsome fellow, has been glamourized too.
The first time I ever came across John Wayne Gacy was in a TV movie based on his crimes and I still maintain that it is one of the best portrayals (next to the chilling movie, Henry) of a serial killer to date. I am of course (and you're probably fed up of me mentioning this but I'm going to say it again) talking about To Catch A Killer starring Brian Dennehy. I still get chills down my spine with Brian's performance. I was very young when I saw this movie and it wasn't until years later that I realised that the story was true and that John Wayne Gacy actually existed. And so I began to read books about him and watched his interviews. I couldn't believe that this guy had been responsible for such horrific things whilst putting on the act of being a pillar of his community. I started to become interested in the double lives of serial killers, how someone could act like the nicest person you could meet one minute but then be able to carry out the most nightmarish things that one wouldn't dare to imagine then next.
So this is a pretty long intro into this post so I will end it here but I have covered John Wayne Gacy's crimes, background and aftermath before as well as sharing other facts. I'm including him here in this series along with a list of other serial killers that I have had requested from readers. I hope that you find this post an interesting read.
1) John Wayne Gacy's starsign was Pisces
2) Gacy is often referred to as 'The Killer Clown' because he would raise money for local children's charities by dressing up as a clown. He would visit hospitals and attend charity events. His clown names were 'Pogo The Clown' & 'Patches The Clown'
3) Gacy was a prolific note taker and would write down everything he ate, drank and did whilst in prison. He would record everything in a diary, including who visited him, what took place and what time they left.
4) Gacy claimed that other accomplices were involved in helping him carry out his crimes as well as the disposal of the remains afterwards with many victims placed in the crawl space of his home.
5) Jason Moss was a young man who had become fixated on serial killers and took it upon himself to write to them in prison. John Wayne Gacy was one of the killers who responded and so a twisted web began to be weaved, check out the post I wrote about this shocking story: WHO WAS JASON MOSS?: THE SHOCKING & TRAGIC STORY OF THE YOUNG MAN WHO WROTE TO INFAMOUS SERIAL KILLERS & IT RUINED HIS LIFE
6) John Wayne Gacy was executed by lethal injection on the 10th of May 1994. He was 52 years old.
7) Gacy's last meal was reported to have been KFC chicken, a dozen deep-fried shrimp, French fries, a pound of strawberries and Diet Coke.
8) John Wayne Gacy never expressed remorse for his crimes and claimed that he was a victim himself.
9) Like Ted Bundy's execution, a large crowd gathered outside of the prison with t-shirts and banners in support of his death.
10) There are still unidentified remains that were found in Gacy's crawl space. The remains have been kept in storage and have numbers assigned to them which is heartbreaking but to this day nobody knows who these young boys (estimated to be aged between 14 and 30) are.
I hope that you found this second instalment in this series to be interesting and informative. As I mentioned before, for a more in depth look at John Wayne Gacy, his life and crimes, please check out my previous posts: John Wayne Gacy: ''I'm The 34th Victim.'' and The Jason Moss Story
I would just like to take a moment to remember some of the victims that we know about and who have been identified...so far. RIP:
John Butkovich (18)
Darrell Sampson (18)
Randall Reffett (15)
Samuel Stapleton (14)
Michael L. Bonnin (17)
William Carroll Jr (16)
Rick Johnston (17)
Gregory Godzik (17)
John A. Szyc (19)
John S. Prestidge (21)
Matthew Bowman (18)
Robert E. Gilroy (18)
John Mowery (19)
Russell Nelson (22)
Robert Winch (16)
Tommy Boling (20)
David Talsma (19)
William Kindred (19)
Timothy O'Rourke (20)
Frank Landingin (19)
James Mazzara (20)
Robert Piest (15)
Kenneth Parker (16)
Michael Marino (14)
Timothy Jack McCoy (16)
James Haakenson (16)
William George Bundy (19)
And the names we are yet to learn. Let's hope they are recognised one of these days. May they all rest in heavenly peace.
Further Reading & Sources:
- Inside The Mind of A Serial Killer of John Wayne Gacy | Book by Brad Hunter
- To Catch A Killer | TV Movie Based On The John Wayne Gacy Case
- John Wayne Gacy: Documentary | Born To Kill
- John Wayne Gacy Talks: Part One | CBS Chicago
- John Wayne Gacy Talks: Part Two | CBS Chicago
- John Wayne Gacy Talks: Part Three | CBS Chicago
- John Wayne Gacy Talks: Part Four | CBS Chicago
- John Wayne Gacy Talks: Part Five | CBS Chicago
- John Wayne Gacy: News Report | Chicago Tribune
- John Wayne Gacy | Britannica
- John Wayne Gacy: Article | Mirror
- John Wayne Gacy | Murderpedia
- Conversations With A Killer: The John Wayne Gacy Tapes | Netflix
- John Wayne Gacy: Article | New York Post
- Serial Killers: Article | CNN
- Serial Killers of The 70s | Book by Jane Fritsch
- the Big Book of Serial Killers: Volume 2 | Book by Jack Rosewood & Rebecca Lo
- The Encyclopedia of Serial Killers | Book by Michael Newton
- John Wayne Gacy: Defending A Monster | Book by Sam L. Amirante & Danny Broderick
Thank for taking the time to read my second instalment in this series, if you would like to leave a comment below please do so or you can contact me at jocaledoniankitty@gmail.com
If you would like to help keep my weekly content going (online costs, materials etc) please consider helping me out by buying me a coffee on my ko-fi page or by donating to my PayPal. Thank you so much!
Please stay safe and I hope you will join me in my third instalment in this series. I post new content every Sunday so keep your eyes peeled x
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