John Wayne Gacy Research Paper

John Wayne Gacy, otherwise known as the “killer clown,” was a prolific killer in the late 1900’s. He primarily targeted young men and boys, victims ranging from age 14 to 21 years. Killings took place within a 5-year timeframe, where Gacy would torture, rape, and murder around 33 victims. As a student of psychology, it is very fascinating to learn exactly how someone could blend in with society and take the lives of so many people. It is also important to learn and comprehend his methodology, typology, and theories behind serial killers such as John Wayne Gacy.

John was born on March 17th, 1942, in Chicago, Illinois. He was the 2nd of 3 children in total and was immediately susceptible to abuse. His father was an alcoholic and would both physically

This was primarily because of his ability to manipulate and convince people that he was the “ideal person.” He became the head cook, convincing staff, and eventually the parole board, of his goodness. Within this time in prison, however short, his wife had divorced him, and his father died. The prison did not allow Gacy to attend the funeral. He was released from prison in June of 1970, at age 28, when he returned to his hometown of Chicago. His family, who were about 300 miles away at the time of his sentence, was unaware of what had happened in Waterloo, Iowa.

In June of 1972, John married his 2nd wife and bought a home in the suburbs of Chicago, where the killings would begin to take place until 1978. Around 1976, however, 2 years prior to the disappearance of Gacy’s last victim, Gacy and his 2nd wife

He would then tell the victims to handcuff themselves and try to escape, where Gacy would then use chloroform to subdue and incapacitate them. At this point, Gacy would use what he calls a rope trick, a torture device that would strangle the victim with each twist of the stick. He even stated that he knew what would happen to the victim with each twist, through consistent repetition of this method. To go even further, Gacy admitted to committing multiple killings at the same time. He would torture and kill one while the other or two observed in fear, ultimately making himself feel in