But his father quickly squelched whatever good came out of his political involvement. He began to buckle under the pressure, and his behavior turned bizarre. He received regular beatings, for no particular reason other than his father disdained him. T he narrative on serial killer John Wayne Gacy (1942-1994) is that he operated as a lone wolf to lure and kill at least 33 young men on the Northend of Chicago in the 1970s. Gacy was arrested, and used an insanity plea in the hopes of a not guilty verdict. Carole was aware of why Gacy had spent time in prison, but he had downplayed the charges and convinced her that he had changed his ways. On May 10th, 1994 John Wayne Gacy Jr., was executed in Crest Hill, Illinois. https://www.thoughtco.com/john-wayne-gacy-the-killer-clown-973164 (accessed March 24, 2021). But in March 1968 Gacy's near-perfect world quickly fell apart. He was seen taking pills and drinking mid-morning. After dating in Springfield, Illinois, Gacy and Marlynn married in September 1964 and then moved to Waterloo, Iowa where Gacy managed three Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurants owned by Marilyn's father. He earned his high school degree and took his position as head cook seriously. Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. Profile of Serial Killer Richard Cottingham, The Most Notorious Serial Killers in History, Biography of Jeffrey Dahmer, Serial Killer, Daniel Harold Rolling, the Gainesville Ripper, Child Molester and Serial Killer Westley Allen Dodd, Herbert Richard Baumeister, Serial Killer, Profile of Serial Killer Tommy Lynn Sells, Profile of Andrei Chikatilo, Serial Killer, The Capture, Escape and Recapture of Serial Killer Ted Bundy, Profile of Serial Killer Arthur Shawcross, Ian Brady and Myra Hindley and the Moors Murders. He was married, a good future before him, and had persuaded people he was a leader. As Gacy grew up, he began to develop a identity crisis - doubting his own masculinity. John Wayne Gacy (John Wayne Gacy Jr.) an American serial killer and rapist known as Pogo the Clown. He became pushy and commanding and would often brag about accomplishments, most of which were transparent lies. He was also known as “the killer clown,” only because he committed his crimes while being dressed like a clown that But when his shift ended, he was excited because the contractor that was remodeling the pharmacy agreed to meet with him that night to discuss a summer job. Months before, on Mother's Day, he had informed her that they would not be having any more sex together. That same receipt was found in the evidence collected during the search of Gacy's house. Gacy then stabbed the teen to death. By day, he was a successful business owner and community do-gooder, but by night, unknown to anyone but his victims, he was a sadistic killer on the loose. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. According to the employee, Piest was upset because he had been turned down earlier in the evening when he asked for a raise. He rose through the Jaycee ranks and in April 1964 he was awarded the title of Key Man. However, between 1972 and 1978, Gacy was kidnapping, torturing, and killing thirty-three young boys and men under the radar. John Wayne Gacy is arrested by Des Plaines police in 1978. They also learned that Piest was not the first, but the fourth person who had disappeared after having contact with Gacy. The two began dating and nine months later they married. Gacy's father was allegedly an abusive alcoholic and beat Gacy, who was unathletic and bullied at school. Gacy was released from the hospital later that night and taken back into custody. John Wayne Gacy Jr., né le 17 mars 1942 à Chicago et mort le 10 mai 1994 à Joliet, est l’un des tueurs en série américains les plus connus, surnommé le « clown tueur » en référence à l'habitude qu'il avait de se déguiser en clown pour amuser les enfants dans les hôpitaux. In return, his father would hurl insults at him, telling him he was stupid and acted like a girl. In 1968, after his conviction for sexually assaulting a teenage boy, he was confined in the Iowa State Men’s Reformatory (Anamosa State Penitentiary) and forced to undergo psychological evaluation. The news hit Gacy hard, but despite his obvious poor emotional state, the prison officials denied his request to attend his father's funeral. John Wayne Gacy (1942–1994) John Wayne Gacy was born in 1942 and grew up in a working-class neighborhood of Chicago, Illinois. Gacy soon joined the Waterloo Jaycees, and once again quickly moved up the ranks. The pharmacy owner told investigators that the contractor was John Gacy, owner of PDM Contractors. Afterward, he was so confused and shocked by the realization that he had been sexually aroused by a male corpse, that he called his mother the following day and without providing details, asked if he could return home. Updated July 03, 2019 John Wayne Gacy was convicted of the torture, rape, and murder of 33 males between 1972 until his arrest in 1978. Gacy found it too difficult to catch up with what he had missed in school while hospitalized, so he decided to drop out. Gacy later bought a home 30 miles outside of Chicago, in Des Plaines, Illinois. In 1978, after one of Gacy’s victims, Robert Piest, was reported missing, police learned that Gacy was the last person known to have seen him. After finishing his work, Gacy lured the teen to his basement with the promise of free beer and porn movies. John Gacy was born on March 17, 1942, in Chicago, Illinois. This was the same jacket that her son had on when he left to go talk to the contractor about a job and never returned. He did so under his alter ego, Pogo the Clown, who he dressed up as at local birthday parties. While in police custody, Gacy was informed that a second search warrant of his home had been issued. In Las Vegas, Gacy worked for an ambulance service for a short time but was then transferred to a mortuary where he was employed as an attendant. Gacy avait une grande sœur, Joanne, et allait avoir une petite sœur, Karen. As his defense, Gacy said that the accusations were a lie by Voorhee's father who was trying to sabotage his efforts to become president of the Iowa Jaycees. He belittled Gacy’s association with the Party: he called him a Party patsy. In the meantime, the search of his house, particularly the crawlspace, had begun. After five years of being in and out of the hospital, it was discovered that he had a blood clot in his brain, which was treated. His being a high school dropout solidified his father's constant accusations that Gacy was stupid. When Piest failed to return home, his parents contacted the police. Gacy regularly performed at children's hospitals and charitable events as "Pogo the Clown" or "Patches the Clown", personas he had devised. When Gacy was contacted by the police, he admitted being in the pharmacy on the night the boy disappeared but denied ever speaking to the teenager. His good behavior paid off. Indeed, the area of the house had emitted a foul stench for years, but Gacy had told his houseguests and his wife that the smell was the result of moisture buildup. However, despite his protests, Gacy was indicted on the sodomy charges. But that’s not what Devil in Disguis e is truly about. John Gacy, on the other hand, had the makings of a monster. He killed them in a brutal way and buried their bodies in or near his Chicago home. He then took a management trainee position with the Nunn-Bush Shoe Company and was quickly transferred to Springfield, Illinois, where he was promoted to a management position. Marlynn Meyers was employed at the same store and worked in Gacy's department. It was during this time that he began to develop his gift for gab. A common trait shared by many serial killers is their belief that they are smarter than everyone and that they will never get caught. From 1976 to 1978, Gacy had managed to hide the bodies of 29 of his victims under his house, but because of lack of space and the odor, he dumped the bodies of his last four victims into the Des Moines River. Further forensic tests were performed on the receipt that proved that Gacy had been lying and that Piest had been in his home. Once the boys were inside his home, he would overpower them using various tricks, render them unconscious and then begin his gruesome and sadistic torture that almost always led to their death. 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