Crime, Conspiracy, Cults and Murder - Ep. 35 | They Found 29 Bodies Under His House... | The Killer Clown

Episode Date: February 20, 2025

In today's episode, we dive into the case of John Wayne Gacy, a man who hid in plain sight—a respected community member by day and a sadistic serial killer by night. Beneath the mask of Pogo the Clo...wn, he lured his victims into a nightmare from which they never returned. In this deep dive, we unravel the chilling story of Gacy’s double life, his horrifying crimes, and the shocking investigation that led to his capture. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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Starting point is 00:00:00 In late 1970s, in a quiet suburb called Displains, Illinois, concealed a nightmare. Behind the smile of a well-like businessman and part-time clown lurked a predator whose crimes would horrify the nation. John Wayne Gacy wasn't just a trusted neighbor. He was a serial killer who buried his victims beneath his own house. And when investigators uncovered the truth, it shattered the illusion of safety and redefined the face of evil. This is a story of how a troubled child became one of America's most infamous serial killers. And why his legacy still haunts us today. known by all now as the killer clown.
Starting point is 00:00:34 Crime, conspiracy, cults, serial killers, and murder. All things that I love to consume, and I know you do too, you sick, beautiful, intellectually minded freak. And today we are talking about just that monstrous POS person, John Wayne Gacy. A lot of you recommended I do this, so you get what you wish for. So without further ado, that's unbeckled, our seat, belts go mock fog down the highway, slam on the brakes.
Starting point is 00:00:59 and bust through this windshield into this killer clown case together. John Wayne Gacy's early life was marked by a tumultuous family dynamic and personal struggles that would later shape his psychological development down the road. Born on March 17, 1942 in Chicago, Illinois, Gacy was the second of three children and the only son of John Stanley Gacy and Marion Elaine Robinson. His father, a World One veteran, struggled with alcoholism and, subjected young John to frequent verbal and physical abuse. And this abusive relationship just set a precedent for the toxic dynamic that would persist throughout Gacy's childhood and adolescence.
Starting point is 00:01:54 And the paternal abuse Gacy endured was not merely sporadic. It was a constant presence in his formative years. Not a good start. His father consistently belittled him and drew unfavorable comparisons between John and his sisters. And this persistence of degradation had a very profound impact, on Gacy's self-esteem and his perception of masculinity. And one particularly poignant incident occurred when Gacy was just four years old. His father would beat him for accidentally disarranging car engine components, an event that Gacy would recall as one of his earliest childhood memories.
Starting point is 00:02:30 This incident just exemplified the harsh and unforgiving nature of his father's treatment, which often centered around perceived failures and inadequacies. So just the first ingredient in our serious, killer stew, okay? Nature, nurture, nurture bad, bad. But in contrast to his father's cruelty, Gacy's mother, Marion Elaine Robinson, attempted to shield her son from the abuse, so that's good, at least. However, this protective behavior inadvertently fostered a deep-seated resentment in Gacy towards both his father and expectations placed upon him. And the dichotomy between his parents' treatment created a very complex emotional landscape for the
Starting point is 00:03:12 the young Gacy, one that would influence his interpersonal relationship and psychological development in the years to come. And Gacy's childhood would be further complicated by a series of health issues. He developed a heart condition that led to frequent hospitalizations, and rather than his father offering him support, you know, like a good dad does, his father just accused him of feigning illness for attention, just deepening the rift between the two. And this lack of paternal empathy during times of physical vulnerability likely contributed to Gacy's feelings. of isolation and inadequacy. And the extent of Gacy's health problems
Starting point is 00:03:46 became more pronounced during his teenage years. Between the ages of 14 and 18, he spent nearly a year in hospitals due to unexplainable blackouts and a burst appendix. Kid had it rough, you know, before he was an absolute monster POS that deserves to be in hell.
Starting point is 00:04:04 Do feel bad for the kid, you know? And these prolonged periods of hospitalizations really affected his education and social development. So the physical ailments, combined with the emotional trauma of his home life, just created the perfect storm of psychological stress during his formative years. And at the age 17, Gacy would experience another traumatic event
Starting point is 00:04:22 that would have a far-reaching consequence for his psychological well-being. He would unfortunately be essayed by a family member. An experience he would actually never disclose to his parents. So this, it just combined with everything, all the hospitalizations and all the treatment of his parents was just a recipe for disaster, or just another ingredient in the serial killer stew, if you will. But despite the abuse, the medical issues, and the SA, Gacy actually managed to maintain close relationships with his mother and his sisters,
Starting point is 00:04:52 Karen and Joanne. And these familial connections provided him with some emotional support during his tumultuous childhood and adolescence. However, these positive influences in his life would not outweigh the bad. It just gets bad from here. And as Gacy entered adulthood, the effects of his troubled childhood began to manifest in complex and disturbing ways. The manipulative tendencies and violent impulses that would later characterize his criminal actions
Starting point is 00:05:19 can be traced back to these formative experiences. And Gacy's childhood would also shape his interactions with authority figures and his desire for approval. As he grew older, he developed a keen ability to present a facade of normalcy to the outside world, a skill that would later enable him to be able to commit these crimes and get away with it for a very long time. So in 1960 at the age of 18, he ventured into the world of politics, where all good people come from. I love politicians. Working as an assistant precinct captain of a local Democratic Party candidate. And although this sounds like a really cool, impressive job, it was not met with approval from his father. Still, this guy still can't get approval from his father. He just completely dismissed his son's efforts by labeling him as a patsy.
Starting point is 00:06:08 And the criticism just further strained. their already tumultuous relationship and underscored the ongoing tension between Gacy and his father. So at this point, seeking a change of scenery, Gacy relocated to Las Vegas in 1962. And there, he found employment in an ambulance service before transitioning to a position as a mortuary attendant. The irony is palpable. And it was during this time at the mortuary that Gacy had a disturbing encounter that would leave a lasting impact on his psyche. He would come into contact with the deceased body. of a young teenage boy.
Starting point is 00:06:41 And in a moment of profound disturbance, he would embrace and caress the corpse. And this experience left Gacy in a state of shock and pleasure. And may have been the pivotal moment in the development of his later pathological behavior. And then upon returning back to Chicago, Gacy demonstrated a drive of self-improvement and professional advancement. Despite not having completed high school, he enrolled in Northwestern Business College,
Starting point is 00:07:09 successfully graduated in 1963. And the achievement completely opened doors for him. It's secured management trainee position with the Nunn Bush Shoe Company, where he began to showcase his business abilities. In the year in 1964, Mark does a significant turning point in Gacy's life. He married Marilyn Myers, a co-worker of his, and relocated to Springfield, Illinois, where he excelled both in his career and community involvement. And rising through the ranks of the Springfield, Jaycee's a civic organization, Gacy would have been. eventually be named the vice president and would be recognized as being the third most outstanding J.C. in Illinois, whatever that means. So this period of his life just exemplified
Starting point is 00:07:50 Gacy's ability to present a facade of normalcy and success to the outside world, a skill that would come in handy as he delved into the world of killing. And it was during the time that he was with the J.C.'s, Gacy would experience another pivotal moment in his casual development. And this moment would be a homosexual encounter with a colleague. And this event would mark a significant point in Gacy's life as he grappled with his sexual identity, a struggle that would just continue to influence his actions in those years to come. And I'm not at all saying that homosexuality led him to do these things that he's about to do in any way, shape or form, obviously.
Starting point is 00:08:28 But him questioning his sexual identity led him to confusing roadblocks in his already very confusing mind and obviously odd fixation with dead bodies. Glad we cleared that up. Let's continue. But Gacy's ability to maintain a respectable public image while harboring deviant impulses is a classic example of a psychological concept of masking in sociopaths specifically. He became very well liked in his community, hosting large summer parties that attracted hundreds of guests, including politicians and business associates. And these social gatherings just reinforced his image as a community-minded individual, a good guy, if you will, all while concealing his growing criminal tendencies. However, Gacy's carefully constructed facade began to crumble in 1968 when he was arrested for assaying a teenage boy named Donald Borges.
Starting point is 00:09:23 So this incident would mark Gacy's first criminal conviction and resulted in a 10-year prison sentence at the Anamosa State Penitentiary. But despite the severity of the crime, Gacy served only 18 months before being released early for good behaviors. That's crazy! That's like one-tenth, a little over one-tenth of the sentence. That's crazy. And it would be a decision that would have tragic consequences for years to come.
Starting point is 00:09:51 And the impact of the conviction on Gacy's personal life was immediate and severe. His marriage completely dissolved with the divorce being finalized while he was still incarcerated. Whomp-womp. So this marked at the end of Gacy's relationship with his wife and children, whom he would actually never see again. Which is for the best. So the loss of his family and his reputation in the community he worked so hard to cultivate, likely just exacerbated Gacy's psychological instability. And reports suggest that during the time that he was in prison,
Starting point is 00:10:20 Gacy's criminal tendencies continued to just manifest. I mean, the guy was just surrounded by criminals. How, how could they not? He allegedly even tried to hire a hitman to eliminate his accuser, who was Donald Borges, the teenage boy, though his plan luckily and ultimately failed. And the incident just provides insights into Gacy's, growing disregard for human life and his own willingness to resort to extreme
Starting point is 00:10:42 measures to protect himself. So upon his release from prison in 1970, John Wayne Gacy returned to Chicago, where he initially resided with his mother. And this marked the beginning of a period of remarkable success and public acclaim for Gacy despite his criminal history, which is crazy. In 1971, he established PDM contractors, a construction business that quickly flourished. And Gacy's entrepreneurship and Charisma allowed him to build a respectable reputation within his community, effectively concealing his very dark impulses. And as he began to become more financially stable, he could purchase a home in Des Plains, Illinois,
Starting point is 00:11:21 or de Plains, Illinois for the French. You're welcome. In the year 1972 proved to be a very pivotal point for Gacy. He married Carol Hoff, a divorcee with two daughters, further solidifying his image as a reformed upstanding citizen, which like, looking at a. at it now, he absolutely just did that for the image. I imagine he didn't give a flying shit about anybody that was around him. He just used people. And Gacy would immerse himself into community activities, volunteering for political campaigns, and performing as Pogo the Clown,
Starting point is 00:11:55 the Thing of Nightmares at local events. And his involvement in these pursuits served to reinforce his public persona as a benevolent and civic-minded individual. But alas, he was a sick individual. But that picture of him as a clown is locked in my nightmares. But in 1972, he would finally start to crumble into his violent tendencies. He would commit his first murder. And the victim was Timothy McCoy, a 16-year-old hitchhiker whom Gacy had picked up at the bus station. Gacy would lure McCoy to his home under the pretense of offering him a place to stay for the night. And in the early hours of the morning, Gacy would stab McCoy to death in his kitchen. And later, Gacy would claim that he
Starting point is 00:12:39 killed him in self-defense, asserting that McCoy had attacked him with a knife. And this incident, however, marked the beginning of Gacy's killing spree, which would continue for the next six years. And the second murder would take place around January 1974. And this victim remains unidentified. All we know is that the person was strangled and placed in Gacy's closet before being moved to the crawl space after the body began to decompose. And all of this specific information was given as testimony by Gacy himself. And the third victim, John Butcovic, would be 18 years old at the time of his disappearance on July 31st, 1975. And John have been working for John Wayne Gacy since the age of 16. And shortly before his disappearance, Gacy and Butcovic were having money issues. And on July 30th,
Starting point is 00:13:27 John and three friends went to Gacy's home, threatening to beat Gacey up if he didn't pay John the $300 that he was owed. Just beat him up. Beat him up, get some baseball bats, beat him up. But instead of paying him, Gacy let the four boys smoke weed and drink beers at his house. And after a while, the boys left, and eventually later that day, Gacy encountered John, waving him down at his car. And following this interaction, Gacy convinced John to get into his car and he would take him
Starting point is 00:13:55 back to his home. And as soon as the two men would enter the home, John B began to yell at Gacy, demanding his check, because beers and weed didn't cut it. And Gacy would then do his later on M.O. And he would cuff John B. with handcuffs, and he would tell him, once he'd calm down, he would take the cuffs off. However, John B began to threaten Gacy, saying that if Gacy cut the cuffs off him, he would kill him. And from there, his fate was sealed. Gacy would make John sit on his chest, and he would lay next to him, and eventually he would just strangle him. And Gacy would plan on stashing his body in the crawl space, but his family came home, forcing him to bury John B.
Starting point is 00:14:37 under the garage. And following his disappearance, the Butkowitz pushed for police to investigate Gacy further, but nothing was ever done, unfortunately. Which brings us to our next victim, which was Daryl Sampson, who disappeared on April 6, 1976. Now we're in a shorter cool-down period time, which tends to happen with a lot of serial killers. We have that really long one, and that it slowly gets shorter and because they get more and more impatient and more and more addicted to what they're doing. But at the age of 18, Daryl Sampson was invited into Gacy's home under the pretense of a construction job, but shortly after would be murdered by Gacy. Initially, it was believed that Daryl disappeared by running away, but after police entered Gacy's
Starting point is 00:15:18 home, his body was found underneath the dining room. This is obviously later on after they actually found out Gacy was a serial killer. But until they found that out, everyone thought that he just ran away. And the next victim, Randall Reffat, age 15, disappeared on May 14th, 1976. So now we're only like a month cool down period. And he would also be discovered under the crawl space of Gacy's home during the police investigation after Gacy was caught. And his body would be identified via X-ray and his cause of death would be a stab wound. And the next victim, Samuel Stapleton, was only 14 years old at the time of his disappearance.
Starting point is 00:15:54 On May 13, 1976, Samuel had just finished spending time at a stab wound. sister's house and decided to walk back before his curfew. However, he would never make it home and was reported missing the next day. And his body would also be discovered under the crawl space of Gacy's home and identified by x-ray of his head that included his teeth. And his body was also found with a metal bracelet that his family and friends later identified as his. And this bracelet was actually used in charging Gacy with the death during his trial. And next, there was Michael Lawrence Bonin who disappeared on June 3rd, 1976. at the age of 17. He was taken while traveling from Chicago to Waukegan, and his cause of death was
Starting point is 00:16:34 strangulation via ligature, and his body was exhumed from beneath Gacy's spare bedroom. And next, there was William, Billy Carroll Jr., who was known to be kind of a troublemaker around town. According to his father, William, quote unquote, when Billy was 14 or 15, he was caught with a 38th Smith and Wesson automatic pistol. According to what I've learned from some of his friends, he'd shoot it at people just to scare them. He used to like to watch them run. However, on his oldest brother's birthday, June 13th, 1976, 16-year-old William disappeared and was later discovered and identified in a shallow grave in the crawl space of Gacy's home via dental records on March 17, 1979.
Starting point is 00:17:13 And then there was James, Jimmy Hakenson, who was actually recently identified on July 19, 2017, via DNA match to his family, previously known as Body 24. Hakenson disappeared on August 5, 1976, at the age of 16. And on the day he disappeared, Jimmy called his mother to let her know that he had arrived in Chicago after traveling from Minnesota, from his home. And once Gacy was arrested, James' mother contacted the police stating that her son might be one of the unidentified victims. However, at the time, the police could only use dental records to identify bodies.
Starting point is 00:17:47 And James' mother just happened to not have any. And it wasn't until his nephew told his father and aunt to submit their DNA to the Chicago PD, and that his body was then successfully identified. And the next victim would be Rick Johnson, aged 17, and he disappeared on June 8, 1976. So all of these murders are happening very, very close together. And he would disappear after his mother dropped him off at a concert. Not much is known about how Gacy and Rick met.
Starting point is 00:18:13 However, we know that Rick died on August 6, 1976, and his body was found inside the crawl space buried over top of the body of James Hackinson. So at this point, he's just. just stacking bodies on top of each other under his floorboards while his family is living in the same home. And just going about his life, how he always does with being a fucking clown and then having his construction company, a construction company in which he found a lot of his victims. He would just tell them that they could have a job and then he'd have them over and then he'd do
Starting point is 00:18:45 relatively the same thing over and over again, you know, either getting them drunk or handcuffing them, promising them jobs. It's just sick. fact that it took so long for them to find it was just awful. And then there is the next victim Gregory Got Sick. And there's little known about the disappearance of Gregory. All we know is that he went missing on December 11th, 1976. And he was exhumed from the crawl space of Gacy's home. And investigators were able to place Greg in Gacy's home because his wallet and some of his other belongings were found there. And at age 19, John Sick had recently moved to Chicago and was eager to
Starting point is 00:19:23 start a life. However, he went missing January 20th, 1977. And later, during police investigation, he would also be found in Gacy's crawl space. And then there was John Prestige, age 20, who had come to Chicago to visit a friend and eventually stayed after finding work with a Chicago contractor. And he would be last seen on March 15th, 1977, and his body would also be found in the crawl space. And I know I'm saying, you know, victim one after another after another, but I think it's important to speak on all of the victims. As shocking and as sickening as it is, I don't want to breeze past any of them.
Starting point is 00:19:59 So next we have Matthew Bowman, who was last seen by his mother at a suburban train station and reported missing by his sister July 5th, 1977. And other than his body being found under the crawl space, not much is known about how he came into contact with Gacy or how he died. And then there was Robert Gilroy, the son of a Chicago police sergeant. And he had actually grown up just four blocks.
Starting point is 00:20:21 from where Gacy lived, but investigators couldn't link any evidence as to whether that played a factor in his disappearance or death. And Robert was last seen September 15th, 1997. And unfortunately, his body would also be found under the crawl space at the age of 18. And then there was John Mori, who at age 19, completed an intense 18-month marine training and enjoyed his time in Chicago with friends and family. And on the night of September 25th, 1977, he stopped by his family members house and informed them that he was goal. out. However, according to his roommate, who worked for Gacy's construction company, his dog had been run over. And this claim would be corroborated by his girlfriend, who claimed that the last time the two had talked had been on the phone that night when Marri went missing. And following this incident, Marui would never be seen again.
Starting point is 00:21:08 And when investigating his disappearance, his roommate was very adamant about not calling his missing roommate, which some believe meant that he knew that Gacy was responsible for Maori's disappearance. Because that is very strange. And when investigators ended up digging up Gacy's mass grave, John Mowry's body was among the deceased in the crawl space. And among the many items that were discovered in Gacy's home, Maori's brown suede jacket was found and used as evidence to prosecute Gacy during his trial. And next would be Russell Nelson, who disappeared on October 17th in 1977. After traveling to Chicago with a friend to work for a contractor within Chicago metro area.
Starting point is 00:21:44 And investigators would never figure out whether that contractor that Russell worked for was Gacy or not. And his body would be recovered from Gacy's crawl space, and he would be 21 at the time of his death. Next would be Robert Wynch, who was the son of a physics professor at Kalamazoo, Michigan, where he would live for most of his life and then he would move to Chicago at the age of 16. And while in Michigan, he was kind of known for running away from his foster home. So when he disappeared on November 11, 1977, it wasn't that surprising. And he would be last seen eating at a McDonald's with a friend after being dropped off by his girlfriend. And while at McDonald's, he would be approached by John Wayne Gacy, offering him a contracting job.
Starting point is 00:22:24 And he left the McDonald's with Gacy and was never seen again. And while investigators would later search Gacy's home, they would find his tiger's eye belt. Then there was Tommy Bowling, who was 20 years old at the time he disappeared on November 18th, 1997. And at the time, he was struggling with drugs and had a wife and a three-year-old son. And his body would be recovered under Gacy's crawl space as well. And the body of David Talsma would also be found in Gacy's crawlspace. and was identified by x-rays on his left arm on what would have been his 21st birthday.
Starting point is 00:22:54 And his father reported him missing on December 14th, 1977. And next is William Wayne Kindred, a 19-year-old resident of 5-1-1-West Melrose Street, Chicago. And he was last seen near Diversie and Broadway, where police believed John Wigasey picked him up. And Kindred's girlfriend, Mary Jo Paulus, had been searching for him tirelessly since his disappearance. But his body would be later found, under Gacy's house in December 1978 and was identified through dental records provided by his mother. And then there would be Tim O'Rooke's body who was actually recovered from Illinois River and was identified through fingerprints. And when his body was found, he was completely naked.
Starting point is 00:23:33 And he disappeared sometime in mid-June 1978 and his age was unknown. So clearly something happened during that encounter where Gacy maybe couldn't get him back to his home or or some sort of ordeal happened where he had to kill him on the spot and then throw him into the river. And then the body of Frank William Landigan was discovered naked in the Desplanis River in Will County on November 12th, 1978. And he was later linked to Gacy after his driver's license was found in Gacy's home. And then 20-year-old James Mazzara was found three miles away from Timothy O'Rook in the Desplanis River on December 28, 1978. And not much is known about when Gacy came into contact with James or when the first meeting was or even when he went missing. but he was found nonetheless.
Starting point is 00:24:18 Clearly, Gacy found a new dumping ground because he had so many bodies under his house. And the next victim is Robert Peast, a 15-year-old in Desplanis, Illinois, who disappeared on December 11th, 1978. And he was last seen in Nissan Pharmacy where he worked, telling his mother that he was going to meet a contractor for a potential job. We all know where he's going. Obviously, identified later, the contractor being John Wayne Gacey. And when Robert obviously didn't return home, his family reported him missing. And his disappearance triggered an investigation that ultimately led to Gacy's arrest.
Starting point is 00:24:50 And Robert's body would be found April 9th, 1979, in the Desplanes River. And Robert's blue nylon jacket was found inside Gacy's home, linking his death to Gacy. And all of those victims that we just covered are all the ones that have been successfully identified. To this day, there are still seven unidentified victims that police are working diligently to identify. There were eight unidentified victims found as well at his pre-to-execided. property, DNA from the scene was unable to be extracted from them, and they just continued to be unnamed. But Gacy's ability to maintain a double life during this period was remarkable. He continued to be an active member of his community, hosting large parties and participating in local
Starting point is 00:25:32 politics, and his construction business was thriving during this whole time, providing him with both financial stability and a means to access potential victims. And the contrast between Gacy's public persona and his private actions was very, very important. Stark, illustrating his capacity for manipulation and deception. And as years progressed, Gacy's crimes became increasingly brazen. He began to take greater risk, sometimes committing murders while other people were present in his home. And this escalation and risk-taking behavior would just ultimately contribute to his downfall. And despite his efforts to conceal his crime, suspicion began to arise within his immediate circle. His second wife, Carol Huff, reported
Starting point is 00:26:12 finding wallets belonging to young men in their home and noticing a peculiar odor emanating from the crawl space. How the fuck? Could you not smell like 20, 30 bodies under your floorboards? I'm assuming she had her nose cauterizers. I don't even, I don't, I don't understand how you could just be like, it's probably nothing. It's probably just, probably just, I forgot to do the laundry or something out of now. I don't even know how Gacy would play that off. Like, you would just say that he was, I don't know, refusing to shower for years and just blaming it on his own disgusting body odor or something. I don't know. I don't know. I don't understand how that's even possible, but I digress. But it says that every time she brought it up, Gacy would just somehow
Starting point is 00:27:04 explain it away. So I can't, I can't think of anything else. He's like, oh, there's mold in the walls. And she's like, shouldn't we move? And he's like, no. We can't. So the turning point came in December 1978 when the disappearance of 15-year-old Robert. Pist was linked to Gacy. Peaceed had last been seen at the pharmacy where Gacy had been working, and witnesses reported that Gacy had offered him a job. And this disappearance would trigger a much more thorough investigation into Gacy's activities, ultimately leading to the discovery of the horrific extent of his crimes.
Starting point is 00:27:35 So the disappearance of Robert on December 11th, 1978, marked the beginning of the end for John Wayne Gacy, the killer clown. So police would obviously go to Gacy's home and the police would scrutinize Gacy. And they would uncover a series of suspicious items that raised alarms, to say the least. And these included items belonging to missing young men, as well as peculiar objects that seemed out of place in a suburban household. And the mounting evidence against Gacy led to the implementation of round-the-clock surveillance on his residence. So under the weight of constant police scrutiny, Gacy's behavior became increasingly erratic. His attempts to maintain the facade of normalcy began to.
Starting point is 00:28:16 crumble as the pressure intensified. And on December 21st, 1978, the investigation reached a critical turning point when Gacy, unable to withstand the mounting pressure, made a shocking confession to police. He admitted to killing at least 30 men, quote unquote, a revelation that stunned even the most seasoned investigators. Because everybody around Gacy, they thought he was the coolest guy. So nice, very professional, you know, very successful, great family. how could this guy be a murderer? It basically shook Chicago. Then there was the grim task of excavating Gacy's property,
Starting point is 00:28:55 which began on December 22nd, 1978. And over the course of the week, forensic teams meticulously searched the crawl space beneath Gacy's home, uncovering a horrifying scene, as you already know. And the excavation revealed dozens of decomposing bodies, confirming the extent of Gacy's murderous spree. And the process of recovering and identifying the remains
Starting point is 00:29:16 was painstaking and emotionally taxing for all involved. And if we take a look at this house, it is just truly haunting. Investigators dug into his yard and realized just how many of his victims. He was literally standing above at all times, which I'm sure was just a weird, fucking pleasure treasure trove for him. It's a sick, just a sick bastard. It's just sick, especially with his family living on that in the house too. Oh, makes me sick. And he lived at 8213 West Somerdale Avenue, Chicago, Illinois.
Starting point is 00:29:52 And this place became a burial site for all the victims I listed. So when investigating his home, the crawl space housed 26 bodies beneath it. And they also found a body under the garage and one in the yard. And I mean, at this point, he was literally collecting them. Not only killing them in his home, but burying them in his home. It's like he had this possession. over these bodies. It was just sick. And despite the extensive efforts of forensic experts and law enforcement,
Starting point is 00:30:21 several of Gacy's victims remain unidentified, as we said. And this tragic reality underscored the far-reaching impact of his crimes and the challenges faced by investigators in bringing closure to the afflicted families. And the magnitude of Gacy's crimes became fully apparent when he was formally charged with 33 counts of murder. One of the highest numbers in the United States criminal history. And the trial, which began in 1980, captivated the nation and shed light on the dark underbelly of a seemingly ordinary suburban life. Gacy's defense team attempted to mount an insanity plea, which is insanity, arguing that their client was not in control of his actions at the time of the murders.
Starting point is 00:31:02 However, the strategy quickly unraveled as expert testimony consistently ruled that Gacy was sane and fully aware of the nature of his consequences of his actions. I mean, you're talking about a guy that could like fully function. and have a full business, own a business, run a business, have a family, be well-liked by everyone around them, like, have nothing seemingly mentally wrong with them, and then they try to get the insanity, please. It just makes me hate defense attorneys. I don't hate them all, but I mean, let's not get into that, but they should kind of be in jail too. Anyway, Gasey's attorney, that is. And the prosecution presented a mountain of physical evidence and testimony that painted a clear picture of Gai-Sah Gacy's methodical and calculated approach to his crimes, because every one of these crimes was so thought out and premeditated. Like, you couldn't argue it.
Starting point is 00:31:53 And the jury, having heard weeks of gruesome testimony and examined the overwhelming evidence, required less than two hours of deliberation to reach their verdict. And on March 13, 1980, John Wayne Gacy was found guilty on all counts and sentenced to death for his heinous crimes. Whether you agree with that or not. I'm not upset about it. And following his conviction, Gacy spent the next 14 years on death row. So he had to rot a little bit, which I also like. And during this time, he granted numerous interviews, maintaining his innocence in later years despite his earlier confessions.
Starting point is 00:32:27 So the guy just wanted attention because he's a little attention whore. He's a little creepy clown attention whore, bitch. And it's weird to see some of the interviews because it has him having all the documents of his known victims and being able to look at them. And also in confidence state that he is no recollection of any of. of them when you know, when you know he remembers every single one of their faces and everything that he did to them. It's just, he has a very punchable face during his interviews. But the final chapter of John Wayne Gacy's life unfolded on May 10th in 1994, when he was executed by lethal injection.
Starting point is 00:33:00 Wampwomp. And witnesses to the execution reported a disturbing scene describing what appeared to be a botched procedure, which I just call karma. The chemicals used in lethal injection process reportedly caused Gacy to experience. prolonged suffering, raising questions about the humanness of the execution method, which, you know, is fair. You know, I mean, he's a monster. That doesn't mean we, the innocent people need to be monsters, but maybe it was an accident. And if it was an accident, listen, who the fuck cares? You know, he killed 33 people. In his final moments, though, Gacy remained defiant and unrepentant,
Starting point is 00:33:38 which just makes it, like, he's, I just don't feel bad for him. I don't feel bad for him. Like, even a little bit. And his last words would be, quote unquote, Kiss my ass. Well, karma kissed yours, you piece of shit. But it was just his final act of contempt towards society and his victims, revealing that even in death he showed no remorse for his actions, and now he's just russing in the deepest depths of hell,
Starting point is 00:34:08 burning every second of every day and every night, I sleep well at night knowing that. But I digress. Gacy's psychological profile revealed a complex tapestry of disorders and motivations, because I do like to get into that. Like, how the hell does somebody become this? How do people commit these crimes and just go about their lives like nothing ever happened? His behavior exhibited strong narcissistic personality traits, evident in his manipulation
Starting point is 00:34:37 of both the police and media throughout the investigation and the trial. And this narcissism was even further. exemplified by his lack of remorse as he shows no empathy for his victims and even mocked to their families at some points. And the question of whether Gacy suffered from dissociative identity disorder or D-I-D remained contentious, as he inconsistently claimed to have multiple personalities at various points during and after the trial. I feel like that was just the defense trying to say that he was insane. This was just like a way of trying to manipulate the jury, which is just you're not fooling me. buddy, you're dead. Who am I talking to? Not you, because you're down there. Anyway.
Starting point is 00:35:14 And the motivations behind Gacy's crimes were just multifaceted. Extending beyond mere sensual gratification, his actions were deeply rooted in a desire for power and control. And the act of his victims begging for their lives before killing them served to reinforce his sense of dominance. Something that he didn't have as a child when his father was dominating him, which I do think coincides with how he went about killing people. But this need for control may have also stemmed from his internal conflicts, particularly regarding his sexuality as well, which I'm sure is a factor. And despite being married twice, Gacy primarily targeted young men, leading some experts to theorize that he struggled with repressed homosexual urges, which may have fueled his rage and violent tendencies. And the Gacy case also led to significant reforms in law enforcement procedures, particularly handling cases of missing persons.
Starting point is 00:36:05 The removal of the 72-hour waiting period for reporting missing children was incorporated into the Missing Child Recovery Act of 1984, ultimately contributing to the establishment of the Amber Alert System, which, again, just a positive out of something so huge and negative. But a 72-hour waiting period is fucking crazy. Like even back then, like that, I can't even, what? Like, I know a lot of kids ran away, but my lord, my lord. But Gacy's crimes had a lasting impact on criminal profiling techniques, highlighting the importance of understanding the psychological profiles of serial killers. And the FBI and other law enforcement agencies have since developed more sophisticated methods
Starting point is 00:36:48 of identifying and tracking potential serial offenders. And these advancements draw on insights gained from analyzing Gacy's behavior and his modus operandi, or M.O., contributing to the evolution of investigative practices in the field of criminal psychoso. But all in all, giant piece of shit that I am glad is not breathing the same oxygen as all you beautiful babies. All my beautiful babies. I just want you to be safe. I want you to be safe out there. But that is all for the John Wayne Gacy case, the Killer Clown case.
Starting point is 00:37:21 You guys wanted for me to do a deep dive, so I hope that was deep enough for you. Let me know what other deep dives you want to see down below. I always love reading the comments and seeing what you guys want to deep dive into with me. into with me. If you like the video, like the video. If you want to subscribe, subscribe. This is obviously the best of your channel ever. And also, what's the last thing? I will see you a beautiful face in the next video. All right. Stay safe out there. Bye.

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