Bobby's School of Criminology Part 8 - John Wayne Gacy

bobbythebrony John Wayne Gacy was a sexually sadistic serial killer. From 1972 to 1978, he raped and strangled 33 teenage boys and young men in his Illinois home. Gacy was also known as the Killer Clown but why did this happen in the first place?

John Wayne Gacy Jr. was born March 17, 1942 in Chicago, Illinois. He was the second child of Marion Elaine Robinson and John Stanley Gacy. As a child, he was overweight and had a bad relationship with his abusive father. He was beaten from an early age and regularly called dumb and stupid. He often felt he was never good enough. After being beaten for stealing a toy at age six, his mother tried to shield him from the violence from the father, who started calling him a sissy and queer. He was molested in 1949, the same year he molested a girl. He also began to have blackouts and seizures, which his father accused him of faking. Gacy continued to be beaten throughout his childhood.

At age 18, Gacy began to be involved in politics. This earned him more verbal abuse from his father, who called him a patsy. When he became a Democratic candidate, he got a new car. He soon went to Las Vegas, where he worked at a mortuary. He witnessed embalmings and fondled a dead body at one point. He soon returned home and went to college, even though he never graduated high school.

In 1964, he traveled to Springfield to work as a salesman. He married his girlfriend, Marlynn Myers, in September. He later became the manager of several KFC restaurants. He also joined the Jaycees. He had another homosexual experience the same year. He rose to vice-president of the Springfield Jaycees. His wife also gave birth to two children.

In August 1967, he raped a teen boy named Donald Voorhees. He was arrested months later and charged with Sodomy. In August 1968, he got one of his employees to assault the teen. Gacy was charged again. He was diagnosed with Antisocial Personality Disorder.

Gacy pleaded guilty to Sodomy and was given 10 years in prison. After this, he never saw his wife and children again. He was described as a model inmate and oversaw improvements for the inmates. His father died on Christmas Day 1969.

He was released from prison June 18, 1970. He went back to live with his mother and got a job as a cook. He raped another teen boy but got away with it. He later moved to Norwood Park Township and got remarried. He later started his own construction business and became Pogo the Clown.

Gacy committed his first murder on January 2, 1972. He picked up a 16 year old boy named Timothy McCoy. He stabbed him to death, experiencing an orgasm in the process. He then buried him in his crawlspace. Gacy would go on to kill 32 more boys. He would subdue them with handcuffs and strangled them with a tourniquet. All the bodies he buried in his crawlspace or dump in the Des Planes River.

The investigation started after the final murder of Robert Piest. Gacy denied having anything to do with Piest's disappearance. They began to conduct surveillance on him. After a civil suit was filed against him, he confessed to his lawyer. After this, police searched his home and eventually started finding bodies. Gacy was then arrested.

Gacy's trial started February 6, 1980. He plead insanity. The prosecution had too much evidence and witnesses. The jury found him guilty and sentenced him to death.

While on death row, Gacy began to paint and his artwork became worth lots of money. In 1983, Gacy was stabbed by another inmate, though survived. Gacy continued to file appeals which were denied. He spent 14 years on death row.

Gacy was executed on May 9, 1994. His final words were "Kiss my ass".
His execution was almost botched though he got an easier death than his victims. Before his execution, he had a private picnic with his family.
After his execution, his brain was removes for study.

So what can we take from this lesson? I know all too well that an abusive father and bullying can cause you to do violent things. Gacy was no doubt a psychopath but was he born to kill. I don't think so. Ithink this is one example of upbringing and environment. This doesn't excuse his actions though. We'll probably never know exactly what made Gacy snap but it was probably his father and some sexually deviation.

Next Lesson - Edmund Kemper

Comments

This was great. - visitor

Thanks - bobbythebrony

Yerp - bobbythebrony

What is wrong with you why do you like serial killers so much - Brobusky

Because they're interesting and there's nothing wrong with liking them. Anymore questions? - bobbythebrony