John Wayne Gacy: American Serial Killer

John Wayne Gacy
Carson Jenkins
LaFayette High School Abstract John Wayne Gacy was an American serial killer based in Chicago, Illinois in the 1960s and 1970s. To his neighbors he was know as a friendly man that would host parties at his house and dress up as “Pogo the Clown” to entertain children. In 1968 he was convicted of sexually assaulting a young, this was before the grizzly discoveries of his murders. Gacy killed at least 33 young males in the Chicago area, hiding most of the bodies under his home. He struggled with his sexuality and was abused from a young age, this could of played a part in the rapes and murders of these small children. Gacy was found guilty in 1980 and was sentenced to multiple death penalties and life sentences.

He was the son of Polish and Danish parents. Gacy and his sister had an abusive father, who worked in a factory and would come home and drink alcohol to relieve his stress. He would usually end up drunk and would beat Gacy and his sister with a razor strap if they misbehaved. Gacy learned to toughen up during the beatings and would not cry. Gacy also suffered alienation at school because of a heart condition, he could not play in many physical activities. His condition was frowned upon by his father, he saw it as a failure. Gacy had learned he was attracted to men during his school years, which led to further alienation by

He let McCoy spend the night at his house. Gacy awoke to McCoy standing in his bedroom doorway holding a knife. Gacy leaped out of bed to stop McCoy. McCoy surrendered, but accidently cut Gacy’s wrist while throwing his hands in the air. Gacy thought he had tried to stab him, so gacy retaliated knocking McCoy against the wall. McCoy fell to the floor, defenseless Gacy grabbed the knife and repeatedly stabbed McCoy in the chest until he was no longer moving. Gacy had walked in the kitchen to find a carton of eggs and uncooked bacon laid out on his counter. His kitchen table was also set for 2 people. McCoy had come to wake Gacy up for breakfast but Gacy had mistaken McCoy as a threat. Gacy said he felt “totally drained”. Gacy’s second known victim was said to be killed around January, 1964. The victim was believed to be a teenager between the ages of 14 and 18. Gacy was hiring people for his company “PDM Contractors”. Most of the workers at “PDM Contractors” were young high school boys. Anthony Antonucci was one of the men he boys he hired, he was 15. Antonucci suffered a cut on his ankle, so Gacy took the boy home and made him drink a lot of alcohol . When Antonucci was somewhat out of it, Gacy wrestled him to the floor and handcuffed him. Gacy left Antonucci alone in the house, but when Gacy left Antonucci had freed one of his