John Wayne Gacy (March 17, 1942 – May 10, 1994) was an American serial killer and sex offender, known as the "Killer Clown" for entertaining children as "Pogo the Clown." He raped, tortured, and murdered at least 33 teenage boys and young men between 1972 and 1978 in Chicago, burying most in his home's crawl space. A contractor and community figure, he was convicted in 1980 and executed by lethal injection.
John Gacy born in Scorpio Lagna with Moon in Pisces (Uttarabhadra pada -1).
Below is a year-by-year chronological biography of his life and crimes.
Early Life and Development (1942–1960)
1942: Born on March 17 (St. Patrick's Day) in Chicago, Illinois. He was the only son of an alcoholic and physically abusive father.
1953: At age 11, Gacy was struck in the head by a playground swing, causing a blood clot that led to periodic blackouts throughout his youth.
1957: Hospitalized for a burst appendix; his father famously accused him of "faking it" for attention.
1960: Graduated from Northwestern Business College. He began showing an interest in local politics, working for the Democratic Party.
Early Adulthood and First Crimes (1961–1970)
1961: Moved to Las Vegas, working briefly at a mortuary where he claimed to have had his first experiences with the deceased.
1964: Married Marlynn Myers and moved to Waterloo, Iowa. He managed three Kentucky Fried Chicken franchises owned by his father-in-law and became a prominent member of the Jaycees.
1968: Arrested for sodomy after sexually assaulting a teenage boy. He was sentenced to 10 years in the Iowa State Reformatory. His wife divorced him shortly after.
1970: Released on parole after serving only 18 months. He moved back to Chicago to live with his mother.
The Killing Years (1971–1978)
1971: Purchased his home at 8213 West Summerdale Avenue in Norwood Park Township. He was arrested for sexual assault again, but the charges were dropped when the victim failed to appear in court.
1972: * January: Committed his first known murder, killing 16-year-old Timothy McCoy, whom he met at a bus station. He buried McCoy in the crawl space of his home.
July: Married his second wife, Carol Hoff.
1974: Founded PDM Contractors, a remodeling business. He committed his second murder (the victim remains unidentified).
1975: Murdered John Butkovich, a former employee. His wife, Carol, began noticing a foul smell in the house, which Gacy blamed on moisture and sewer issues.
1976: Divorced Carol Hoff. This began his most active period; he murdered at least nine young men this year. During this time, he also began performing as "Pogo the Clown" for community events.
1977: The peak of his violence, claiming at least 15 victims. In March, he abducted and tortured Jeffrey Rignall, who survived and later testified against him.
1978:
May: Met First Lady Rosalynn Carter at a political event, where he was photographed with her after receiving Secret Service clearance.
December 11: His final victim, 15-year-old Robert Piest, went missing after talking to Gacy about a job.
December 21: Police executed a search warrant and discovered human remains in Gacy's crawl space. Gacy was arrested.
Trial, Incarceration, and Execution (1979–1994)
1979: Investigators spent months excavating Gacy’s property, eventually recovering 29 bodies from the crawl space and property, and four others from the Des Plaines River.
1980: Gacy's trial began in February. He pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity. On March 13, he was found guilty of 33 murders—the highest number for a single person in U.S. history at that time. He was sentenced to death.
1980–1994: Spent 14 years on death row at Menard Correctional Center. During this time, he became known for his "clown paintings," which were sold at auctions.
1994: Executed by lethal injection on May 10 at Stateville Correctional Center. His famous last words were reportedly, "Kiss my ass."
Legacy and Modern Identifications
Because Gacy targeted runaways and hitchhikers, several of his victims remained nameless for decades.
2011: Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart reopened the case to identify the remaining eight victims using modern DNA technology. William Bundy was the first identified through this effort.
2017: James Haakenson was identified as Gacy’s 24th victim.
2021: Francis Wayne Alexander was identified as "Victim #5."
2026: As of today, five victims still remain unidentified, known only by their numbers in the original investigation.
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