"THE KILLER CLOWN: JOHN WAYNE GACY'S 33 VICTIMS - PART 1"

0:03 Callaroga Shark Media. Good morning, I'm Reed Carter. Saturday, October eighteenth, twenty twenty five. Peacock just released Devil in Disguise, a new series about John Wayne Gacy, the killer Clown, one of America's most prolific serial killers, thirty three victims, twenty nine bodies buried in the crawl space under his suburban Chicago home. This weekend, We're doing a two part special on Gaysey. Today, his double life, his victims, and the investigation that finally exposed him. Tomorrow, the trial death row, his execution, and the legacy of the man who created the killer clown trope in American horror. John Wayne Gacy was a pillar of his community. Successful contractor, democratic precinct captain, hosted elaborate street parties for hundreds of neighbors, performed as Pogo the Clown at children's hospitals and charity events, photographed with First Lady Rosalind Carter. Respected business man, good neighbor, family man. And at night he was hunting teenage boys, luring them to his house with promises of construction work, torturing them, murdering them, burying their bodies in the dirt.

1:19 Crawl space under his ranch house at eight two one three West Summerdale Avenue in unincorporated Norwood Park Township, Illinois. For six years between nineteen seventy two and nineteen seventy eight, John Wayne Gacy operated with impunity. Police questioned him multiple times. Victim's families reported their sons missing after being seen with Gaysey, but nobody connected the dots. Nobody searched his house, Nobody looked under the floor boards until December nineteen seventy eight, when fifteen year old Robert Peaste told his mother he was meeting a contractor about a summer job. That contractor was John Wayne Gacy. Robert never came home, and when police finally searched Gaysey's house, they found a chamber of horrors, a crawl space filled with decomposing bodies, limes spread over corpses to mask the smell. Twenty nine victims buried in neat Rose, four more dumped in the Desplains River when he ran out of space. I'm reed, Carter, this is celebrity trials today. The killer clown, John Wayne Gaysey, thirty three victims, six years of murder, and the investigation that finally stopped him. John Wayne Gaysey was born March seventeenth, nineteen forty two, in Chicago. Father was an abusive alcoholic who beat him regularly and called him a sissy. Gaysey desperately sought his father's approval but never received it. Classic psychological set up for what came later. Need for control,

2:50 desire to prove masculinity, hatred of weakness. But young Gaysey appeared normal, friendly, outgoing, joined the Boy Scouts, active in his school. By age eighteen, he was working in politics, volunteering for Democratic candidates, attending rallies, making connections. He loved politics, loved being seen as important. Nineteen sixty four, Gaysey married Marln Myers. She was the daughter of a successful Kentucky businessman who owned KFC franchises. Gaysey moved to Waterloo, Iowa to work in his father in law's business, became a manager, had two children with Marlyn. Joined the j CS the Junior Chamber of Commerce, became vice president of his chapter.

3:33 He was mister community Service, mister civic pride. Everyone loved John. Nineteen sixty eight, everything collapsed. Gaysey was charged with sexually assaulting a teenage boy, the son of a j C's colleague. Gaysey had lured the boy to his house, given him alcohol, and attacked him. When the boy reported it, Gaysey paid another teenager to intimidate him into not testifying. December nineteen sixty eight, Gaysey was convicted of sodomy and sentenced to ten years at the Iowa State Reformatory in Animosa. Marlyn divorced him. He lost everything. His father died during his imprisonment, meaning Gaysey never got the approval he'd spent his life seeking.

4:15 But in prison, Gaysey was a model inmate, worked as a cook, joined the prison jac's chapter. Got early parole after serving eighteen months. Released June nineteen seventy, returned to Chicago, moved in with his mother, started rebuilding. Nineteen seventy one, Gaysey started p DM Contractors painting, decorating, and maintenance, small remodeling business. He was good at it, hard working, reliable, built a solid reputation. Hired teenage boys as workers, paid them well, taught them construction skills, acted like a mentor. Nineteen seventy two, Gaysey bought a ranch house at eight two one three West Summerdale Avenue, single story home with a basement and crawl space, perfect for a contractor who needed storage. He lived there alone after separating from his second wife. That house became his killing ground, but publicly, Gaysey was thriving. PDM contractors grew. He joined Democratic Party politics again, became a precinct captain, organized elaborate street parties for his neighborhood. The annual summer party attracted hundreds. Gaysey would grill food, provide entertainment, spend thousands of dollars, being the generous neighbor. And he created Pogo the clown, designed the costume himself, clown makeup with sharp angles instead of rounded.

5:37 Pogo had a creepy edge. Even then. Gaysey performed at children's hospitals, charity events, Democratic Party fundraisers, got photographed with politicians. May nineteen seventy eight, met First Lady Rosalind Carter at a Democratic event. She signed a photo to John Gasey best wishes Rosalind Carter. That photo would later become infamous. Who knew Gaysey described him the same way, generous, hard working, helpful, good neighbor. Yes he drank too much sometimes, Yes he bragged constantly about his connections. Yes he could be aggressive and controlling with his workers, but overall solid guy, pillar of the community. Nobody knew about the crawl space, about the bodies decomposing beneath his living room, about the teenage boys who'd accepted construction jobs and never made it home.

6:31 John Wayne Gacy's greatest skill wasn't construction, It was deception. He fooled everyone. Police questioned him multiple times about missing boys. He'd explain they ran away or moved on to other jobs, or were unreliable teenagers, and police believed him because why wouldn't they. He was a respected businessman, Democratic precinct Captain Pogo the Clown. How could he be a murderers? Thirty three victims. That's the confirmed number. Gaysey himself claimed there were more. Some bodies were never identified, some boys he killed but couldn't remember details. The true number might be higher.

7:11 Gaysey's hunting ground, Chicago's Greyhound bus station. Teenage runaways, boys from troubled homes, kids who'd run away and wouldn't be immediately missed. He'd offer them work PDM Contractors is hiring need reliable guys, pays well. Or he'd offer shelter. You can crash at my place until you get on your feet. Other victims boys he employed at PDM, Teenagers he met through community events, young men he encountered at gay bars, friends of his workers who came by the house. Anyone vulnerable, anyone trusting, anyone who believed John Gasey was who he appeared to be. The pattern. Lure them to eight two one three West Summerdale, offer alcohol or marijuana, get them relaxed, then overpower them. Was large, over two hundred pounds strong from construction work. He'd use what he called his handcuff trick.

8:08 Demonstrate how to escape handcuffs, then put them on the victim and reveal there was no escape. Once restrained, Gaysey would torture them hours. Sometimes he'd rape them, strangle them slowly, then revive them to prolong the experience. His preferred murder method a garrot made from rope with a wooden handle, called it his rope trick. He'd strangle victims to death while sexually assaulting them. Then he'd drag the bodies to the crawl space three feet of clearance between the dirt floor and the floor joists above. Gaysey would strip the victims, stuff their underwear in their mouths, and bury them in shallow graves, spread lime over the bodies to control decomposition, smell, cover them with dirt, return upstairs and continue his life.

8:56 Some victims we know by name. Timothy McCoy fifteen January ninth, eighteen seventy two, Gasey's first known victim. John Butkovich seventeen July nineteen seventy five, worked for PDM. Buried under Gasey's garage. Gregory Godzick seventeen December nineteen seventy six also worked for PDM. John Sick nineteen January nineteen seventy seven Gasey sold his car after murdering him. John Prestige fourteen March nineteen seventy seven, Matthew Bowman nineteen July nineteen seventy seven, Robert Gilroy eighteen September nineteen seventy seven. Many remain unidentified. Decomposition in the crawl space was advanced. Dental records helped identify some others were matched to missing persons reports, but several bodies were never connected to names. They're listed as Victim ten, Victim twenty six, Victim twenty eight teenage boys who died in Gaysey's crawl space, and nobody ever claimed them. By nineteen seventy eight, Gaysey's crawl space was f twenty nine bodies buried in what should have been a storage area. The smell was overwhelming. Gaysey told visitors it was moisture problems, sewage issues, dead rodents. He'd spread more lime put down concrete in some areas to seal in the smell, but anyone who spent time in that house noticed the odor.

10:19 When the crawl space couldn't hold more bodies, Gaysey changed his disposal method, drove to the I fifty five bridge over the day Plains River, waded the bodies and dumped them in the water. At least four victims ended up in the river between nineteen seventy eight in December when he was caught. The victims shared commonalities male teenagers or early twenties, white working class, many from troubled backgrounds, some were gay or questioning, All were vulnerable in some way. All trusted John Gasey enough to go to his house, and their families suffered unimaginable horror, reporting suns missing, being told, boys that age run away, being assured by police. There's no evidence of foul play waiting months or years for answers, then learning their sons were tortured and murdered by a clown who'd been burying bodies under his house, while the community celebrated him as a model citizen. Jeffrey Rignoll survived an encounter with Gaysey. March nineteen seventy eight. Rignol, twenty six, was walking near Chicago's gay bars when Gaysey offered him marijuana, accepted a ride. Gaysey chloroformed him. Rignol woke in Gasey's house, restrained being tortured and raped repeatedly. Eventually, Gaysey chloroformed him again dumped him in Lincoln Park. Rignol went to police, reported the assault, even staked out the expressway for weeks and spotted Gasey's car got a partial license plate. Police

11:49 investigated Gaysey, but prosecutors declined to file charges, said it was consensual rough sex gone too far. If they'd searched Gaysey's house, then twenty nine bodies would have been discovered, multiple victims would have been saved, But they didn't search, and Gasey kept killing more. In a moment December eleventh, nineteen seventy eight, Robert Peaste fifteen years old, was working at Nissan Pharmacy in Day Plains, Illinois. It was his mother's birthday. Robert planned to meet her after his shift so they could celebrate together. Around nine pm, a man came into the pharmacy to talk with the owner about a remodeling job. The man was John Wayne Gacy. While there, Gasey overheard Robert mention he was looking for summer work.

12:48 Gasey said PDM Contractors was hiring pays five dollars an hour, Robert should come talk to him. Robert told his mother he'd be back in a few minutes, just going to talk to a contractor about a summer job. That contractor was waiting outside in his car. Elizabeth Peaste watched her son walk out. That was the last time she saw him alive. When Robert didn't return after twenty minutes, Elizabeth went looking. Found Gaysey's business card at the pharmacy immediately called police. This wasn't a runaway situation. Robert had told his mother exactly where he was going, left his jacket behind, said he'd be right back. Something was wrong. Des Plain's Police Lieutenant Joseph Cozenzak took the case interviewed the pharmacy owner, got Gaysey's information, learned Gaysey had a conviction for sodomy in Iowa. That changed everything. This wasn't just a missing teen who might have run away. This was a known sex offender who was the last person seen with a missing boy. December twelfth, police questioned Gaysey. He denied Robert ever came to his house, said he didn't remember seeing any boy at the pharmacy. His story kept changing. He claimed he was with friends that night, gave multiple alibis that didn't check out. Cozenzak obtained a search warrant for Gaysey's house, but the warrant was limited only searching for evidence related to Robert Peaste's disappearance, not a general search of the property. December thirteenth, police searched eight two one

14:23 three West Summerdale. Found suspicious items, handcuffs, police badges, a receipt from Nissen Pharmacy with Robert's coworker's name, books on homosexuality. But they didn't search the crawl space thoroughly, didn't dig in the dirt, missed the twenty nine bodies buried beneath them, But Cozenzak knew something was wrong. Gasey was lying. His story changed constantly. His behavior was suspicious. Cozenzak put Gaysey under twenty four hour surveillance. Squad cars followed him everywhere, made it obvious they were watching pressure tactic, make Gaysey nervous, make him slip up. Gasey responded by acting increasingly erratic, complained about police harassment, called his lawyers, constantly invited the surveillance officers into his house, offered them food, tried to befriend them. Classic manipulation. If they like me, they'll go easier on me. December fifteenth, police talked to Gaycy's acquaintances.

15:23 Learned he'd had numerous teenage boys working for him over the years, learned several had disappeared, learned about complaints from parents. The pattern emerged. This wasn't about one missing boy, this was about multiple victims. December eighteenth, police obtained a second search warrant, more thorough. This time included authorization to dig in the crawl space if necessary, But before they could execute it, Gasey's lawyer invited them to search voluntarily. December twenty first officers entered eight two one three West Summerdale. The smell was overwhelming. Gaysey claimed it was moisture and sewage, but it was the smell of decomposition. Death. Officers entered the crawl space, saw disturbed earth, suspected graves. They began digging.

16:12 First body discovered, then another, then another. By mourning, investigators realized they'd found a mass grave. John Wayne Gacy's house was a burial ground. December twenty second, nineteen seventy eight, the excavation of eight thousand, two hundred thirteen West Summerdale began in earnest crime scene technicians, forensic anthropologists, medical examiners, all descending on a suburban ranch house where a killer clown had been burying bodies for six years. The crawl space was a nightmare, low ceiling. Investigators worked on their stomachs.

16:53 The smell was unbearable. Bodies in various stages of decomposition, some reduced to skeletons, others more or recent, all buried in shallow graves in the dirt. Gasey was arrested and taken to police headquarters. Initially denied everything, then began confessing peace by piece admitted to killing thirty or thirty three, I don't remember exactly described his methods, demonstrated his rope trick on himself, showed investigators how he'd strangled victims while sexually assaulting them. He was matter of fact about it, no remorse, described the murders like he was discussing construction projects. This one was buried here, that one was under the garage.

17:34 Those four were in the river because I ran out of room. The excavation took days. Each body had to be carefully removed, documented, photographed. Determining where one body ended and another began was difficult given the decomposition. Eventually, investigators found twenty nine bodies under Gacy's house, seven under his bedroom, twelve under other parts of the house, ten in the crawl space under the garag, some buried on top of each other as space ran out. Gaysey had created a systematic burial ground rows of corpses his own private graveyard, the most heartbreaking discovery. Some victims had their underwear stuffed in their mouths as gags. Some showed evidence of extended torture, some had defensive wounds indicating they'd fought back. All had died horrible deaths at the hands of a man who should have been in prison after his nineteen sixty eight conviction.

18:30 Four more bodies were recovered from the des Plains River after Gaysey directed police to where he dumped them. Total confirmed victims thirty three, but Gaysey himself wasn't sure, said there might have been more, said he didn't remember all of them. They blurred together in his memory. Identifying the victims was painstaking work. Dental records, missing persons reports, distinctive jewelry or clothing found with bodies. Families who'd been searching for missing sons came forward. DNA didn't exist. Then identification relied on physical evidence and records. Some families finally got answers their sons hadn't run away, hadn't abandoned them, hadn't chosen to disappear. They'd been murdered by John Wayne Gacy and buried in his crawl space. That knowledge was devastating, but also brought closure. Years of wondering finally ended. Other families never learned what happened. Unidentified victims remained boys whose families never filed missing persons reports, or whose dental records weren't on file, or who'd been so estranged from family that nobody knew to look for them. They died in Gaysey's house and were never claimed. The media descended on Norwood Park Township. Eight thousand, two hundred thirteen West Summerdale became the most infamous address in Chicago news. Helicopters circled overhead, reporters camped outside. Neighbors were interviewed repeatedly, all expressing shock.

19:58 He seemed so normal. He threw the best block parties. He performed as a clown for children. Nobody could believe it, but the evidence was undeniable. Twenty nine bodies in the crawl space, four more in the river. John Wayne Gacy's double life had finally been exposed. The pillar of the community was a serial killer. Pogo, the clown was a monster. The house at eight two one three West Summerdale was eventually demolished, too contaminated to ever be habitable again. The smell of death had permeated everything. The crawl space was a crime scene that could never be cleaned. In nineteen seventy nine, it was torn down completely. The lot remained empty for years. Nobody wanted to build on ground where twenty nine people had been buried. Robert Pieste's body was found in the Day's Plains River on April ninth, nineteen seventy nine. He'd been weighted down but eventually surfaced. His mother, Elizabeth, finally got confirmation her fifteen year old son, who went to talk to a contractor about a summer job, had been tortured and murdered. That conversation with Gasey cost Robert his life, but Robert's disappearance also saved lives. If Elizabeth Peaste hadn't immediately reported him missing, if Lieutenant Kozenjak hadn't taken it seriously, if police hadn't pursued Gaysy aggressively, if they'd treated Robert as just another teenage runaway, Gasey would have kept killing. The crawl space would have remained undiscovered.

21:27 More boys would have died. December nineteen seventy eight marked the end of John Wayne Gacy's six year killing spree thirty three victims, the worst serial killer case in American history at that time, and it all came crashing down because one mother knew something was wrong when her son didn't come home more in a moment that's part one of our John Wayne gay Special. John Wayne Gaysey murdered at least thirty three teenage boys and young men between nineteen seventy two and nineteen seventy eight, successful contractor, Democratic precinct Captain Pogo the clown, performing at children's hospitals, pillar of his suburban Chicago community, and at night, a serial killer, burying bodies in the crawl space under his house. Twenty nine victims discovered beneath eight two one three West Summerdale.

22:25 Four more dumped in the day plains, river boys who trusted Gaysey when he offered construction jobs, teenagers who believed he was a mentor, young men who thought they were safe with a respected businessman. December eleventh, nineteen seventy eight, fifteen year old Robert Peaste told his mother he'd be back in a few minutes, just going to talk to a contractor about a summer job. He never came home, and that disappearance triggered the investigation that finally exposed John Wayne Gaysey. I'm reed Carter Tomorrow, Part two, The Trial, The Insanity, Defense, Death Row, His paintings and interviews, May tenth, nineteen ninety four. Gaysey's execution, his final words, and his legacy.

23:09 How the Killer Clown created the modern American nightmare of the monster hiding behind a friendly face. Peacock's new series, Devil in Disguise explores Gaysey's crimes in depth. Watch it, then come back tomorrow for the conclusion of our two parts special. See you Sunday for part two.