Killer Stories with Harvey Guillén - Working Late Pt. 3: Laborers

Episode Date: September 13, 2021

At the halfway point of this Working Late series, we want to look at the people whose work is often overlooked, but that keeps society running. Laborers possess the skills to repair our homes, build roads, and keep us safe — but these same skills can also help them get away with murder. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Due to the graphic nature of this episode, listener discretion is advised. This episode includes discussions of murder, suicide, rape, and pedophilia that some people might find offensive. We advise extreme caution for children under 13. Laborers are the backbone of our society. They pave our roads, build our homes, and install our security systems. Without them, the infrastructure we rely on every day wouldn't exist. But too often, these essential workers go away. unacknowledged. Typically, we only think about construction when the noise of a jackhammer wakes us up, or when a closed highway forces us to take a detour. The rest of the time, these men and

women labor away from prying eyes, often late at night or early in the morning, to avoid disrupting the rest of the world. They're practically invisible. And failing to appreciate those who make your life possible isn't just disrespectful. It can also be dangerous. Hammers beat more than nails. In excavators don't just dig utility lines. Today we'll take a look at three men who use their tools to destroy lives, demolish families, and spread unvarnished terror. Hi, I'm Greg Paulson. This is Cereal Killers, a Spotify original from Parcast. Every episode we dive into the minds and madness of serial killers. Today is episode three of Working Late, our six-part special on some of the most popular jobs held by serial killers.

I'm here with my co-host, Vanessa Richardson. Hi, everyone. You can find episodes of serial killers and all other Spotify originals from Parcast for free on Spotify. Typically, we dive into the mind and madness of a single killer and track their progression from childhood into violent adulthood. But this series is a little different. We're diving deep into the psychology behind six vocations that serial killers are drawn to and looking at chilling examples of their psychology and action. Today, we'll be examining killers who worked as laborers, from security system installers to contractors.

We'll explore what drew them to their professions and how those jobs gave them unique opportunities to kill and evade authorities. We've got all that and more coming up. Stay with us. This episode is brought to you by Shopify. Bonnie and Clyde, the Lonely Hearts Killers, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. These are infamous criminal duels, but you don't need to break any laws to find your perfect business partner because you have Shopify. It's the commerce platform that can help you with literally everything, website design, marketing, shipping, and more. So start your business today with the best partner, Shopify, and get that. Sign up for your $1 per month trial today at Shopify.com slash killers.

That's Shopify.com slash killers. This episode is brought to you by ZipRecruiter. Whether you're hiring for a role or searching for a killer, the hunt can be exhausting. When detectives looked and searched to find any kind of evidence to find the person they were looking for, like Jack the Ripper, the Golden State Killer, the Unit Bomber. It's tedious work to find what you're looking for. So, if you're hiring, I've got news for you. You can skip the lengthy investigation and the tiresome process of sorting through hundreds of

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celebrating its 40th anniversary. You in? Must be 21 to enter. The home is typically where we feel the safest, so there's nothing more uncomfortable than leaving it in the hands of a stranger. It feels like an intense violation to imagine a strange person walking around your bedroom unsupervised.

But when your air conditioner breaks or you need a new roof, you might not have a choice. That's when you call what you hope are trustworthy professionals to come in and fix your problem. However, like everything else, the trust we place in these professionals can be exploited. There's no need for a killer to break in when someone willingly hands them the keys. And if your alarm has been tampered with, then there might be no one to come running when you scream. But unfettered access to a private home is just one reason. in these blue-collar jobs might appeal to a potential killer. Before we continue with the psychology for this episode,

please keep in mind that neither Vanessa nor I are licensed psychologists or psychiatrists, but we've done a lot of research for this show. Thanks, Greg. Enzo Yoxic, founder of the atypical homicide research group, told A&E that blue-collar jobs can help twisted murderers blend in with the rest of society. He said, those that punch a crime. clock can fade into the background. Their emotional intelligence is reserved for learning how best

to exploit others for their own gain, rather than for the good of the company's bottom line, end quote. But it isn't just about blending in with your neighbors. The nature of these jobs can allow criminals to get incredibly close to their victims while hiding in plain sight. The idea makes perfect sense. Imagine you call someone in to redo your deck. Over the course of days or weeks, countless crewmen might walk in and out of your backyard. And as long as they have a hammer on their belt, chances are you won't take a second look at them. Of course, operating under the radar can be a serial killer's most powerful weapon. Construction is a blue-collar job, often seen as honest, hard work. So posing as a laborer might allow a

criminal to figure out exactly where their target sleeps, for example, without ever arousing suspicion. This strategy works best for meticulous killers who thrive by forming detailed plans and ambushing victims at their most vulnerable. That's exactly what appealed to Dennis Rader, also known as the BTK killer, when he took a job as a security system's installer in Wichita, Kansas. In 1974, Rader, then aged 28, kicked off his killing spree around the time that he started working for the security company, ADT. However, he knew his first victims, four members of the Oterra family, from his previous job at an outdoor supply manufacturer. He did, however, use his time at ADT to map out neighborhoods and case homes for later crimes.

He also learned how to quickly disable security systems, which he used to sneak into the homes of his victims. By his own account, he rigged some alarms so he could slip back inside houses without setting them off. Breaking into private spaces was absolutely a sense. for Raider's attacks. His moniker, BTK, which he came up with himself, stood for bind, torture, and kill. The slogan revealed his twisted sexual fantasies. Raider tied up his victims and tortured them for sexual gratification before dealing the killing blow. That meant he needed to be alone with his targets in a private place for an extended period of time. That's exactly why he often went after people in their own homes.

But he didn't just take the job at ADT for the practical experience that's staying undetected. He was proud of his killings and wanted to make sure he got the credit, even if that meant putting himself at risk. Around nine months after his first attack, Raider heard police suspected three innocent men of being responsible for the murders. It should have been a relief. After all, he was an inexperienced killer and his initial crimes were sloppy. But instead of being thrilled that someone else was taking the heat, Raider was irate.

He wanted to make sure police knew they were on the wrong track, that they gave him the recognition he deserved. So he wrote a two-page letter describing the murders of the Otero family step by step. He made it clear he would kill again and again until he was stopped. Referring to his violent urges, he wrote, When this monster enters my brain, I will never know, but it's here to stay. Rader slipped the letter into a library book

and tipped off the local papers so they could find it. Before long, he made the front page. The news sent shockwaves through the Wichita community. Now that a confirmed serial killer was on the loose, locals were terrified, and the panic gave Rader the attention he craved in more ways than one. Some reacted by calling ADT to install a security system, not realizing they were.

playing right into BTK's hands. Knowing his clients feared the elusive BTK excited him and made him feel important. When he wasn't out killing, he relied on sexual fantasies and daydreams born of these interactions to keep himself temporarily satisfied. Most likely, working his day job at ATT allowed him to feel closer to the action, and he had plenty of opportunities to bask in his infamy. Criminology professor Dr. Scott Bonn personally corresponded with Raider to get a better understanding of these cooling off spells between his attacks. He claimed that BTK saw these intermediary periods as a time to observe his victims and imagine the violence to come.

Bonn wrote, These periods were more like a courting ritual or foreplay for BTK as he got to know his intended prey and fantasized about what he would do once they were alone together. Another way Raider got his kicks was to listen in when his co-workers discussed the rash of recent murders. One of his colleagues, Denise Maddox, vividly remembered talking about BTK with him. She said she trusted Raider more than some of the other men she worked with and frequently confided her fears about the killer to him. Preferring to remain in the background to avoid exposing himself, Raider rarely spoke on the matter himself,

but he always listened intently to Maddox vent, vent her anxieties. He didn't seem to be as interested in getting to know his male co-workers, however. Mike Tavares, who worked with Rader at ADT, remember that Rader seemed like a stuffy and distant man. Impressions like those followed him to his next job as well. In 1989, the 44-year-old quit ADT home security for greener pastures. The change was significant.

By that time, Rader likely knew all he needed to about home security systems. While it was probably still exciting to hear his fear-stricken clientele discuss their worries, being a laborer no longer appealed to him. One possible reason for the career change was the lack of real authority he had at ADT. Knowing his murders were terrifying the public gave him attention, but he was ultimately at the mercy of his customers on the job. The trade-off of being a faceless cog in a big company was that he'd given up his autonomy. Rader wanted people to listen when he spoke.

With that in mind, he pursued work with the government as a city compliance officer and dogcatcher. As soon as he started his new job, it seemed like Raider became an entirely different person. While he'd always taken his work seriously, he rarely distinguished himself at ADT. He'd taken advantage of the faceless role to fade into the background. But as a government employee, he felt like he had more authority and stepped straight into the spotlight to seize it. He quickly earned a reputation for being a stickler for the rules, as long as they suited him. He literally measured people's lawns inch by inch to make sure they didn't violate obscure neighborhood or city codes. If the grass was too long, he loved writing tickets.

In his dual role as a dog catcher, he was just as overzealous. It seems that the second he quit being a laborer, he let his aggressive side show. One neighbor, Donna Berry, said she saw Raiders' sadism first. when he interacted with a stranger's dog. According to her, she witnessed the killer attempt to mace the animal for no apparent reason on the street. When high winds sent the chemicals straight back into Raider's face instead, he went ballistic. Barry reportedly watched Raider pull out a gun and shoot the dog dead. The incident serves as a horrifying example of the outward temper Raider kept hidden at ADT for so long.

Now that he'd moved on, he was free to drop the axe. Raiders' work with home security devices certainly laid the foundation for his murder spree. But when he had his fill as a faceless employee and was more confident as a killer, the public felt his rage. Between 1974 and 1991, BTK killed a total of 10 people in Wichita. But he wasn't caught until 2005, no doubt aided by his detailed knowledge of alarm systems. After evading the authorities for so long, BTK. K was launched into the spotlight and became one of the most infamous American killers of all time. One of the only murderers to ever match his notoriety was another laborer-turned serial killer,

John Wayne Gasey. Coming up, we'll take a look at the deadly career of perhaps the worst contractor of all time. The most urgent mysteries in the world are missing persons cases. The stakes are too high not to pursue every plausible possibility. and some implausible ones too. I'm Sarah Turney, host of the new podcast Disappearances. In 2020, after spending years searching for the truth, I use social media to help bring justice to my sister Alyssa's nearly two decades-long disappearance.

Now, every Thursday on Spotify, I'm exploring the many reasons people disappear, and the impact their absences can have on those left behind. From child abductions and mystifying murders, to those who took drastic measures to start over, each episode of disappearances journeys through a different high-profile missing person's case, ripped from the headlines and ripe for explanation, because no one just vanishes into thin air. The answers are out there waiting to be found. Follow the Spotify original from Parcast Disappearances. a new episode every Thursday, free and only on Spotify.

Now back to the story. For a committed serial killer, privacy is crucial to carrying out their violent urges and remaining undetected. That's likely why Dennis Raider, also known as BTK, took a job with ADT home security. There he gained the knowledge necessary to disable security systems, to murder his targets inside their own homes. But installing alarms isn't the only way to get close to potentially. potential victims and stay hidden in plain sight. Contractors often have just as much access to private homes and could be subject to even less supervision. Because jobs can take months,

it's not practical for a homeowner to keep an eye on construction workers 100% of the time. That's exactly what John Wayne Gacy used to his advantage in the 1970s. Though he's widely known as the killer clown, Gacy's day job was actually in construction. Like so many serial murderers, Gacy's childhood trauma may hint at what was in store for him. In this case, there's potentially a deep psychological connection between a specific traumatic event, his contractor business, and how those things enabled or even inspired his crimes. In 1994, writer Alec Wilkinson interviewed the killer and was given access to an original manuscript written by Gacey. In one section of the document, Gacy wrote that he was molested in 1950 at the age of eight. After several

weeks of work at his parents' home, a contractor offered to take him out a ride to get ice cream, with the permission of his mother. According to Gacy, the man fondled him under the guise of showing him wrestling moves. Over the next few weeks, the same thing happened four separate times. He finally told his parents, who threatened to call the police if the contractor ever came back, and Gacy never saw the man again. While Gacy himself didn't draw a direct parallel between these events and his later behavior, It's easy to see the connection. It's possible he worked as a contractor in part because he already associated the job with the sexual deviancy experienced during childhood.

But beyond that, there were clear practical advantages to working in construction as a serial killer. Gacy founded his business, PDM contractors in 1971 at the age of 29. The benefits were hard to match, since he had already spent time behind bars after raping a young boy in 1960s. boy in 1968, founding his own business likely seemed easier than being subjected to constant background checks by potential employers, and being in charge certainly had its advantages for a power-obsessed serial killer, as we'll discuss in more detail in our next episode. Not to mention, the job gave him easy access to tools and materials, as well as a ready-made alibi if he were ever caught with them. And so, his business began in 1971 by taking on small

easier jobs, like painting and pouring concrete. He quickly put his experience and knowledge to sadistic use. Gacy abducted his first known murder victim, 16-year-old Timothy McCoy from a bus station in 1972. He let the boy sleep at his home that night and stabbed him to death the following morning. According to Gacy, though the murder was unplanned, he immediately knew he would kill again. It gave him an unmatched rush and sexual thrill, but once he had a dead body in his home for the first time, he wasn't sure how to dispose of it. Trapped in a tight spot, his thoughts naturally turned to the knowledge he'd gained from his day job.

He already had concrete bags and shovels, so he decided to bury his victim in a crawl space beneath his house. Then he covered the corpse with a layer of concrete to make sure the body wouldn't be discovered. This spontaneous crime became a blueprint for the murders to come. Gacy targeted young boys, often by luring them in with the promise of work at his contracting business. Sometimes he actually employed them, while on other occasions he sexually assaulted and murdered them at their first meeting. Gacy reportedly explained to friends that he couldn't afford to pay experienced professionals, so young men were an ideal way to keep his business running. Others saw his hiring practices as charity.

They thought Gacy was altruistic and kind-hearted for taking in young boys in... need of stable jobs. But the real reason behind his actions was much more sinister. Gacy recruited young men because killing them was his specialty. He often targeted runaways and boys who he thought wouldn't be missed if they disappeared. No one thought twice about the fact that Gacy's company had such a high turnover rate. It was simply the nature of the business. Once his victims were dead, Gacy then used his knowledge of construction to hide their bodies

where no one could find them. Just like his first murder, he usually stashed the corpses underneath his home. Starting in 1973, he even carved out a private space to handle the most difficult business in his garage. He forbade his wife and stepdaughters from ever entering, claiming he needed the space to store construction materials. In reality, the room served as a torture chamber. In 1975, Gacy lured an ex-employee, 18-year-old John Butkiewicz, into his garage to have a talk. When the boy confronted his former boss about some back pay he was owed, Gacy slapped a pair of handcuffs onto his wrists.

While his wife was out of town, Gacy raped and strangled Butkiewicz just a few feet away from their kitchen. He then buried the body under his garage, where he was already digging to complete some home improvements. As time went on, Gacy accelerated his killing. spree, particularly after 1976, when he got divorced and had more time to himself. During this period, he used his business as both a shield and sword when it came to his employees. The first step to ensnaring his victims was often a charm offensive. One of his former workers described Gacy as easygoing and friendly on the job.

He recalled Gacy often stopped work early on Fridays to go out and have some fun. But it was always just a means to an end. When Gacy wanted something, he would do anything to get it. And if sweet talk didn't work, he had no qualms about being more aggressive. Another worker claimed Gacy openly threatened and attempted to sexually assault him. When he didn't comply, Gacy told him he had a gun and remarked how easy it would be to, quote, get rid of the body. It appears that Gacy never actually attacked that employee, but others weren't so lucky.

In October of 1976, the killer murdered. another victim, William Bundy. It's not known for sure that Bundy worked with Gacy, but there's a reason to believe he did. Then, just two months later, Gacy killed 17-year-old Gregory Gotsick, who recently started working for him. Targeting his employees served Gacy in a number of ways. Most importantly, it gave him an excuse to get close to his potential targets after he had them in his sights. That was one reason he tried so hard to befriend some of his workers. Through casual chatter, he might have learned where his next target would be late at night. Then he could lie in wait for his victims to come to him. But the inseparable relationship between Gacy's work and his

victims was a double-edged sword. It also allowed some of his subordinates to glimpse the evil in him before he could strike. Though he was a master manipulator, Gacy sometimes let the mask slip, especially when it came to bragging about himself. One of his former workers, David Cram, briefly lived with the killer after Gacy got divorced. Kram testified that Gacy once told him he had a degree in psychology and that he used it to get people to do what he wanted. Gacy didn't actually have a degree in psychology and didn't have a perfect track record of getting his way either.

At times his manipulation was subtle, but often he was strikingly forward about what he wanted. One employee, Tony Antonucci, said that Gacy outright asked him if he would have sex with a man if it meant keeping his job. On another occasion, the killer came over to Antinucci's house, showed him pornography, and managed to handcuff him to a chair. He started to undress the boy, then abruptly stood to leave the room.

Antinucci escaped certain death by managing to wriggle out of the handcuffs. When Gacy returned, Antonucci turned the tables by slipping the shackles onto Gacy's wrists instead. He later testified that the killer seemed remarkably calm, even when restrained. Gacy's quick wits were enough for Antonucci to let him go. But even when he failed to kill his targets, Gacy manipulated his employees into unwittingly facilitating his murders. His subordinates later told police that their boss had them expand his crawl space on several occasions. He was extremely particular about exactly where his employees dug, but the young men didn't think to question their boss's orders. If they ever asked, he told his workers he was having plumbing problems.

but in such a claustrophobic setting, there was no way for them to avoid noticing the awful, rotten stench beneath their boss's home. Gacy's ex-wife had apparently remarked on the odor before she moved out as well, and he told her it was because of a sewer pipe. She witnessed him carrying bags of lime into the crawl space, supposedly to get rid of the smell. In all likelihood, Gacy chose lime because of the common misconception that it makes dead bodies decay more quickly. No doubt his ex didn't question his actions since he did construction work for a living. He had an ironclad excuse to destroy evidence right under her nose. Lies like these gave Gacy the feeling of domination he craved. In the same way BTK loved hearing his neighbors whisper about their fears.

According to criminologist Dr. Elizabeth Yardley, Gacy sought out power and control over those around him. He likely got a rush from ordering his employees around, but it was all the more intense when unwittingly helped him cover up his murders. Manipulating people was a game to him, and he usually won. Dr. Yardley referred to him as a puppet master. The simple act of concealing his crimes made him feel superior to those around him. For that reason, Gacy worked hard to maintain the image of himself as a family man and a pillar of the community. For years, he played pretend as a non-threatening, good-hearted man with nothing to hide.

He even famously dressed up as a clown and performed at a child. charitable events. But he also solidified his reputation directly using his company. He lent his tools or vehicles when asked and was proud of his standing as a businessman. The company eventually became inseparable from Gacy himself. His role as a contractor served as a substitute personality for him. Practically everything he did was tied to the business in some way. He even used it to endear himself to the local movers and shakers in his city, thanks in part to his tendons. see to lend construction services out for charity work, he was elected precinct captain of the Democratic Party. He even directed a Polish Constitution Day parade. Michael Albrecht, a detective who worked on

Gacy's case, noted that the killer had powerful connections. Every year he threw July 4th parties with the quote, Who's Who of Cook County politics. But friends in high places couldn't protect him forever, and PDM contractors took up so much of Gacy's life, to the point that it eventually led to his downfall. So, unaware everything was about to come crashing down, he continued targeting employees or potential new hires with the promise of work. Gacy's final victim was 15-year-old Robert Pist. He first spotted the boy at a pharmacy in December 1978 and offered him construction work.

Pist agreed to meet Gacey that night. A few hours later, Gacy raped and murdered the teen. However, Pist had told his parents he was meeting with Gacy about a contractor job, which meant that detectives were finally able to get a search warrant and investigate the killer. So after years of hiding behind his facade as a respectable businessman, it was Gacy's connection to PDM contractors that ultimately led to his downfall. In 1980, John Wayne Gacey was convicted of murdering 33 people and was sentenced to death. He was executed in 1994.

His legacy as one of the most prolific killers in American history endures to this day, but he's only one of many murderers who have used their experience as laborers to cover up their crimes. Coming up, we'll take a look at a lesser-known killer who buried his victims underneath California State Highways. Now back to the story.

Of all the serial killers the world has seen, B.T.K. and John Wayne Gacy are among the most infamous. But even with that kind of notoriety, the broader public doesn't often know how these killers spent their lives outside of their crimes. The same is doubly true for lesser-known murderers, the ones who seem to float under the radar. The last nightmare we'll cover today is someone we haven't discussed before, Mac Ray Edwards. Though we never quite racked up the body count of Gacy and didn't grab as many headlines as BTK, He was a laborer just like them, and he used his job to cover his tracks for years. Edward started his career around 1941, soon after he moved to Los Angeles County.

At age 23, he found work as a heavy equipment operator, primarily working on freeways. That meant he was responsible for driving tractors, bulldozers, and other large machines to quickly clear land or dig wide trenches. Just like today was dangerous back-breaking work. Not just anyone could hop in a caterpillar and move it with pinpoint accuracy across uneven terrain. But apparently, Edwards had a knack for it, and that wasn't all he excelled at. Before the 1940s came to a close, he had married and adopted two children. Like BTK and Gacy, for the most part, he was seen as a Salt of the Earth family man by his neighbors.

But deep inside, Edwards harbored dark, violent, He was desperate to act on his perverse sexual attraction to children and was prepared to kill to keep it quiet. His first known victim was 8-year-old Stella Nolan. On June 20, 1953, he abducted the girl and brought her back to his home. There, he molested and strangled her. When he thought she was dead, he tossed the little girl's body from a bridge. Of course Edwards was still new at praying on kids, and had luck not been on his side, he might have been stopped sooner. But like so many killers before him, he returned to the scene of the crime the next morning. Edwards might have been trying to relive the gruesome experience,

or maybe he just wanted to make sure the body hadn't been discovered yet. Either way, he'd found he'd made a huge mistake. Stella was still breathing and struggling to sit up near the spot he'd left her. According to Edwards, she was so injured she was unable to move or speak. She was a helpless eight-year-old who'd been through unspeakable trauma, but all Edwards saw was a loose end. With ice in his veins, he approached Stella, whipped out his pocket knife, and plunged it into her.

She died on the spot. The experience showed Edwards how risky it was to dispose of a body in the open like that. Caught in a pinch, he fell back on his job experience, for the answer to his dilemma. At the time, Edwards was held. helping to construct the Santa Ana Freeway, which ran north to Los Angeles. So he brought Stella's body to a section of the road that was still under construction. Then he used his heavy equipment to bury the little girl's corpse deep beneath the concrete.

The murder had been anything but smooth. And the near miss convinced Edwards to keep a low profile for the time being, but he couldn't suppress his violent compulsions forever. Like BTK, he entered a cooling off period. after that. It's not known exactly what he did during that time, but he kept his job working on highways and stayed married. Like a bear in hibernation, he waited for the perfect conditions to emerge. Three long years later, he made his move. This time, the 37-year-old was more ambitious, but only marginally more careful. If he'd been using his family man persona for cover

before, now he utilized it for something far more sinister. In 1956, his wife's sister, 11-year-old Brenda Howell, came to stay with Edwards and his wife. She was there to study at Bible school for a few weeks, but Edwards saw her visit as an opportunity to indulge the dark urges he'd kept in check for the past three years. In early August, 1956, Edwards paid another local teen, 13-year-old Donald Baker, $7 to lure Brenda into a canyon. Then he killed them both. No loose ends. Since his plans were a little more thought out this time, he decided to leave the corpses buried in the remote foothills,

believing that nobody would ever run across them. And he was right. Though his wife's family suspected Edwards had something to do with Brenda's disappearance, he refused to take a polygraph. And without bodies or evidence tying him to a crime, Edwards got away clean. He only grew bolder with time. Thanks to his years of experience building highways, he had extensive knowledge of construction

sites and deserted lots all over L.A. County. In 1968, he put that knowledge to use to kill once again. On December 16th, he successfully trapped young 15-year-old Roger Madison in an orange grove, tied the boy up, and killed him. The area was too exposed for Edwards to risk leaving the body there, but he had a plan for that too. He took the boy's corpse to a nearby freeway, which he was helping to construct. If anyone had tried to stop him, Edwards likely had any number of foolproof excuses, but few would question a construction worker showing up to a job site, even if it was deserted.

Confident he was in the clear, Edwards reportedly climbed into his bulldozer and dug a deep trench. He tossed the boy's body in the hole, then covered it with pounds of dirt. It was hidden so well that authorities were unable to locate Madison's body years later, even after Edwards directly led them to the dump site. In fact, it seems that only two of the victims of Mack Ray Edwards were ever discovered organically. For years, Edwards got away with murder, thanks in large part to his ability to stash the bodies where no one else could ever look. And while he was a person of interest in some of the suspected murders,

without any hard evidence in the form of a body, He was virtually untouchable. It took decades for Edwards to face any justice, and when he did, it wasn't because his job was connected to his victims, like they were with Gacy. On March 5, 1970, he attempted to abduct three more children, but two got away from him. At that point, the 51-year-old knew he would be caught,

so he let the third kid go, and the next day he went to a police station to turn himself in. Edwards told authorities that he was there because he had a guilty conscience. But considering he knew his escaped victims would only lead police right to him anyway, he may have only been hoping for some sympathy. However, any goodwill investigators might have had for him was obliterated once he started confessing. He told police that he'd killed six children since 1953 and offered them a detailed account of each murder. Following his confession, he tried to lead police to the body.

of his victims, but they were so well hidden that the task was easier said than done. Investigators successfully located cells' remains beneath the freeway, and they were able to connect Edwards with another young victim, Donald Todd, as a result of their efforts. But though Edwards took them to where he concealed the other bodies, authorities were never able to recover his other three victims. But it made little difference to the end of Edward's story. Three months later, he was sentenced to be executed, and before a year it passed, he was, he died by suicide in his prison cell. Since his death, authorities have connected Edwards to

several more potential murders, but it's difficult to say whether he was responsible for sure. The bodies of his remaining victims are likely entombed deep beneath former construction sites and highways all over L.A. There's no telling how many other children are frozen in concrete or how many other criminals might have used the same tactics to escape notice entirely. Mac Ray Edwards, BTK, and John Wayne Gacy all used their humble professions to conceal their true evil. They took advantage of their wholesome blue-collar personas to mislead their communities and deflect suspicion. Worse than that, they betrayed the trust of their coworkers, employees, and clients to find easy targets. Men like these prove that danger comes in many forms and has many faces.

The people we least suspect, like the essential workers who labor unnoticed in the background, can harbor the darkest secrets. Thanks again for tuning in to serial killers. We'll be back soon with the next part of our Labor Day special. The next job we're looking at isn't typically a role you can apply for, but it's one many people want. CEOs and entrepreneurs are often their own bosses, and all bad time answering to no one can sometimes lead to deadly outcomes.

You can find all episodes of Serial Killers and all other Spotify original from Parcast for free on Spotify. We'll see you next time. Have a killer week. Serial Killers is a Spotify original from Parcast. Executive producers include Max and Ron Cutler, sound designed by Carrie Murphy, with production assistants by Ron Shapiro,

Trent Williamson, Carly Madden, and Joshua Kern. This episode of Serial Killers was written by Terrell Wells, with writing assistance by Joel Callan and Kate Gallagher, fact-checking by Bennett Logan, and research by Brian Petrus and Chelsea Wood. Serial killers stars Greg Paulson and Vanessa Richardson. I'm Sarah Turney, host of the new Spotify original from Parkcast, Disappearances. Every Thursday, join me for an exploration into history's most gripping missing persons cases.

Following timelines, analyzing clues, and piecing together as many answers as possible to find the truth. From prison breaks and child abductions to second chances and even murder. We'll journey through the many reasons people disappear. Follow my new podcast Disappearances free and only on Spotify. I want to hear something spooky. Some monster, it reminded me of Bigfoot. Monsters Among Us is a weekly podcast featuring true stories of the paranormal.

One of the boys started to exhibit demonic possession. Stories straight from the witnesses' mouths themselves. Something very snake-like lifted its head out of the water. Hosted by me, your guide, Derek Hayes. Somehow I lost eight whole hours. Listen now on Spotify or wherever you get your podcast. A beloved 75-year-old man washing up getting ready for bed is brutally beaten and killed. Despite an exhaustive investigation,

the killer avoids arrest and then strikes again. I'm Global News crime reporter Nancy Hicks. You might listen to a lot of true crime podcasts this year, but they're not crime beat. Search for and follow the award-winning podcast Crime Beat on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and wherever you find your favorite podcasts.