You probably know the broad strokes of the John Wayne Gacy case, a normal-seeming guy who had Chicago-area political aspirations, owned a successful contracting firm, donned clown makeup to entertain local children, and seemed to be a boisterous pillar of the community.
Then, in late 1978, the remains of over 30 victims, mainly teenage boys, were found buried under and around his house and in nearby woods.
This Peacock original six-part docuseries goes further into the case than you probably know or remember, talking to journalists and law enforcement officers that were involved in trailing Gacy when 15-year-old Robert Piest went missing. But the key to this series is an interview with Gacy himself, recorded in 1992, two years before he was to be executed.
The interviews were facilitated by Craig Bowley, who corresponded with Gacy by mail and phone calls in the 1980s, and the interview was conducted by FBI profiler Robert Ressler, one of the pioneers in the field of investigating serial killers.
The footage of Gacy talking about the investigation and discovery of the remains under and around his house reveals so much more than any of the current interviews can. Yes, these interviews reveal how much of a “regular guy” Gacy seemed to be, as well as revealing his penchant for bragging about his connections. But watching Gacy talk on video, which has rarely been seen, really drives home the fact that depraved killers like him can look and seem completely “normal”. It certainly paints a different picture of him than what viewers are likely used to, well beyond the Killer Clown archetype which is how he has been characterized over the past four decades.
This slow-moving and detailed story leads into the final two episodes by detailing the more conspiratorial (truer) aspects of the Gacy story, explaining how police often wrote off reports of missing boys and young men as runaways or teen prostitutes (how often have we seen this with similar 'serial killer' cases?). Experts discuss theories about accomplices, sex trafficking and snuff porn/snuff film rings, and additional victims.
The gory details of the crimes are not what you will find in this comprehensive documentary. You will find out who Gacy was, the arrest, trial, aftermath, and shocking discoveries.
Why did the police ignore so many facts?
Did Gacy have help? How many more victims are there?