Killer Clown
Terry Sullivan with Peter T. Maiken
A book-length account for readers who want more detail.
1972–1978 · Illinois
John Wayne Gacy
Multiple & serial murders
Photo credit
Des Plaines Police Department, 1978 / Wikimedia Commons · Public domain (U.S.). Cropped/resized.Photographs are cropped to fit. Photo dates and original images are available through the source credits.
John Wayne Gacy murdered 33 boys and young men in Illinois. The disappearance of Robert Piest in 1978 led investigators to Gacy’s home, where many victims had been buried beneath the house. His respectable public persona contrasted with the crimes uncovered during the search.
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The Story
When1972–1978
WhereIllinois
In this collection42 resources
Start here.
Choose a book, screen story or audio episode from this case’s collection.
Gacy (2003)
Clive Saunders · Fictionalized Crime Film
A dramatized interpretation; compare it with the reporting.
13 O’Clock — John Wayne Gacy (Episode 184)
youtube.com
An audio option for exploring this case while listening.
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Where are they now?
No reviewed items have been added to this section yet.
Nicknames & media names
1 itemsTerry Sullivan with Peter T. Maiken
Killer Clown
A name used in the linked media coverage. Media labels do not resolve disputed allegations or identify an unknown offender.
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Family Tree
The family relationships behind the story, gathered in one place.
Selected relationships only—not a complete genealogy. A family connection does not imply involvement in a crime.
FAMILY SNAPSHOT
Parents
- John Stanley Gacy
- Marion Elaine Robison
John Wayne Gacy
The genealogy spells his mother’s surname Robison; its accompanying biography uses Robinson.
About These Family Trees
These original diagrams summarize relationships reported by the linked sources. Community genealogy sites can contain errors and are not proof of identity or parentage. Full trees or record images may require an account. We omit speculative relationships, private contact details and unrelated living descendants.
Sources reviewed September 15, 2026. Suggest a sourced correction.
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Blogs & Essays
Read our articles here and explore outside perspectives, credited to their writers and publications. See this case in the Journal →
From the journal
No reviewed items have been added to this section yet.
Blogs & essays
1 itemsAbout these sources
Outside essays and reading guides reflect their authors’ perspectives. Compare claims with reported and primary sources.
Blogcritics
Book Review: John Wayne Gacy: Defending A Monster by Sam L. Amirante and Danny Broderick
A book review discusses Defending a Monster, written by Gacy’s defense attorney with Danny Broderick.
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Books
CONTINUE YOUR READING
Search this case on Amazon · paid linkSearch results may include unrelated titles. Check the author, edition, and case connection before purchasing.
Explore Reading & Streaming Options · Our case guides are free.
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Books
1 itemsTerry Sullivan with Peter T. Maiken
Killer Clown
Book-length account or personal perspective. This link provides bibliographic details; compare the author’s account with reporting and records.
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Paperback · Check current price and availability on Amazon.
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Movies & TV
Movies
2 itemsAbout these sources
Watch links, previews and title listings are identified below. Rentals or subscriptions may be required.
Brian Dennehy · Television Dramatization
To Catch a Killer (1992)
Brian Dennehy portrays Gacy in this dramatization of the investigation. A&E’s guide identifies the production and its connection to the case. The linked article is background information, not the film itself.
Fiction / DramatizationTitle & Source Information
Last Checked: · Access may changeReport a Link (Email)
Search Amazon · paid linkViewing options & film details
Title search; Amazon availability is not confirmed. Check the edition, format, and viewing region.
Clive Saunders · Fictionalized Crime Film
Gacy (2003)
Mark Holton plays Gacy in a scripted film about his public life and crimes. This is a dramatic interpretation; compare it with reporting and court records. The source link opens A&E’s media guide.
Fiction / DramatizationTitle & Source Information
Last Checked: · Access may changeReport a Link (Email)
View on Amazon · paid linkViewing options & film details
DVD · Ed Gein / Gacy / Dahmer Collection · Check current price and availability on Amazon.
TV & documentaries
4 itemsAbout these sources
Episodes, documentaries and title listings. Season and episode numbers follow the linked catalog and can differ by service. Air dates are separate from crime dates. Playback availability varies by service and region.
Peacock
John Wayne Gacy: Devil in Disguise
Nonfiction screen coverage of this case. The linked page identifies the program or episode; playback, subscriptions, and regional availability vary.
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Search Amazon · paid linkViewing options & episode details
Title search; Amazon availability is not confirmed. Check the edition, format, and viewing region.
Netflix
Conversations with a Killer: The John Wayne Gacy Tapes
Nonfiction screen coverage of this case. The linked page identifies the program or episode; playback, subscriptions, and regional availability vary.
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Title search; Amazon availability is not confirmed. Check the edition, format, and viewing region.
IMDb · Screen title
The John Wayne Gacy Murders: Life and Death in Chicago (2024)
IMDb title reference connected to the John Wayne Gacy case. Listed release: 2024. Cast, credits, and title information; viewing availability is separate.
Screen TitleTitle Details · Not Playback
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Search Amazon · paid linkCredits & title details on IMDb
Title search; Amazon availability is not confirmed. Check the edition, format, and viewing region.
Peacock · Scripted Limited Series
Devil in Disguise: John Wayne Gacy (2025)
A scripted retelling of the Gacy investigation and its consequences. This is the 2025 drama, distinct from the 2021 documentary John Wayne Gacy: Devil in Disguise. Performances and reconstructed scenes are not archival evidence.
Fiction / DramatizationOfficial Series Information · Check Viewing Availability
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Audiobooks
Listen to a book connected to this story. Each edition below is matched to its author and audiobook source.
Audiobook
Killer Clown : The John Wayne Gacy Murders
Audio edition verified at the linked source. The Amazon button is a title search; Amazon availability is not confirmed.
Edition checked 2026-10-12
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Amazon buttons marked “paid link” may earn us a commission. Affiliate disclosure
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Fiction Work
Fiction Work
Browse all →Scripted stories and fictional inspirations. Scenes, characters, and dialogue can differ from the record.
Peacock · Scripted Limited Series
Devil in Disguise: John Wayne Gacy (2025)
A scripted retelling of the Gacy investigation and its consequences. This is the 2025 drama, distinct from the 2021 documentary John Wayne Gacy: Devil in Disguise. Performances and reconstructed scenes are not archival evidence.
Fiction / DramatizationOfficial Series Information · Check Viewing Availability
Last Checked: · Access may changeReport a Link (Email)
Brian Dennehy · Television Dramatization
To Catch a Killer (1992)
Brian Dennehy portrays Gacy in this dramatization of the investigation. A&E’s guide identifies the production and its connection to the case. The linked article is background information, not the film itself.
Fiction / DramatizationTitle & Source Information
Last Checked: · Access may changeReport a Link (Email)
Search Amazon · paid linkViewing options & film details
Title search; Amazon availability is not confirmed. Check the edition, format, and viewing region.
Clive Saunders · Fictionalized Crime Film
Gacy (2003)
Mark Holton plays Gacy in a scripted film about his public life and crimes. This is a dramatic interpretation; compare it with reporting and court records. The source link opens A&E’s media guide.
Fiction / DramatizationTitle & Source Information
Last Checked: · Access may changeReport a Link (Email)
View on Amazon · paid linkViewing options & film details
DVD · Ed Gein / Gacy / Dahmer Collection · Check current price and availability on Amazon.
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Podcasts
Podcasts
15 itemsAbout these sources
Audio episodes and oral histories. Personal recollections are attributed perspectives; some services require sign-in.
youtube.com
13 O’Clock — John Wayne Gacy (Episode 184)
Direct episode page for this case or its screen adaptation. Open it for listening options and the publisher’s episode notes.
PodcastAccess Varies · Check Source
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Morbid
John Wayne Gacy Part 1
Podcast coverage of the John Wayne Gacy case. Released April 27, 2020. About 74 minutes.
PodcastAccess Varies · Check Source
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Last Podcast On The Left
Episode 105: John Wayne Gacy
Podcast coverage of the John Wayne Gacy case. Released February 17, 2015. About 66 minutes.
PodcastAccess Varies · Check Source
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Morbid
John Wayne Gacy Part 2: The Murders
Podcast coverage of the John Wayne Gacy case. Released May 4, 2020. About 78 minutes.
PodcastAccess Varies · Check Source
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Morbid
John Wayne Gacy Part 3
Podcast coverage of the John Wayne Gacy case. Released May 12, 2020. About 86 minutes.
PodcastAccess Varies · Check Source
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True Crime All The Time
John Wayne Gacy Part1
Podcast coverage of the John Wayne Gacy case. Released September 30, 2019. About 70 minutes.
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True Crime Garage
John Wayne Gacy /// Part 1
Podcast coverage of the John Wayne Gacy case. Released October 21, 2025. About 64 minutes.
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Last Podcast On The Left
Killing Time with John Wayne Gacy: An Interview with Karen Conti
Podcast coverage of the John Wayne Gacy case. Released May 3, 2024. About 53 minutes.
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Rotten Mango
#6- The Killer Clown - Serial Killer (Case of John Wayne Gacy)
Podcast coverage of the John Wayne Gacy case. Released July 15, 2020. About 111 minutes.
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True Crime Garage
John Wayne Gacy /// Part 2
Podcast coverage of the John Wayne Gacy case. Released October 21, 2025. About 70 minutes.
PodcastAccess Varies · Check Source
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The Casual Criminalist
102 - John Wayne Gacy: The Demonic Killer Clown
Podcast coverage of the John Wayne Gacy case. Released July 15, 2022. About 199 minutes.
PodcastAccess Varies · Check Source
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Last Podcast On The Left
Episode 106: John Wayne Gacy Part II: Maybe He Didn't Do It
Podcast coverage of the John Wayne Gacy case. Released February 17, 2015. About 71 minutes.
PodcastAccess Varies · Check Source
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Killer Psyche
John Wayne Gacy: The Killer Clown, Part I
Podcast coverage of the John Wayne Gacy case. Released May 28, 2024. About 54 minutes.
PodcastAccess Varies · Check Source
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Dateline NBC
Preview: “Devil in Disguise: John Wayne Gacy”
Podcast coverage of the John Wayne Gacy case. Released October 20, 2025. About 23 minutes.
PodcastAccess Varies · Check Source
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Crime House 24/7
Killer of the Week: John Wayne Gacy Pt. 1
Podcast coverage of the John Wayne Gacy case. Released August 3, 2026. About 58 minutes.
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Social Media
BRING YOUR PERSPECTIVE
Where would you start?
Choose your reading route, then share a question with your community.
Your choice stays on this page. No vote is submitted or counted.
Talk about sources and storytelling with care for the people affected. A documentary, a book and a court record serve different purposes.
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News & Reading
More Reading & Audio
3 sourcesExplore book records, previews, library audiobooks and selected documents. Access labels distinguish free material from library loans and paid subscriptions.
OverDrive · Library Access
Killer Clown — Ebook
Terry Sullivan with Peter T. Maiken. Related reading for John Wayne Gacy. This library catalog lists the edition. Borrowing depends on membership in that library and current availability.
Check Library Access ↗Last Checked: · Access may changeReport a Link (Email)
Google Books · Catalog / Availability
Killer Clown
Terry Sullivan with Peter T. Maiken. Related reading for John Wayne Gacy. Book information and any pages made available by Google Books; this is not a promise of full-text access.
View Catalog & Access Options ↗Last Checked: · Access may changeReport a Link (Email)
Everand · Subscription Access
Killer Clown — Audiobook
Terry Sullivan with Peter T. Maiken. Related reading for John Wayne Gacy. Check the current subscription terms and available sample; trial offers are not permanent free access.
View Subscription Options ↗Last Checked: · Access may changeReport a Link (Email)
Reading Access Notes
Search reviewed 2026-09-16. Sources searched: Google Books, Internet Archive, Open Library, Library of Congress, Smithsonian Magazine, The Atavist Magazine, Google Books (case/title search), Scribd, Everand, OverDrive and hoopla (combined title search). Search indexing is incomplete; this is not an exhaustive list of the web. Access can change by edition, country and library membership. Library loans may require sign-in or a wait. Everand titles may need a paid subscription; a trial is not permanent free access. Scribd documents are third-party uploads, with uploader details noted where checked. We link to source pages and write our own descriptions rather than reproducing copyrighted books.
A separate Texas Monthly search was blocked by the publisher’s automated-access rules and could not be verified.
News & reporting
1 itemsLos Angeles Times
Reporting on John Wayne Gacy
Linked reporting or commentary. Read the source date for its historical context; access may require a subscription.
JournalismAccess Varies · Check Source
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Newspaper clippings
2 itemsFeatured newspaper clipping
Read our original summary below. The archive link opens the newspaper’s own clipping viewer.
Chicago Tribune · 1978-12-23 · Page 1
Gacy investigation reaches the front page
The front page reports discovered victims and fears of additional deaths as the investigation develops.
Early reporting; victim counts were preliminary. Includes unrelated front-page news.
Newspaper ReportingAccess Varies · Check Source
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Read the original at Newspapers.com. Access and subscription requirements are set by the archive.
Open full clipping at Newspapers.comMore from the newspaper archive
Continue with these dated reports on Newspapers.com.
Petoskey News-Review · 1980-03-13 · Page 1
Jury convicts Gacy on all murder counts
The newspaper reports the guilty verdicts and the next sentencing stage.
Historical verdict coverage; includes unrelated front-page material.
Read this article on Newspapers.comKeep following the newspaper trail.
Search original reporting, follow the trial, and compare how newspapers covered the case over time.
Explore more on Newspapers.comNewspapers.com controls access to its archive. A subscription may be required; existing subscribers can sign in.
Internet Archive
3 itemsAbout these sources
Library records and preserved media. A catalog listing does not guarantee full reading or playback.
Internet Archive · TV News Archive
American Morning : CNN : June 28, 2011 6:00am-9:00am EDT
The archive indexes this broadcast under John Wayne Gacy. It may contain several stories; use any available captions or previews to locate the relevant segment. Full playback may be restricted.
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Internet Archive · TV News Archive
The Ed Show : MSNBC : June 28, 2011 1:00am-2:00am EDT
The archive indexes this broadcast under John Wayne Gacy. It may contain several stories; use any available captions or previews to locate the relevant segment. Full playback may be restricted.
Archive ResourceAccess Varies · Check Source
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Internet Archive · TV News Archive
Morning Joe : MSNBC : June 28, 2011 6:00am-9:00am EDT
The archive indexes this broadcast under John Wayne Gacy. It may contain several stories; use any available captions or previews to locate the relevant segment. Full playback may be restricted.
Archive ResourceAccess Varies · Check Source
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Court & Files
Court records & documents
1 itemsAbout these sources
Documents are labeled by type and scope. Allegations in filings are not findings of guilt. This collection is not the complete case file.
Court opinionArchive copy
People v. Gacy — direct appeal
The Illinois Supreme Court’s review of John Wayne Gacy’s murder convictions, including the investigation, evidence, and trial challenges.
- Court / agency
- Supreme Court of Illinois
- Document date
- June 6, 1984
- Case / citation
- 53212
- Hosted by
- Justia
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Roads Traveled
Roads Traveled
Open case map →Illinois. The map provides regional context; individually verified historical places are listed below.
Where this story happened
Illinois
Highlighted states show regional context, not exact addresses. Ontario and regions outside the contiguous U.S. are listed by name.
Explore the interactive case atlas →Boundaries: Natural Earth · public domain
Location research & source notes
Map sources checked September 14, 2026. 2 individual Odd Stops location pages matched this case.
See this case’s source review
- Odd Stops
- Location pages found · 2 location pages. Read the location summaries in our place guides; photographs appear where reuse rights are verified.
- MurderData
- No verified match found.
- ArcGIS essay
- Profile in 2021 essay. Read the independent essay ↗
- Reddit map
- Reviewed as a general resource. Its coordinates and victim counts were not adopted as case evidence.
“No verified match” describes the accessible material found in this review, not proof that a source has never covered the case. MAP’s anonymous records were not individually matched to people.
See the full case checklist →
Demolished home · later private residence
Site of Gacy's demolished home
Historical address: 8213 West Summerdale Avenue, Chicago area, Illinois. The original house is gone.
Victims were recovered from the house and grounds. The original house was demolished in 1979; a different residence was built on the lot in 1986.
Historical reference · no visitor access verified
Explore This Place →Historical reference only. The photograph depicts a later private residence. No museum, tour or public admission was verified.
Sources reviewed September 14, 2026. Check access information before traveling.
Former Nisson Pharmacy site
Private property1920 East Touhy Avenue, Des Plaines, Illinois
Robert Piest worked at this pharmacy before disappearing in December 1978. The site later became a childcare property, unrelated to the historical case.
Historical reference only. No tour or public entry has been verified; respect residents and do not contact occupants.
Explore This Place →EXPLORE THE CASE
Positive Outcome
Positive Outcome
0 itemsAbout these sources
Documented laws, advocacy and reforms. Listing a change does not claim it is effective or universally supported.
No case-specific reform has been verified for this collection yet.
Social Media
10 itemsAbout these sources
Case-specific posts, videos and communities. Community opinions are separate from verified reporting. Platforms may require sign-in.
Real Crime
John Wayne Gacy: A Real Life Nightmare | World’s Most Evil Killers | Real Crime
Video from Real Crime covering the John Wayne Gacy case. Length: 42:55.
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Real Crime
The Truth About John Wayne Gacy: A Graveyard Under His House
Video from Real Crime covering the John Wayne Gacy case. Length: 50:02.
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OUTLORE with Eleanor Neale
THE KILLER CLOWN: JOHN WAYNE GACY
Video from OUTLORE with Eleanor Neale covering the John Wayne Gacy case. Length: 3:00:39.
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Bailey Sarian
Devil In Disguise As A Killer Clown - John Wayne Gacy Was INSANE | Mystery & Makeup Bailey Sarian
Video from Bailey Sarian covering the John Wayne Gacy case. Length: 1:19:25.
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Our History
John Wayne Gacy: The Serial Killer Clown | Our History
Video from Our History covering the John Wayne Gacy case. Length: 44:03.
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FilmRise True Crime
World's Most Evil Killers - Season 1, Episode 13 - John Wayne Gacy | True Crime
Video from FilmRise True Crime covering the John Wayne Gacy case. Length: 43:29.
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Absolute Crime
Too BRUTAL For Netflix: John Wayne Gacy's Killer Confession
Video from Absolute Crime covering the John Wayne Gacy case. Length: 50:02.
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The Casual Criminalist
John Wayne Gacy: The Demonic Killer Clown
Video from The Casual Criminalist covering the John Wayne Gacy case. Length: 3:15:27.
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Absolute Crime
The Killer Clown Who Was A Devil In Disguise | John Wayne Gacy: World's Most Evil | Absolute Crime
Video from Absolute Crime covering the John Wayne Gacy case. Length: 43:23.
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Investigation Discovery
The Arrest of John Wayne Gacy | S1 E2 RECAP | ID
Episode recap or excerpt from Investigation Discovery covering the John Wayne Gacy case. Length: 19:10.
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