1. Michael Gacy: The Man Who Killed 33
1 Michael Gacy The Man Who Killed 33
Serial killer Michael Gacy killed 33 young men and boys in the 1970s. He was convicted and sentenced to death in 1980.
Gacy was born in Chicago in 1942. His father was an abusive alcoholic who often beat him. Gacy himself was a troubled youth, getting into trouble with the law on several occasions. He was arrested for burglary and attempted rape in 1967.
In 1968, Gacy married his first wife, Marlynn Myers. The couple had two children together. Gacy began working as a contractor and started his own business, PDM Contractors.
Gacy’s crimes began in 1972. His first known victim was Timothy McCoy, a 16-year-old boy who Gacy lured into his car with the promise of drugs. McCoy was strangled to death and his body was dumped in a nearby forest Preserve.
Over the next six years, Gacy would kill 32 more young men and boys. Most of his victims were between the ages of 14 and 18. He would often lure them into his home with the promise of alcohol or drugs, then sexually assault and kill them.
Gacy would often dispose of his victims’ bodies by burying them in the crawl space of his home. He also dumped some bodies in the Des Plaines River.
In 1978, Gacy’s wife divorced him after learning of his infidelity and his sexual interest in young boys.
Gacy continued to kill until his arrest in December 1978. One of his last victims was Robert Piest, a 15-year-old boy who Gacy had offered a job to. Piest’s mother reported him missing and police began to investigate Gacy.
During a search of Gacy’s home, police found evidence linking him to several of the murders. Gacy was arrested and charged with 33 counts of murder.
Gacy was convicted of all 33 murders in 1980. He was sentenced to death and spent 14 years on death row before being executed by lethal injection in 1994.
2. The Early Life of Michael Gacy
Michael Gacy was born in Chicago, Illinois, on March 17, 1942. His father, John Gacy, was an abusive man who would beat his wife and children on a regular basis. Michael Gacy’s mother, Marion, was a homemaker who was also a victim of John Gacy’s abuse. Michael Gacy had two sisters, Karen and Joanne.
Michael Gacy’s childhood was filled with abuse and neglect. His father would often beat him and his mother would do nothing to stop it. As a result, Michael Gacy developed a deep hatred for his father. He would later say that his father was “the deadest man I ever met.”
In 1954, John Gacy was arrested and sent to prison for sexually assaulting two young boys. This had a profound effect on Michael Gacy. He became withdrawn and began to act out in school. He was eventually expelled from high school for fighting.
After high school, Michael Gacy joined the United States Army. He served in the Vietnam War and was honorably discharged in 1967.
Upon his return to the United States, Michael Gacy began working as a construction worker. It was during this time that he met and married his first wife, Marlene. The couple had two children together, Michael Jr. and Christine.
In 1972, Michael Gacy sexually assaulted a young boy. He was arrested and sentenced to 10 years in prison. He was released on parole after serving just 18 months of his sentence.
Upon his release from prison, Michael Gacy divorced his wife and married his second wife, Carol. The couple had a daughter together, but she died of a heart condition when she was just two years old.
Michael Gacy then began working as a clown for children’s parties. He would dress up as “Pogo the Clown” and entertain the kids. He was very good at it and even won awards for his clowning.
In 1978, Michael Gacy sexually assaulted a young man. He was arrested and sentenced to 10 years in prison. He was once again released on parole after serving just 18 months of his sentence.
It was around this time that Michael G
3. Michael Gacy’s First Murder
It was the early morning hours of January 2, 1972. Twenty-six-year-old John Wayne Gacy, Jr. had just killed his first victim.
Gacy had picked up the young man, Timothy McCoy, at a bar in downtown Chicago. McCoy was only 19 years old. Gacy lured McCoy back to his apartment, where he raped and strangled him.
Gacy then took the body to the crawl space under his house and buried it in the dirt.
Gacy would later claim that he could not remember how he killed McCoy. He would also claim that he could not remember raping him.
This first murder would set the stage for Gacy’s future crimes. Over the next six years, Gacy would kill at least 33 young men and boys. He would bury most of them in the crawl space under his house.
Gacy was finally arrested in 1978. He was convicted of murder and sentenced to death. He was executed by lethal injection in 1994.
4. Michael Gacy’s spree of murders
On July 15, 1976, Michael Gacy killed his first victim, a 15-year-old boy named Timothy McCoy. McCoy had been hitchhiking and Gacy offered him a ride. Gacy took McCoy to a secluded area, raped him, and then strangled him to death. He then buried McCoy’s body in his crawl space.
Over the next two years, Gacy would kill at least six more young men in a similar fashion. He would offer them a ride, take them to a secluded area, rape them, and then strangle them to death. He would then bury their bodies in his crawl space.
On December 11, 1978, Gacy lured a 19-year-old student named Robert Piest into his car by promising him a job. Piest was last seen alive entering Gacy’s car. His body was found in Gacy’s crawl space two weeks later.
The police began investigating Gacy and soon discovered that he had a history of sexual assault. They also discovered that several young men had disappeared in the area where Gacy lived.
On December 21, 1978, Gacy was arrested and charged with the murder of Robert Piest. He was later charged with the murders of six other young men.
Gacy went on trial in 1980 and was found guilty of 33 counts of murder. He was sentenced to death and was executed by lethal injection on May 10, 1994.
5. Michael Gacy’s arrest and trial
On June 22, 1972, Michael Gacy was arrested for the rape and sodomy of a 15-year-old boy. He was later tried and convicted of these charges, as well as the murder of 33 young men and boys. Gacy was sentenced to death for his crimes, and he was executed by lethal injection on May 10, 1994.
Gacy’s arrest and trial garnered significant media attention, and his case is considered one of the most notorious in American history. Here are five key things to know about Gacy’s arrest and trial:
1. Gacy’s arrest came after a lengthy investigation.
Gacy was first arrested in December 1971 on charges of sodomy and deviant sexual assault. However, he was released on bond and the charges were eventually dropped.
In May 1972, another 15-year-old boy came forward and accused Gacy of rape and sodomy. This time, Gacy was arrested and charged with multiple counts of sodomy, deviant sexual assault, and kidnapping.
During the investigation, detectives discovered that Gacy had been involved in a number of suspicious incidents over the years. In 1968, he had been arrested for disorderly conduct after luring a young man into his car. And in 1969, he was charged with battery after he allegedly assaulted a teenage boy.
2. Gacy initially denied any involvement in the murders.
When detectives first questioned Gacy about the murders, he denied any involvement. He claimed that he was being framed by the police and that the victims had all been runaways or hitchhikers who had willingly gone with him.
3. Gacy eventually confessed to the murders.
After being confronted with evidence that linked him to the murders, Gacy eventually confessed to killing 33 young men and boys. He claimed that most of the victims had been killed at his home, and that he had disposed of their bodies by either burying them in his crawl space or dumping them in the Des Plaines River.
4. Gacy’s trial was a lengthy and complex one.
Gacy’s trial lasted for nearly three months, and included testimony from more than 100 witnesses. In the
6. Michael Gacy’s death
It is with great sadness that we report the death of Michael Gacy, who was found dead in his cell on Sunday morning. Gacy was convicted of the murders of 33 young men and boys in the 1970s, and was sentenced to death in 1994.
Gacy’s death comes as a shock to many, as he had been on death row for over 20 years. It is not yet known how Gacy died, but an autopsy will be conducted to determine the cause of death.
Gacy’s victims were all young men and boys who were lured to his home with the promise of work or parties. Once they were there, Gacy would sexually assault and murder them, before disposing of their bodies in his crawl space or elsewhere on his property.
Gacy’s crimes shocked the nation and led to a renewed focus on missing and murdered children. His case also helped spur the creation of the national sex offender registry, which allows law enforcement to track convicted sex offenders.
Gacy’s death brings an end to a long and tragic chapter in American history. Our thoughts are with the victims’ families and friends at this difficult time.
