John Wayne Gacy: Who Portrayed John Wayne Gacy in the Miniseries?

By Jivika On Nov 2, 2022

The newest drama on Netflix is based on real-life serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer, and it’s getting a lot of buzz. An other serial murderer, John Wayne Gacy (aka the Killer Clown), makes a brief appearance in the miniseries as it focuses on Dahmer’s life, victims, and death. Who was John Wayne Gacy? How was he caught and how did he die? To know about Gacy, stay tuned with this article till the end.

At least 33 young men and boys in Chicago, Illinois were victims of Gacy, an American serial killer and sex offender who operated in the 1970s.

While Dahmer was dubbed the Milwaukee Cannibal, Gacy was dubbed the Killer Clown owing to his frequent appearances as a clown for children’s hospitals and charity events under the guises of Pogo or Patches.

Table of Contents

First Killing in 1972

Gacy returned to Chicago after being given parole in 1970, and after a short time living with his mother, he bought a house in Norwood Park Township, where he would commit all of his killings.

First killing in 1972, Gacy had committed two more murders by the end of 1975 and at least 30 more by 1976.

Gacy’s construction company, PDM Contractors, was founded in 1971, and he employed a variety of ways to entice his victims to his house, the most common of which was the promise of employment. Some of his visitors were lured into his home by the offer of free drinks, drugs, or cash in exchange for sexual favours.
Gacy kidnapped some of his victims by force, while others were misled into thinking he was a cop. Gacy wore a badge and had lights installed on the back of his automobile like a sheriff.

Once Gacy’s victims were inside the house, he would often give them drugs or drink and then pretend to perform a magic act with the handcuffs.

Gacy often raped and tortured people while their hands were bound behind their backs.

Although Gacy has been linked to the deaths of at least 33 people, only 28 have been positively identified.

When Gacy ran out of place in his home’s crawl space to bury his victims, he resorted to tossing their bodies down the I-55 bridge into the Des Plaines River.

How Did They Find Him?

After alerting his mother about a possible contractor work, Gacy was apprehended when the police began looking into Robert Piest’s disappearance.
The serial murderer picked up Piest after meeting with the proprietor of a Nission Pharmacy in Des Plaines, Phil Torf, to discuss a renovation project. Piest was a part-time employee at the drug store.

Torf named Gacy as the contractor with whom the youngster had spoken, and a standard background check revealed that the killer already had a battery case pending in Chicago and had previously served time for the assault of a 15-year-old boy.

The rape and torture of 26-year-old Jeffrey Rignall in Chicago’s Lincoln Park in 1978 led to the battery allegation against Gacy. Rignall called the police after returning to his girlfriend’s residence.

The police did not look into Gacy’s background before his arrest on July 15 and subsequent trial for violence against Rignall.

Police secured search warrants for Piest’s residence and began conducting round-the-clock surveillance on him after he went missing.
Gacy was taken into custody on 21 December 1978 after being caught on camera distributing cannabis. Gacy buried several of his victims in a crawl area that was uncovered during a search of his home.
Gacy told police he had killed 32 young men on December 22, 1978, and drew a map showing where the bodies could be found beneath his house. He identified six of his victims for them as well.

By the end of that year, on December 30th, Gacy had been charged with the murders of 29 people whose bodies had been found. After a lengthy trial, he was found guilty of 33 murders and given 12 death sentences and 21 life terms.

When Did He Pass Away?

On May 10, 1994, Gacy was executed at the Stateville Correctional Centre by lethal injection. He was put on death row on March 13, 1980, and he didn’t leave until after 14 years.

Gacy spent his time on death row filing numerous papers and appeals designed to overturn his conviction and delay his execution.

After the United States Supreme Court rejected Gacy’s final appeal in October 1993, the date of his execution was scheduled for May 10, 1994.

In the early hours of May 9th, Gacy was transferred from Menard to Stateville for his execution. A bucket of KFC, some fried shrimp, some French fries, some fresh strawberries, and a Diet Coke were the serial killer’s final lunch selections.

A Catholic priest led him in prayer before he was led to the execution room.

As a result of issues with the lethal injection and the IV tubing, Gacy was pronounced dead at 12:58 a.m. on May 10, 1994.

Did He Have a Family? Was He Married?

To this day, Gacy’s two children are from his two marriages. In 1964, Gacy proposed to his coworker and future wife, Marlynn Myers. They tied the knot that September, and Myers gave birth to a son in February 1966 and a daughter in March 1967.

Myers filed for divorce from Gacy on the day of his 1968 assault conviction, asking for the couple’s house and other assets as well as primary custody of their two children and spousal support. The divorce between Gacy and Myers was finalised on September 18, 1969, according to the court’s ruling in her favour. In the end, Gacy lost track of both Myers and his kids.

In 1991, Gacy proposed to Carole Hoff, a girl he had briefly dated in high school. The two were united in marriage on July 1 of the following year.

Despite the fact that they tried, Gacy and Hoff never had any children together, Hoff already had two young girls from a previous marriage. Hoff filed for divorce in 1975, and she agreed. The divorce was finalised on March 2, 1976.

Frequently Asked Questions

In His Final Moments, What Did John Wayne Say?

It’s my birthday today.

Who Portrayed John Wayne Gacy in the Miniseries?

The 1992 TV movie To Catch a Killer, directed by Eric Till and starring Brian Dennehy and Michael Riley, was split into two parts. It’s based on the real-life investigation of serial killer John Wayne Gacy in the United States.