Known as the Killer Clown, US serial killer John Wayne Gacy raped and murdered at least 33 young men and boys in a Chicago suburb between 1972 and 1978.
Now, a three-part documentary, Conversations with a Killer: The John Wayne Gacy Tapes, has arrived on Netflix.
The series, from the director of Conversations with a Killer: The Ted Bundy Tapes, features never-before-heard recorded interviews of Gacy – who was executed by lethal injection in 1994 – from his death-row prison cell.
The twisted serial killer worked as a local contractor, meaning that he was able to hire lots of young men – many of whom would later be reported missing by concerned relatives.
He was also a Democratic precinct captain and married father-of-two, who in his free time performed at children’s hospitals and charitable events as his alter-ego, Pogo the Clown.
However, Gacy was also a closeted, self-loathing homosexual and many of the young men he killed were gay and had left home at a time when society was much more homophobic and less accepting than today.
Some of the victims that escaped were not believed by the Chicago Police Department due to a lack of understanding that men could be victims of sexual assault from another man.
The documentary details how Gacy buried 29 bodies in the crawl space of his quiet Chicago suburban home.
Four others were dumped in a nearby river when he ran out of space beneath his house.
To this day, five victims remain unidentified, although efforts are ongoing thanks to advances in DNA technology.
Netflix viewers – even hardened true crime fans – have been appalled by the series, which shows the horror lurking behind the facade of a respected family man and local neighbourhood clown.
“I mean I’m obsessed with serial killers but this Netflix series about John Gacy is difficult,” tweeted one.
“I was not prepared for this Netflix doc series on John Gacy. I know something of him, obviously. But oof. I didn’t know all this. Heartbreaking,” said another.
As for Gacy himself, his words will haunt viewers long after watching.
“When you clowned, you’re hiding your image. There are things that you could do that you wouldn’t do as a person,” he says in the recordings.
“Clowns can get away with anything. Clowns can get away with murder.”
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Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
