“The Killer Clown” By: Abby Bowen “That’s when I realized that death was the ultimate thrill.” John wayne gacy “The Killer Clown” By: Abby Bowen

Background information John Wayne Gacy was born in 1942 in Illinois. He had two sisters, and he lived with his family in a middle-class suburban neighborhood. He wasn’t very popular at school, but he was a Boy Scout and was very well- liked in that community. He grew up with lots of health issues including a blood clot in his brain and a heart ailment. His father was an abusive alcoholic, but he was very close to his mother and sisters. His father constantly made fun of him, calling him queer and prissy. Gacy never graduated high school, but he attended a small business college where he succeeded and was very respected and friendly.

Background information In 1964, Gacy married Marlynn Myers and moved to Iowa with her, where he began working for Kentucky Fried Chicken (which Myers’ family owned). The couple had a son. He became very involved in the local community, and even ran for public office in Iowa. He was social and held many parties at his family’s home. Throughout all of this, he faced many rumors that he was homosexual based on the fact that he seemed to only hire teenage boys to work for him. He often performed as a clown at children’s parties and community events (which later earned him his nickname- The Killer Clown).

First offense Gacy had a relatively normal life and had no run-ins with the law until 1968; he was 26 years old. A teenager named Mark Miller accused Gacy of violently raping him in his home. Gacy denied the accusations, claiming that Miller willingly had sex with him in order to make extra money. Gacy was then accused of hiring another teenage boy to attack Miller. He was found guilty and was sentenced to 10 years in jail. His wife filed for divorce his first day in prison.

Crimes committed Year Crime Sentence 1968 Sodomy 10 years (served 18 months) 1971 Disorderly Conduct and Sexual Assault Charges were dropped after the boy who accused him did not show up to court 1978 12 counts of First-Degree Murder Death Penalty *Sodomy: non-procreative sexual activity with a person or animal, usually oral *Disorderly Conduct: being drunk in public, "disturbing the peace", or loitering in certain areas. Many types of unruly behavior may fit the definition of disorderly conduct. *First-degree murder: murder that is carried out with the planned and deliberate intention of killing somebody *Sexual Assault: a form of sexual violence, is any involuntary sexual act in which a person is threatened, coerced, or forced to engage against their will, or any non-consensual sexual touching of a person.

Most recent crime In 1978, 15-year-old Robert Piest disappeared after talking to Gacy outside of a pharmacy. Gacy’s house was searched. Items confiscated from the home included: 1. class rings and licenses 2. marijuana 3. porn movies and magazines 4. handcuffs and ropes 5. fake police badges 6. teenage boys’ clothes 7. his car

Evidence and sentence After searching the home and further investigation, they found even more disturbing evidence to prove Gacy responsible for the disappearance. 1. Robert Piest’s hair was found in the trunk of his car. 2. 3 other former employees of Gacy had been reported missing in the past few years. 3. Gacy told police to check under the floorboards of his home. There, they found the remains of 33 people, all young men who’s ages ranged from 14- 21. Gacy was charged with the murder of 33 young men, and he plead mentally insane during the trial. He was found to not be mentally insane, and was sentenced to death row. He was executed on May 9, 1994.

books Buried Dreams: Inside the Mind of A Serial Killer by Tim Cahill The Chicago Killer by Joseph and Karen Kozenczak 29 Below by Jeffrey Rignall (one of the few of Gacy’s victims who survived) *These are only three of the many books written about Gacy*

Movies Gacy Dear Mr. Gacy To Catch A Killer 8213: Gacy House Documentaries on the Discovery Channel: Most Evil & Devil You Know https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wZ_ERGZdqn4 Dear Mr. Gacy trailer

Sociological theory I believe the social control theory best describes John Wayne Gacy’s behavior. This theory explains that deviant behavior occurs when a person conforms to what society expects of them. This usually happens when a bond with another is weakened or broken. Typically, these individuals have things in their lives that should prevent them from acting deviant. In the case of Gacy, he led a fairly normal life. However, his bond with his father was weak. He wanted to be loved and accepted by his father, but he only got abused and rejected. Gacy was homosexual, but because of his father’s torturous words about being homosexual, he suppressed those feelings and married women instead. Gacy’s forced suppression of his homosexuality could’ve led to the fact that all of his victims were young men.

Theory Many aspects of Gacy’s life should have kept him from committing crimes. He had a wife and a child. He was successful in his career, and had graduated from a business college. He was well-liked within the community and had many friends. Even with all of these advantages in life, Gacy still leaned towards deviance and violence.